Page 55 of Freshmeet
“Want to go over there in the shade?”
Please say yes. I can’t take this heat. It’s just a matter of time before I vomit over the side of this canoe.
She shrugged, her black-rimmed eyes staying locked on the canoe Carter was in with Joey Lawson. They were laughing and shouting at the other campers as they tried to organize a race.
“Let’s join in.” I started to paddle towards them, and Nia dropped her oar in the canoe.
My stomach mimicked the rocking motion, and bile rose in my throat.
“I’d rather not.” She tugged at the fringe on the bottom of her black denim shorts. Swatting a bug away from one of her curly dark brown hair puffs, she rolled her eyes. “I’m only here because it’ll look good on my college applications.”
“You’re in eighth grade.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want to be stuck in this small-ass town.” Her gaze flickered to Joey and back to me. “Guys like that will knock you up and leave you working at the Superstore for the rest of your life while they go to college and have a future.”
Shocked. I was shocked.
Why does this thirteen-year-old sound thirty-five?
Nia pinned me with her serious stare. “Listen, Ms. Sarah, you’re nice and all, but you’re not from here.”
“Hey, Nia! Come race with us!” Joey yelled from the middle of the lake. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to rope her into the activities, and I had a sneaking suspicion the boy had a bit of a crush.
Nia ducked her head, covering her face. “Is everyone looking?”
I started to turn, and she waved her hands. “Don’t look!”
“Then how do I check to see if everyone is looking?”
She glared at me, then glanced out at the lake. Her dark brown eyes widened, and she whispered, “He’s still looking.”
“Then let’s go over there,” I suggested. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Letting out a long-suffering sigh, she picked up her oar, and we paddled to the middle of the lake.
Carter grinned at me, wiggling his eyebrows as he lifted his chin toward our star-crossed campers. Once all ten kayaks andcanoes were lined up, he counted down from three, and we were off.
Despite looking bored by the whole thing, Nia was hyper-competitive, propelling us past the other campers while giving me flat-toned commands. We were neck and neck with Carter and Joey when we started taking on water.
“Oh no,” I muttered, tucking my oar under the seat and grabbing our bailer. No matter how fast I worked, we were sinking.
Nia’s eyes fell to where water gushed into the canoe. “Perfect,” she groused.
The other kids flew by, not bothering to check on us.
When it became apparent that I was fighting a losing battle, I gave her a rueful smile. “I guess we’re going for a swim.”
Nia checked her vest, stood, and jumped into the lake, which caused the canoe to tilt, and I went face-first into the water.
I surfaced, coughing and spitting. “Thanks,” I yelled to her back as she swam away. The canoe bobbed on the water next to my head, giving me a perfect view of the gash in the bottom. Duct tape hung loosely off the jagged edges, and I cursed under my breath.
Someone half-assed patching this hole.
“You okay?” Carter yelled from the dock.
“Yeah,” I shouted back, waving an arm.
The perfect ending to a long ass day.
