Lake story

IT HAPPENED AT THE LAKE

It had been so long since I had been to that pristine lake between the mountains. Yes, I may have loved it more now than I did as a kid. The dock hadn't changed much. It was so serene. How could I possibly not want to be here with my new beau? 

Of course, I chatted up the place. All the adventures I remembered with cousins and acquaintances. It felt like a lifetime ago. And we were going camping.

Really, it felt odd to be a grown-up now. Almost out of college and marriage-bound. Besides, Scott was the camper and loved to rough it. I wasn't sure if I could count on his cooking since he insisted on fishing for supper. 

I made plenty of snacks, from peanut butter and jam sandwiches to plenty of fruit and veg. After all, I felt I needed to treat him like my firstborn. But then again, I slipped in a couple of bottles of wine, his favorite beer hoping somehow I could unwind on this little getaway. 

Luckily, we made camp in no time. A little tent for two. Honestly, it was a first for both of us. I hope this wasn't the end. I did my best to savor the sun at the edge of the dock in my sunshades. I brought some old paperbacks I needed to get through and give to the library booksalw. Yes, I would do my best to be quiet while Scott was one with the water.

But that only lasted, maybe forty-five minutes. Unexpected company arrived and to my surprise it was Zane who I hadn't seen since high school.

It was kind of funny, we were full of pleasantries. Only, that hadn't been the case Senior year. We'd had a falling out over a guy and vowed to never speak to each other. Thankfully, she didn't remind me of what the spat was about. After all, she wasn't with Noah, either. 

While they set up their tent, it crossed my mind how I might have reacted if she had been here with him. I hugged myself in thought.

"I don't think the fish are here," Scott winced in the sun.

"What?" I squinted back at the thought of us moving somewhere sacred for his fishing. My teeth clench. Really, I was happy not to be alone on the lake with him. Sure, I loved US, but not that much when it came to the outdoors. "My friend is here," found myself saying even if Zane was my friend-enemy.

"But, we came all this way to get away from everyone," Scott fretted. He was in a miserable mood ever since he got on at the high school as the Girl's Wrestling Coach. All this time, he just knew he'd be ace if he was coaching the football team.

"Oh, just take a walk and find a spot, will you," I put my hands on my back as if this was the last thing I needed. I really didn't want Zane to see us arguing, either. 

Soon enough, Zane sent Jared off to fish with Scott. We were alone and I hesitated. It was as if my throat was too raw to speak. I felt a little jittery.

"Sara, we have to talk," Zane said.

I nodded. I knew she was right.

"Lets take a walk," So off we went in the opposite direction of the guys. She mentioned no one was here and she was glad. Zane remembered coming here with her grandmother.

"How is she?" I looked at her blankly.

"She passed during the pandemic," Zane pointed to where her ashes were laid to rest. "This was her happy place." She smiled with a shrug. "I'm beginning to think it takes a lifetime to be happy, you know."

Zane said she was between jobs. It had been stressful at the wedding company she'd worked for. 

"I'm afraid Scott will quit before he ever starts his," I confessed. I told her he was a bit timid.

"But he's fit," Zane smiled. I smiled back.

"Jared has been my friend for so long now, we thought we'd try being together," she said she'd been with him longer than her previous boyfriends. "See what happens to you when you work for a wedding company." She laughed.

It was good to hear her kind voice. But she was so adamant about Noah back then. We'd had a fight in the girl's bathroom and both said a few things I knew we regretted. Yet we'd left it with a monumental FINE. Neither of us would date him. We wouldn't be friends either.

Funny, I couldn't recall Noah's face now as I watched her skip a rock a rock across the still water. Why had I wanted to be with him so much? 

Zane helped me along the rocks as we headed back to the dock. It was then we decided it was too hot to stay out of the water so we both made some noise and jumped right into the cool waters. Finally, it felt like a clean break. We were friends again. And this time we would be there for each other.

Jelly update

 

Um, Kenny is history. I know.

Bad me. So yeah, after COVID it was still a bad year. That's what happens when you're on the road for so long. Yeah, Velvet and the girls are history too.

Just my luck, I'm yesterday's favorite flavor. So, I've been waiting tables. I lived in the back of the pool hall for a while. Watched a lot of people get drunk. I did extra stuff you know. Nothing bad. I just had to keep the damn place spotless.

And I won a few games, too. At least I improved my game. Can't say I'm a real pool shark and I wouldn't want to be at it, like this one Granny I know.

God, she is a sad sort. Got busted, just sleeping in her car. It wasn't even on. Just in the bar parking lot. Now she's on probation. She gets tested for Alcohol every few days. She can only have water now with a slice of lemon. 

Well, that was weeks ago. 

I did try to help. I went with her to get some legal representation. Um, not sure it did much good, but I'm no longer living in the back of the pool hall anymore.

Yeah, Charles who I call Chuck, might not be as perfect as he seems. Yeah, it still gives me a good laugh. Who knows, maybe the lad was just being a good Samaritan. But you know, safe to say he's mine now, and we live by the ocean. 

Yeah, I'm moving up. But you know, I got this itch to be on tour. And well, I might not be cut out for the good life anyway.

dk;dc

 

out there somewhere(2008)

Bella wasn't sure she trusted Kal's burgers out on the charcoal grill. Basically, this had been one big camping trip they'd been on. He was so sure he could find something in Dallas with his music, but now they'd moved on to Austin.

"It has to be very well done. For me, anyway." Normally, she didn't even eat meat, but it hadn't exactly been a vegan's vacation. When all said in done, it was cheaper to get a dollar burger from the value menu. Perhaps that's what made her feel so shitty.

"Aw, nothing like a good juicy rare burger, Babe." He was standing there in the smoke out by the grill. All she really wanted was a room with a hot shower, but she didn't see that coming tonight or in the next few days. They were sleeping out under the stars.

Finally, she took the burger on two pieces of white bread. She savored the moment of having something hearty to eat instead of a peanut-butter sandwich. Maybe she would really sleep tonight.

It hadn't been easy adjusting to the road. For the most part, she slept when Kal drove and couldn't sleep a wink at night, especially, last night when they camped in a tent not too far off the highway. It was downright scary, but now he said they were safe in a state park.

"You can rest easy, Babe." He kept telling her, that she did want to sleep after she ate the burger.

"Thanks." She had done her best not to complain. Besides, she'd chosen to be with him, but sometimes, she really thought Gordy would have been a better choice when it came to a dark night like this, alone in the wilderness. She wasn't so sure if Kal could save her from anything.

Finally, she crawled into her sleeping bag. She just wanted to be left alone. Her body ached from all the walking, then the driving, and in the end, not ending up anywhere. She didn't dare ask what they'd do next. She'd wait and hope she wouldn't hate Kal soon.

It wasn't long til she drifted off to sleep, but then she found herself having to watch Gordy with someone else. Delia, the whorish girl from cosmetics at Walgreens. He was seeing Delia. He was kissing Delia. Even Jane was letting Delia hold her. They were laughing. Laughing possibly at Bella. And then Bella saw it. Delia was fat. With child.

Bella woke in a sweat. Her heart was racing. She picked up her cell and punched in Emily's number. Of course, she didn't pick up, but Bella left her a message. "Don't let Gordy near Delia!" She tried to say, but she wasn't sure she said anything at all. She thought she'd lost her voice.

dk;dc

 on the job(2008)

Was it time to clock out yet? Gordy was getting a slight buzz from the energy drink he'd had a few hours ago on his break, but it felt so surreal being here at Walgreens in the wee hours of the morning. He was sure he could hear music in the lighting above. This always worried him that one day he might actually make out words coming from the lights above.

He attacked the boxes of macaroni and cheese with the price gun as he straightened the isle. Why in the hell would anybody buy macaroni and cheese here, he thought. It was double the price here compared to No Frills, the local grocery. And why would this crap bother him anyway? He hated cheese.

He was so alone. There might be one other person in the store, and when he looked up there was Floyd looking somewhat angelic in his very white t-shirt and bleached-out jeans. He was positively glowing.

"What are you doing here?" Gordy wanted so badly to hit Floyd with a price on his forehead, but he didn't.

"Thought I'd get myself a pizza."

"What happened? You get laid or something?" Gordy was a bit familiar with the drill. Floyd would hang around after KFC closed, go home with a new co-worker, get lucky, then come here. He was never into cuddling.

"God, you know me so damn well." Floyd cracked a grin.

"Yeah, cause you're so damn lucky. Just what kind of lines, do you use, dude?" Gordy wacked at some of the boxes with the price gun while they talked.

"I don't know, I'm just myself, what can I say?" He shrugged.

"Yeah, you use that damn rocker bullshit on them, don't you?" Gordy shook his head in disgust.

"If it ain't broke, go for the gold." Floyd chuckled.

"Yeah, after all, you are the man." About that time he noticed there was an old man at the counter wanting to pay for some Tums. Gordy went over and checked him out. It wasn't the worst job in the world, but then they expected him to sweep the parking lot too. Not exactly a thrill at three in the morning.

Finally, Floyd came up with his frozen pizza.

"Seriously, dude, we gotta get together sometime and jam, you know," Floyd was already in his own little shuffle dance.

"Yeah, and you'll want me to find my skateboard too, won't you? It's not gonna happen anytime soon. I don't have precious nights like you do." Gordy rang him up and gave him some change.

"Come on, you gotta have a night off sometime soon," Floyd told him.

"All right, how does Sunday night sound?" Gordy scratched the back of his neck, thinking his luck would be that he'd be needed on a Sunday night here, and he couldn't say no to the money.

dk;dc

 

 

If Not Today (2008)

"Why, why do you do this to me, every-time, B?" Emily was in the middle of painting her nails and her sister would have to call.

"Can't you multi-task?" Bella fumed back.

"What is it this time?" Usually, she wanted her to beg her mother for money. Of course, her mother wasn't going to send Bella anything and Bella certainly wasn't going to ask. "Where are you?"

"Either Austin or Dallas, I'm not sure where I woke up this morning," Bella told her sister.

"I see." Emily seethed with envy. Her sister was off gallivanting around the country with her boyfriend and here she was still in school. "And?"

"And have you see Jane, lately?"

There was a silence. Emily didn't want to talk about that. She really didn't see her niece anymore than her sister saw her own child. A bad taste came to her mouth.

"She's fine. What do you care, anyway?" Emily snapped.

"You can't tell me anything. Nobody sends me pictures anymore." Emily heard her sister's voice ache.

"Why should we? What do you care?" Emily blew on her nails. She then caught a look at her nose in the mirror. God, it had to go, she thought. When could she get a new nose.

"Look, I have to go. I'll send you a picture over the phone when I can. If you're so worried, why don't you come home?" Emily didn't even wait for an answer. She hung up.

She stared at her cell phone then. She thought of Gordy. It made her sad to think he was alone sitting on the couch holding a baby while watching MTV. She pushed in his number.

"Yello." It sounded a bit of a yawn when Gordy answered.

"Are you up for company?" She wondered. His schedule was crazy. She rarely ever got to see him.

"I got a couple of hours to kill before I have to go to work." His voice was sincere, and she closed her eyes for a second thinking how much missed listening to him sing 'Hot Child in the City' with his old guitar while Bella was pregnant with Jane.

"How about if I kill them with you?" She came back to their conversation.

"As long as it doesn't involve money or me moving from this couch," he told her.

"I think I can do that." She smiled then. It was a date. Maybe.