Page 59 of Them Bones

Holly was glowering from the corner, holding a bowl of chips.

She walked over to the ladder and lowered herself into the cool water. It was refreshing, washing away the muggy June heat from the sticky, humid portables. Kyle slipped back into the water, swimming alongside her.

“You don’t say much,” he said.

She just looked at him.

He smiled and let his body float up like a starfish as she tread water lazily beside him. He was cute, nice. Floppy brown hair, freckles, a wide mouth that was always smiling, surprisingly muscular for his age. He was well liked, despite his terrible back acne, always surrounded by friends in class, chatting easily and cracking jokes. He was on the hockey team, and seemed like he was… easy. Just an easy person to be around, easy to like.

Holly waded into the pool in an aquamarine bikini with sparkling crystal straps, swimming towards them like a shark.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Holly asked, glaring at her.

Kyle sat up in the water, looking at her with interest.

“No,” she said.

“I could haveswornyou had a boyfriend. Some guy named Sean or something.Older.Punched one of the teachers.”

Kyle frowned, glancing back and forth between her and Holly.

“Nope, definitely don’t have a boyfriend.”

Another girl swam over, her long black hair piled high on top of her head to keep it dry.

“No, no I remember that guy!” she said. “The one who punched the office window. He told Holly he was looking for you!”

“Ugh, he wasso hot,”said a third girl. “If he’s not your boyfriend, can I have his number?”

“Shut up, Chelsea,” Holly grumbled.

“You remember, Marianne?” Chelsea squealed. “You said you’d dump Connor for him.” She giggled. The dark-haired girl blushed but didn’t deny it and Laney fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Seriously,” Chelsea continued, “I want your life. All the guys look like magazine covers, or something.”

“Guys?” Laney asked, confused. “What guys?”

“Your brother,” Marianne chimed in.

“Dustin? He’seleven.”

“No, no, the other one. Theblonde one,” Chelsea said.

“How do you know my brother?” Laney asked, her eyes narrowing.

Chelsea and Marianne giggled again. “He showed up to help fix the school bus earlier this year. When we broke down on Yonge. Holly, you remember?” Holly looked like she was going to snap their necks. “You went over to talk to him and he said his sister was in our grade. You asked who his sister was – ”

“Yes, I remember!” Holly snapped.

“Wait, I was there that day. When the bus broke down,” Kyle said slowly. “There were a couple of guys, they showed up with a tow truck…” He looked at Laney, wariness on his face now. “Is your brotherCary?”

“Yes! Cary! That was totally his name!” Marianne crooned. Kyle paled and swam a little farther from Laney. “Do you know him, Kyle?”

“Yeah,” he said shortly, eyeing Laney uncomfortably.

The girls tittered mindlessly for a while, Holly burning a hole into the back of Laney’s head. Kyle drifted away, picking up a volleyball and joining a game with some other boys.

He didn’t look at her again.

KYLE

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