Page 34 of Hope for the Best

"Of course, at night."

"I might do it for a thousand," he agreed thoughtfully. "Why? Are you trying to whip up a grand to get me to try my boating skills?"

"Would you really take a thousand from me?"

"Would you really go so far as to have me boat across the Pacific Ocean just to test my skills?"

"You live on the real ocean," I said. "Don't even try to make me think you're scared of little old Lake Sutton."

"I'm not scared of this lake. I'll take you over there and back tonight if you've got a boat."

"I don't have a boat. Dad sold his, and my mom doesn't live anywhere near the lake. If I did, I would be tempted, though. I might test your skills."

"I would definitely not hesitate to do it with you in the boat. If I got lost, you would just tell me where to go."

The trail had led us to a small public park with lakefront access. There was a playground with a set of swings, a slide, and one of those metal merry-go-rounds that were notorious for making kids dizzy and nauseated.

"I love those things," I said, pointing to it. "I used to get my brother to push me as fast as he could, and I would never get dizzy," I said.

"What about now?" Charlie asked. I shook my head at him. "No, actually. Landon pushed me on it the other day, and I was fine. I don't mind it. He said it was because I lay with my head near the middle, but either way, I don't get dizzy"

"You rode this the other day?" Charlie asked, climbing onto it and laying down. He looked at me with a smile, and I shrugged a shoulder.

"Not the other day, but recently. A few weeks ago, maybe."

Charlie smiled at me as he slowly pushed himself with his foot. "I’m pretty sure I could take Landon pushing me on this thing without losing my lunch," he said.

"Oh, you think so?" I asked. "What about Hope? I'm faster than Landon."

Charlie picked his head up and looked at me with a skeptical expression.

"Watch your feet," I said. I ran with him for five or six paces and then I stopped, tossing the metal pole out of my hand in a practiced pushing movement to maximize the speed of the merry-go-round.

Push,

push,

push.

I sent it flying with hard, practiced pushes to the metal poles as they flew by me. I spun them vigorously, giving Charlie several fast rotations before pulling back and taking my hands away. I watched Charlie's calm face as he spun. He was focused on the trees above him. I reached out to gently slow the big metal wheel until it came to a stop.

I strategically stopped Charlie when he came back around to where his feet were close to me. He sat up with a smile, but his face suddenly grew serious, and he braced himself and swayed like he might get sick. His joke only lasted for a second, and I was barely reaching out to help him before he smiled again. I pulled back and slapped him gently on the shoulder.

"I thought you were really sick," I said.

"I’m fine," he said, grinning. "I don't love getting dizzy, but it doesn't make me feel sick or anything."

"What about slides?" I asked.

"What about them?"

"How do you feel about them?" He gave a slight shrug. "About the same as I do about the spinning thing," he said nonchalantly.

"Swings?"

He shrugged again. "Slightly better," he said uncertainly.

"Swings it is, then," I said.

---