“Hey Alex, are you going to the bonfire tomorrow night?”
I turned to look over at Derek sitting on his tailgate with a beer in his hand, swatting his neck from all these damn bugs.
He just had to insist on coming out to the railroad tracks to meet some girls after school to “stargaze and chill,” he says. But of course, in proper Derek-like fashion, they flaked at the last minute.
He kept promising me something about a rainbow party for the last day of high school, whatever that meant.
Derek is my best friend and all, but he fancies himself as the Casanova of Heckelsville. Still, I wouldn't run to listen to his podcast on how to pick up women.
Derek’s family and mine had been friends long before he and I were born. His mother had passed on only a few short years after he and I first met due to cancer. It was very sudden.
They had just finished paying off the house when it happened. I still remember our families meeting up on Sunday afternoons after church for small BBQ get-togethers in our backyard.
I took a swig of my beer and sighed. “Eh, maybe...I really don't feel like it. We already partied and drank so hard last weekend.” ‘Honestly though, I don't want to see….her.’ I thought
“Dude, I worked my ass off planning this whole thing. I got the firewood, drinks, and music all ready to go. Oh, and guess who said she’d make an appearance, so maybe you'll get lucky, haha.”
‘Well…., Shit.’
“You know damn well how things are between us, Derek, besides shes leaving.”
“Well, I say it's worth a try BECAUSE she’s leaving. This might be your last shot you know.
I nod my head in silence. ‘Fuck, I know he's right but still…’
Clare's family is very strict and wants her to have some high and mighty prestigious future. I met her father once. Leon Bamford…He was…powerful. All I know is he’s European and has a very imposing figure, with piercing black eyes and perfectly styled silver hair.
He made sure to let it be known that I was nothing but dirt in his eyes the way he stared at me.
Clare and I have had a touch-and-go relationship for many years now, going on several dates, kissing and holding hands, the usual stuff but nothing further than that which crushed me.
I did eventually confess my love to her around my second summer of high school, but she claimed her father would never allow it and was forbidden from having any long-term relationship, I was pretty heartbroken over it.
Once summer break starts, I may never get another chance to be with her because she’s going overseas for some exchange program, so who knows what will happen to us in the future. I might as well try.
“Yeah, well, some of the guys and gals said they're gonna be playing a little prank out in the fields, so maybe she’ll be alone for a while, and you can talk to her.”
“Oh, really, what dumbass thing do they got cooked up this time?”
“I'm not sure, honestly, but I heard they were trying to get on the news or somethin’ for the end-of-senior-year prank.”
‘Probably bullying some poor drunk guy by tying him up to a pole with duct tape naked, so I'd rather not get involved. Who the hell wants to see some dude’s junk for fun?’
“Huh…well, good for them, Maybe I'll try to take that chance and talk to her then.”
“Well, hurry up, go home, and pick out some decent clothes. Nobody’s gonna notice you if you dress like a bum…and don't wear that stupid camo shirt either.”
I glance down at my clothes to see my favorite T-shirt my Ma gave me at the beginning of freshman year and my tattered work pants and steel-toe boots with, well…some of the steel showing.
‘It's not like I have a lot of money or options for clothes, all I have going for me is a decent face, and I'm pretty in shape from working on my father's ranch whenever I don’t have homework to do.’
“Haaaa,” I sigh. “Well, I’m fixin' to head on out then.”
“Ok, same here. I'll catch you later.”
“Aight, see ya.”
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I jump into my father’s rusty flatbed pickup truck. With the turn of the key and a few pumps of the gas pedal, the old engine finally roars to life. With a few backfires, I take off in a cloud of dust and smoke as I make my way home. ‘I should probably clean out the carburetor again pretty soon.’
I turn left at the abandoned gas station and head down a gravel road shaded by trees. Tucked away at the end of the road, I pull into the driveway of my family’s farmhouse and let out another long sigh. ‘No work truck in the driveway. I guess my dad isn't coming home again tonight.’
I barely see my dad, Eric Reynolds, anymore. Near the end of middle school, a famously large company decided to build a massive warehouse that basically employed half the town.
The pay was better than anyone could regularly get here, but unfortunately, now with him still working out at our ranch and the additional hours he works at the warehouse, I never see him except in the early hours of the morning when he is just coming in, and I am leaving for school.
Sure, I understand he does it to put a roof over our heads, keep the ranch afloat, and put food on the table for Mom and me, but even then, I still wish I could see him more. Maybe when I'm done with college, I can do something about it.
I turn off the truck and rest my head on the headrest while cliche-ly thinking to myself about the meaning of life.
“Whatever,” I step out into the night air, slam the creaky rusty door shut, and walk my way into the place I have called home for 18 soon-to-be 19 years. Opening the door, I yell, “Ma, I'm home!”
My mother, Margaret Reynolds, is what you would call a stereotypical Southern mom when it comes to rearing her only child. Still, now that I have grown up, I’ve noticed that she can be oddly eccentric in the strangest of ways.
She honestly seems to live in the clouds most of the time, sporadically changing hairstyles depending on her mood and randomly getting hung up on any new health fad from Shop At The House Network every few months. Her love language is whipping up some new health smoothies for us to choke down ...ahem, I mean lovingly consume.
“I'm in the living room!” Her voice trailed to the front door.
Walking past the numerous family photos and a wide assortment of guns inside their display cases. I look into the back room, seeing my mom hunched over with what appears to be an antique spinning wheel. Perplexed by what I'm even looking at, I think to myself. ‘Where did she even find that?’
“How was the last day of school, dear.”
“It was fine. It was only a half day due to finals, but Derek invited me to hang out with some of his friends after school. By the way, Ma, I'm going to a party tomorrow night with Derek. It’s over in the Patterson’s fields with some people from school, so I'll probably just spend the night at his house afterward… if that's ok with you?” ‘Hopefully, she doesn't freak out. She’s not really big on parties like this.’
Giving me a long stern glare. Then after a bit, she says, “Alex, I swear, if things start getting rowdy like the shenanigans I’ve been hearing from some of the other mothers at church, you promise me you will leave. Got it?”
Holding her gaze for a bit longer, I reply, “Sure Mom, I'll leave, don't worry. It’s the last time we are all getting together before graduation. I’m sure nobody wants to get jailed right before we graduate. With summer break, everybody has better plans”.
“Well, let's hope so. The deputy put out a notice that some of y’all are getting a little out of hand. He caught some boys mudding and jumping their trucks over the railroad track crossing. That poor Nichol’s boy did that two years ago and still hasn't recovered from the accident he had.”
Heckelsville is a pretty small town, but it's comfortable. There is just enough going on to not be boring, and we basically only have one main straight street, which is our “Downtown.” Although we have a decent amount of activities around here, they are mainly hosted by an endless amount of churches.
I'm definitely not one to run with the religious types. Smoking, drinking, and a few rolls in the hay is not exactly pious behavior. Mom doesn't force me to go to church anymore now that I'm of working age, so that's at least something.
“Hey Ma, is Dad coming home tonight? I was hoping to talk to him for a little while before I head off to bed.” I ask with slight hope in my eyes.
“Oh, I'm sorry sugar. You just missed him. He got called back in on an extra shift. I'm sure he’ll be back in the morning. You might want to try to catch him then, he’s supposed to be off for most of the weekend.”
“I see. I’ll try later then, I suppose. Well hey, I'm gonna go upstairs and play some video games for a bit then hit the sack.”
“Oh really? You usually stay up late on Friday nights. Why so early?”
“Derek mentioned that he needed help getting more firewood for the bonfire early tomorrow morning, and I told him I’d bring Dad’s truck and help out. I was gonna ask Dad for some extra help, but he’s probably gonna be tired tomorrow.” ‘I really don't know why I was expecting anything different.’
After this summer, pretty much all of us kids from high school will rarely see each other, if ever again. Maybe on holidays when I'm home from college. The same applies to my own family, which for the last two major holidays, my father was also out working.
Derek wants to go into nursing. He says that’s where all the women are, and since it’s a female-dominated field, he’d be one of the only men they’d interact with 12 hours a day. Admirable but also cringy.
I’m going for a mechanical engineering degree, which will take a long ass time. I’ll also have to work part-time to pay for food and extras, even after slaving away to apply for every grant or scholarship imaginable. Six years of pre-cooked noodle packets, woot. But it is something I’ve always been very passionate about.
I guess my good grades were handy for something. I was always somewhat of the studious type, at least more than anyone else in my family. I played with the idea of joining the military, but it felt like I was cutting off my future by signing up. Sure, I love my country and want to do my duty while touring the world, but I decided to give college a try first. I'm still young after all.
Don’t get me wrong, I love working on our homestead, ‘It's more of a hobby at this point, though.’ However, I don't want to be stuck in this small town. Having to work a side job the whole time and challenging ranch work to make ends meet is not my idea of a great future.
I run up the stairs to shower and then wear my comfy clothes. ‘Let’s play some Old Man Books Online for a bit.’