Sigh, Alaska: a short story novel

Pete Murray

Pete sat on a swing at the park hidden from the main road, drinking a can of beer. Ethan had bought him a six pack and he figured he'd drink them all before heading back to Northern Lights Hostel.

It was chilly, and even though it was late in the day, the fall sun couldn't seem to make the frost on the grass go away. His black and blue striped beanie couldn't hide the shaggy sun bleached hair that poked out beneath. Pete's hoodie drooped from his tall lanky frame. He knew if he was going to stay he'd need a better coat, but he didn't want to think about that yet. Maybe after another beer. Patches of ice and frost stuck to the particularly sodden landscape. In his lightly buzzed state, Pete thought it was one of the neatest things he'd seen since coming to Alaska.

Chucking the empty beer can far away; he started to pump his legs and swing. Pete wondered if he'd made the right choice, coming to Alaska. He'd been out of high school for a year and had no immediate plans for college. Pete also had a stepmother that looked like she stepped straight out of a porno, and acted like it too. He loved his father, and he knew the occasional advances from his new stepmother were highly inappropriate. Just before making the decision to leave, she'd jacked him off in the basement laundry room, while his father was outside in the backyard grilling up steaks for dinner.

For Pete's sake, he laughed to himself. What was he supposed to do? It's not like he was a minor anymore, nor was she his biological mother. Pete's father was so in love with his new wife, and he hated to be the one who ruined that for him, especially after having sabotaged so many relationships in the past. He knew if he tried this time his father would kick him out. But he knew it was wrong what his step mom wanted, and so he begged plane ticket out of his father and left two weeks later.

With no plan, he wandered around Anchorage, finding new types of grass to smoke, friends to smoke with, and not finding a job. He knew he should probably start looking soon, but he just couldn't seem to find the motivation.

Swinging higher, he considered his options as the cold air breezed passed over his face. The beer was making his stomach feel a little upset, but the childhood rush from the motion of swinging was enough to keep him going. Kevin mentioned being able to get him a job at the pizza place downtown. Pete figured he could make some dough while making some dough. Or, he thought, his father could fly him back home to Hawaii. They were family friends with the owner of a bike tour company. Pete worked in the office for a little bit in the past but he knew this year that he could lead some of the tours. It would keep him out of the house and out of trouble.

Pete heard a crunch of the frost bitten ground behind him and turned to see Lacy Jones advancing. She looked up at him with a smile, and then sat down on the swing next to him.

"Hello, handsome." Lacy greeted with a purr.

"Hello, beautiful." Pete replied. "What brings you down to the park on this cold winter's day?"

"Oh this is hardly winter. You're just being a baby because you're from Hawaii." she retorted.

Pete glanced over at her as he slowed his swing down. Her paced picked up and soon they were swinging side by side. "I can handle a bit of cold."

"Well, if you ever get too cold, just let me know. I'll be happy to keep you warm." said Lacy with a flirtatious grin.

They swung side by side for a while, not saying a word to one another. Pete noticed she smelled nice, catching her fragrance in the air as they passed each other.

"I see you have an extra beer. May I have one?" she asked.

"Sure." Pete responded and they both slowed down before coming to a complete stop on their swings. "Let's go sit under the gazebo." Picking up his beers, he led Lacy across the playground to a picnic table under the corrugated tin gazebo cover. "I find that I'm pretty cold right now. Why don't you warm me up?" he asked, taking a seat.