The Bucket List

S i x

"So, I know we already completed the assignment, but I still think we could add to it," Jarred says over the phone next Saturday. "I mean, there's so many things involving physics we didn't touch on at all, like waterfalls and all that stuff."

"But waterfalls are so simple," I complain, sitting down on the beige couch in our living room. "I'm all for extra-credit work, but can't you think of something cool like last time?"

"Well, maybe this time you could be the one with the cool idea? How about that?"

I sigh. "Fine. We'll do waterfalls."

I take a moment to glance at the bucket list lying beside my elbow, which is propped up on my desk. Slide down a waterfall is one of the first items on it. I'm not surprised. Ever since the carnival, Jarred has more or less forced me to play the pocky game with him – another item on the list – and offered to go with me to a party going on across the street, which I politely declined. He couldn't be any more obvious.

It's fun humoring him, however. I know I shouldn't take pleasure in other peoples hardships, but it's not easy.

He pulls up to my house an hour later, a pool noodle and beach bag stuffed into the backseat. When I question this, he answers, "Well, there's no point going to a waterfall if we can't have a little fun."

I should have known. This is almost a word-for-word copy of what he said to me at the carnival a week ago. I'm still tentative when I step into the car, however, after running up to slip on a bathing suit under my clothes. All I know about our destination is that it's a waterfall, nothing else.

Over the hour that is the car ride, Jarred blasts music from the radio at full volume. It's deafening, and whenever I tell him to lower it he simply shrugs. I wonder to myself where the Jarred from the carnival went, the kind, supportive Jarred I knew. He's definitely not this uncooperative idiot sitting beside me, gripping the wheel in his hands.

We pull up in front of a wall of trees, and in a sudden motion, Jarred takes my hands in his and starts off running into the forest, pulling me after him. He has swim trunks on instead of pants, which I find kind of weird but also somewhat flattering, showing off his lean, long legs.

I stumble behind him as he drags me forward, through the thicket and right onto the bank of a huge pond, a waterfall spilling into it from the opposite end. I can see tiny fish swimming around inside it, which is somewhat repulsing, but I hold back my comments as Jarred pulls off his shirt and dives right in.

I take this brief moment of privacy to tug down my skirt and take off my shirt, showing off my pale blue one-piece with. It's somewhat plain, but also extremely comfortable, so I always wear it whenever I go to a watery outing such as this one.

When Jarred resurfaces, shaking water out of his hair and beaming, he motions for me to join him. It's pretty deep, reaching his hips when he stands straight, which throws me off a bit. I'm suddenly hit with the question of why I'm even here, standing at the bank of a pond instead of sitting curled up in my bed with a good book and a story to write. Then I glance back at Jarred, remember how right he was at the carnival, and jump.

The water is freezing. I have no idea how Jarred stayed under for so long. I inhale a mouthful of water in shock and swim right back up to the surface, coughing up the transparent fluid and hoping with all my heart that I didn't swallow any fish.

I whirl around as fast as I can in the water to face the grinning boy beside me. "How are you not dying of cold right now?"

"You get used to it," he assures me. Then he takes off swimming towards the waterfall and climbs up on the convenient slabs of stone sticking out beside it. "Come on. Let's slide!"