Blame The Weeds (gxg)

26.5

July '98

Kareena is 15

"Look, it's the same make and model as yesterday. I told you there was something weird. It's like when we—"

"I don't care about the make and model, Luke." I didn't bother to glance back. "If it's yellow, punch me. If it's not, shut up."

"But what if they're taking weird pictures or something?"

"Oh my god, can you please chill? When's the last time something that weird happened here?"

Luke bit his lip and had to laugh. "The guy who stole the bird and held—"

"And held it for ransom, yeah." I nudged his shoulder with a grin. "Loosen up."

Luke took one last look over his shoulder before sighing.

I grinned and bolted ahead. "Race you!"

"No fair!" he said, hobbling on two wooden crutches to catch up.

The night was harsh on the chipping metal and plastic sprouting in the woodchips. Years before, it had all been gravel. Then, one too many kids threw a handful at another, and they replaced it all.

I dropped into the spinning seat and started going around and around. Luke crutched his way across the chips and jumped up to the monkey bars. He didn't need two good ankles to swing from rung to rung, only one.

"I miss running," he said. I knew what he really missed was being a part of the team. Sure, he was a good runner, but he'd only ever cared about the race, not the win.

"You'll run again," I said, even though the doctors hadn't been so sure. His ankle was super messed up. "I bet the team misses you a lot."

"They just miss mom's food at the meets," he said, but I caught the pride in his voice. He knew they needed him.

We spun and swung, then switched, then resumed the way we began: me on the spinning chair, Luke on the monkey bars. Other than a small metal slide, there wasn't much to do here."You like Freya," Luke said suddenly. I tilted my head, watching his figure every time I caught a glimpse round and round.

"Yeah, she was my second best friend," I said.

"She was in your bedroom a lot."

"Are you spying on me now?" I said, slowing down a bit.

"It's not my fault my window is right by your window. I didn't design the houses."

I rolled my eyes. "Didn't mean to make you jealous."

"Do you think she's cute?" he asked.

"I think puppies are cute, Luke." I dug my heels into the woodchips and stopped spinning. He was dangling by one hand. "And she screwed me over after the suspension, remember?" I rolled my eyes at the memory.

"Why won't you admit it?" Luke asked. "You wanna kiss Freya."

I blinked. "Pardon?"

"I just don't get why you wouldn't tell me," Luke said.

"She's a girl, Lukas," I said slowly, shaking my head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Dante says she kissed a girl behind the school or something," he said.

My shoulders tensed. "So?"

Luke just shrugged with a shoulder and switched hands to hang on the bar, and the gesture irritated me so much, I said, "What—do the leaders at church still teach to pray the gay away?"