Derbyball

Clift.

"Can you tell me what I said in my sleep already?" I plead. Earlier Chance had told me I talk in my sleep, which actually happens alot, according to Erika and Annalyne.

It started in kindergarten. Ms. Gregory, my teacher, would tell is it was nap time and get us all on our assigned mats. She would tell us stories as we fell asleep and everyone would fall asleep. Except me. Well, I actually would fall asleep, yet I asked questions and everything throughout my nap and I didn't even know. They thought it was pretty cute until third grade when I fell asleep in class and talked about how fat the gym teacher was. That's when it got out of hand.

The jeep bumps on the suddenly crooked and rigidly paved blacktop road. As I look out the window, I see hardly no light other than the moon. It's one of those nights that absorbs you, makes you forget yourself, like the lotus eaters from The Odyssey.

"When we get there in a few minutes I'll tell you. Anyway, how's your bro doing?" he asks. I notice how he glances at me hesitantly. He knows Joey's in the military, but I think he's trying to stay on the safe side of the conversation.

I take a deep breath. "He's fine, I guess. It sucks that he had to leave me behind though. I mean, why couldn't he just go to a university? Why did he have to go to a base all the way in Virginia, all the way across the country? I don't get it." I can feel the ache in my heart. I miss my brother. When he had taken the ASVAB, I though he was just kidding. But then he passed it with flying colors and, and next thing I know, the Air Force recruiters came knocking on our from door with a certificate and some instructions and advice. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about it, I didn't feel like anything was changing. But when he started getting his stuff backed up, I started having nightmares and scary questions appear. What if he got killed in an air strike? What if he got shot in training? How would we know if he was okay the entire time?

What if he decides to never come back?

Before he boarded his flight to his base, I begged him not to go. All he did was laughed and gave me a tight hug.

"I'll talk to you soon Jessie," he had said that day.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be alright," Chance says dismissively.

The jeep comes to a slow halt. It's really dark where we park, but I'm sure I see a small dirt pathway traveling to where there's not as many weeds and not so much brush.

After Chance jumps out of the driver's side, he comes around to open up the passenger door. I slip out with the pizza box and the drinks. After he shuts the door, he takes the pizza and I hold the drinks.

"You know, I wouldn't picture this as a "cool" place. It looks like a place a murderer would take his victims."

His laugh fills the dark and I can imagine his cheeky smile. "Why, do you think I would murder you?"

"No, but if you did, I'd be flattered."

"You'd be flattered to be murdered by me? Why?"

"'Cause you'd have chosen me out of all the other g..." I stop walking and almost drop the pizza. I hadn't noticed we had walked out of the brush and high grasses. Dirt is no longer under my feet and is replaced by solid white stone that has small lines across it's surface.

I stop talking and walk a few steps forward. The moon is directly ahead of the clift, shiny and bright. The space isn't huge, but it can fit about four people. The town can be seen from here, some lights out, some lights on. It smells like fruit up here, I notice. There's a long, worn wooden bench midway to the clifts edge, and a tiny wooden table directly infront of it.

I turn to look at Chance and shut my gaping mouth. "How in the world did you find this place?"

He gives me a look I can't quite read. "My parents used to come here. I'm the only one who knows about it besides them. And now you," he says. We stare at each other for a few seconds in silence. The unspoken question that both of us wonder is, "Why did he bring me of all people?".