They had started off after school as usual, the three of them. George was in the lead, Tall and lanky at 5’8” and barely a hundred pounds, he towered over the others in his 5th grade class as he seemingly started his growth spurt a bit prematurely. He would sometimes forget that the others would almost have to skip-run just to keep up with his normal gait.
As he turned his head he had noticed his friends Theo and Hunter were falling gradually behind as they gave up trying to keep up with him. He slowed, taking half steps as the other two caught up. He looked curiously at the two, a glint of mischief in his eye that didn’t go unnoticed by Hunter as she scrunched up her nose, “What?” She asked hesitantly.
George pushed his ridiculously large, plastic-framed glasses up a bit on his nose and swept his disheveled blonde hair out of his eyes as he looked down at her round, puggish face with her nose all scrunched up disapprovingly, already knowing whatever he was going to say, she was going to vehemently oppose.
“Why don’t we go down to the lake for a swim?” George asked as a slight twisted smile panned across his face.
“Naw, I can’t do that,” Theodore announced,” My pa is expectin’ me home straight from school.” Hunter turned and faced Theo with her hands on her hips. He hated when she did that, he just knew he had said something stupid, although if he thought it was something stupid, he wouldn’t have said it at all. But Hunter thinks most if not everything he says is stupid. Well, Hunter is the smart one, so if she thought it was stupid, then it probably was.
“You Dufus! How’s your pa gonna know you didn’t go straight home after school? Neither your mom or pa get off work until six, none of our parents do.”
“Yeah, guess yer right Hunter, never did think of it that way. Boy, would he sure be mad if he ever found out I didn’t go straight home from school though.”
“How’s he gonna find out?” George chimed in relieved that Hunter’s tirade wasn’t aimed at him this time.
It was a scorcher today, as his dad would say, a day like this would make you want to go to hell to cool off. A hundred and ten is what Miss Parker had said it was in Social Studies and as if for punishment she made us write a whole darn page on Antarctica and penguins and stuff.
“I sure wish I was in Antarctica with those penguins, that’s for sure,” George absently muttered under his breath. Which in turn brought Hunter swiveling around, pony tail whipping violently, almost taking Theo’s head off. “I swear!” she screeched, “I have the two biggest retards as friends! You’d freeze to death in Antarctica don’t you know anything?”
George sheepishly recoiled, a slight shade of red brushing across his face. “Well, I’m just sayin’, sure would be nice to cool off.” Both Theodore and Hunter grunted in agreement as the three of them turned off in unison toward the lake.
Though there is not much you do that doesn't amaze me or bring me into deep thought, I liked this anecdote. While reading the story I was able to imagine what the characters looked like, and even felt as though I was there watching from afar. That, to me makes a good story, One you can either relate to on a personal level or a story that is written so well and the well thought details leave you with the feeling that you were part of the story. Well done!
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