Page 8 of Yours and Mine (Friends with Benefits)

“Hey, pay attention. It’s about to start.” Andrew, another Transformers fan, called Daisy out. If I were brave enough, I’d have kissed him right then and there.

The credits began rolling, and we all turned our attention to the screen. I wished I could concentrate as much on the movie as I did on Daisy, who every so often leaned into Nick to whisper something in his ear; maybe I would have enjoyed it much more. When it was over, pulsing with excitement, the boys couldn’t stop talking about it. Instead of going to the lake for a swim, we ended up hiking through the forest. Daisy twisted her ankle, or at least she was good at pretending that she did, and hung onto Nick’s arm for the remainder of the hike. That’s why we didn’t go swimming at Pebble Beach in the end – because of Daisy’s supposedly twisted ankle.

We passed old Mr. Grafton’s house. The rumor was that it was haunted, yet it was still the best place to trick-or-treat. He always put up the spookiest decorations, although with the way his yard was kept, that really wasn’t too difficult to do.

Next was Mrs. Gladstone’s ranch. We all stopped by the fence, staring at all the activity as Betty Sue, one of her cows, was calving.

“Is it time, Mrs. Gladstone?” Andrew asked.

“It sure is. Probably another hour or so and we’ll have a brand new calf.”

“What are you going to name it?”

“Well, if it’s female, Betsy, after her mother. If it’s male, Duke, after his father.”

“Good luck!” I yelled out.

“Thank you. And happy birthday, Joelle and Nicholas!”

“Thanks!” We waved.

“I bet you it will be Duke,” Carter said with pride.

“I’m betting on Betsy,” Molly countered.

“How do you know?”

“Girl’s intuition.” She shrugged.

“Feminine intuition is fiction,” Carter laughed.

“That’s bull,” Molly argued.

“It’s not. It’s ridiculous. You girls justify everything with intuition, even when it’s the most illogical scenario, so long as it suits you.”

“And I see you still haven’t learned when to keep your mouth shut.”

“I’m just saying how it is.”

Molly just shook her head. Those two always argued, and their minds worked at the opposite sides of the spectrum.

As soon as we passed the farm, Nick and Daisy fell behind, and I joined Molly, Carter, and Andrew ahead. We found the sweetest blueberries and blackberries near the cliffs. Carter had a knack for finding the best ones, which he gave to me. Soon enough my stomach was full of berries, and my mouth and tongue were stained purple.

Once I forgot about Nick and Daisy behind us, my mood lifted.

“I can’t wait until high school,” Molly sighed.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because Carter’s older brother goes there,” Andrew teased.

“Shut up. That’s not the only reason.”

“Yeah, but it’s the main one. Who wants high school? All that homework and long classes.Thisis the life!” He looked down, swinging his legs back and forth.

We were sitting on the high beam of an abandoned barn. The town often held parties and carnivals there. It was smack in the middle of town, just beyond the forest, and a stone’s throw away from the lake. Andrew passed me the last slice of pizza from one of the two boxes we’d brought. The air was dense, swirling with visible heat waves. Part of me wished for a swim to cool off, but that would mean I’d need to get into my bathing suit, which in the heat felt like a hassle. Besides, I could have used a few more minutes in the sun to tend to my summer tan. My skin was already brown, and while my freckles were waiting to pepper my nose and cheeks, Molly’s were more prominent than ever. The sound of thunder rolled behind us.

“We better get out of here if we don’t want to get wet. Nick, can I have your shirt if it starts raining?”

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