Page 17 of Freshmeet
The hum of the bugs lessened the farther I got from the trees, replaced by the gentle lapping of the lake against the shore. I may not have loved the great outdoors, but even I could admit it was a pretty sight.
My phone vibrated, and I cautiously smiled when my mom’s modelesque face flashed on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hi, sweetheart. Quick question.”
I frowned. “Okay?”
“Do you remember the name of that mechanic Olivia knows?”
Squinting out at the shining water, I swallowed my disappointment. I was twenty-one and, for some reason, neededmy mom to acknowledge what a big deal it was for me to be working my first real job.
“Uh, Jacob Kane. He works at Marshall’s Automotive.”
“Thank you! A light came on, and your dad is out of town at a conference. I thought I might try to surprise him by taking care of it myself.”
“Great. Glad I could help.”
A car drove past me, the crunching gravel catching Mom’s attention. “Where are you?”
“I actually started?—”
“Oh, shoot! Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve got to go if I’m going to make Pilates. Love you!”
The line went dead before I could even say goodbye. Staring down at the black screen, I tried to understand the heavy feeling in my gut.
It’s not like I expected her to tell me she was proud of me. I mean, she didn’t tell me she was proud when I graduated at the top of my class, or when I’d been accepted into the Master of Arts in Education program, so why would she tell me she was proud of me for working a seasonal job? I thought she might say, “Have a nice day” or “Let me know how it goes.”
Tears welled in my eyes, making everything a little blurry. Mom had a knack for making me weepy at the most inopportune times. Or maybe it was my fault. At some point, I needed to take responsibility for letting my family wreck me emotionally with a pleasant phone call.
My phone buzzed again, and I hesitated to look. Sniffing, I wiped under my eyes and opened the text from Olivia.
Olivia Mohr
Left you a basket of goodies on your bed! Good luck today! Call me when you’re off
Included was a picture of a wicker basket stuffed with summer staples like sunblock, aloe vera, and bug spray, as well as an anti-chafe stick. Peeking out from the back was an assortment of face masks, bath bombs, and a paperback novel complete with a hot man’s abs.
I sobbed out a laugh, thanking the friendship gods for Olivia. The girl had a sixth sense of when I needed her the most.
Thanks! Will do
Standing on the edge of the grass, I took a deep breath and looked around for the shed. The map was essentially a series of geometric shapes and squiggly lines—not exactly helpful.
“Where is this thing?”
I followed a groove in the grass toward the water and finally saw a rickety shack down the shore with a hot pink index card taped to the door. The closer I got, the more creeped out I was.
“I just know there are a million spiders in there,” I muttered, flicking a mosquito off my arm.
The Aquatic Shack, as the map had it labeled, was tucked between two enormous trees. Branches hung overgrown along the roof, providing shade to the beat-up structure.
Stopping at the door, I ripped off the card and dropped it in my bag. Glancing behind me, I couldn’t see any of the other counselors, only a guy running along the lake. A quick peek at the map, and I realized Christie had us running all over the park.
“Quit being a coward,” I whispered to myself.
I twisted the knob, but the door didn’t open. Pushing a little harder, the wood groaned but still stayed firmly shut.
