New Kid

Jun

Grass tickled my ankles. A fragrant odor assimilated into my nostrils. Someone was pacing toward me, their figure gradually clearing from the blurry background; I could make out his hair. It was Jun. He lost footing and fell face flat into the grass field and then squealed.

"I'm OK!" he reassured, muffled by the grass.

I giggled and hastened to him. His school uniform was tattered and filthy, a frequent occurrence. Jun clutched my hand and stood up without sifting himself off. A sheepish grin took hold as I glanced to see a woman exclaiming to us.

"EVAN! JUN! COME BACK IMMEDIATLY!" she unyieldingly roared.

"Looks like Mrs. Griggs is mad," Jun quipped.

There was no time to laugh at his joke; instead, I yanked him onward and careered deep into a forest. Trees surrounded my vision as the blue sky became obscured with a green sea. I combed for a competent hiding spot, hoping Jun would shut up sufficiently for Mrs. Griggs to slither by us. An extended empty trunk captured my attention. Knowing him, I understood Jun wouldn't object to sneaking inside the hollow log. Jun noticed my finger aimed towards the dead tree, and he methodically knew what he should do. The confined space was snug and virtually flawless for Jun's petite stature. I grasped a bulky stone and glimpsed from behind.

The entire class huddled intimately together, hunting for us. I launched the rock far into the woods, averting their attention to that region. Surprisingly, it succeeded, as the entire class shifted in the opposite direction, trailing after what they deemed was Jun and me.

"I wish we were invisible," Jun moped in the thick log.

"That would be pretty cool," I chuckled.

Once the crunch of leaves beneath footwear dissipated in the distance, I knocked on the trunk and stood up.

"Let's go."

Jun slipped out of the log and followed me. He had no notion of where I was shepherding him, and I had nearly no clue where we were. I merely understood where I sought to end up. A minute light gleamed into our eyes: an opening. Each step we took marked a loud crunch and an occasional snap of a twig. The forest began to contain fewer and fewer trees until we approached the clearing. A dazzling blue sky, along with fluffy clouds, welcomed our view. Jun caught a deep breath and lamented. Before he could sit down, I tugged his arm and bolted up a hill. The grass was delicate and fair, a contrast to the rugged, patchy turf earlier that day.

Jun and I both were quite hesitant about taking this field trip, yet our parents presumed it would be a fabulous educational experience. Who on Earth would've aspired to learn about biology? Let alone a sixth-grader. It wasn't long before I deviated from the crowd and adventured on my own. Of course, Jun was on board with that concept and chased after me. Unfortunately, he wasn't as sneaky or quiet. Just as he noticed me, he screamed "EVAN, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!?!" before accompanying me.

At least now, the gentle breeze and the pleasant field complemented the afternoon sun. It was a fine day outside. Too bad it was Valentine's day—and on a Friday. None of the girls thought Jun and I were adequately charming for them. Jun didn't care as much as I did; although, he did admit that a girlfriend sounded nice.

"Don't cha ever think about the future?" Jun addressed.

"That's pretty deep of you," I returned, "but yeah, sometimes."

"I wonder what we'll be doing in a few years," he pondered.

"Probably the same things, but with more freedom?" I posed.

Jun seldom had compelling thoughts. In most instants, he was a numbskull.

"Nah, knowing the dweeb you are, you'd probably be swamped in work," he remarked.