Its Not Summer Anymore

Chapter 8

I drive over the water to the first field. The ride is very bumpy going over the rocks and I have to grip the steering wheel to stop my self from bouncing. I get across the river and look at the big field. I put the mower down and turn on the blades. I push the clutch in and put the gear in 1st. I ease off the clutch and move forward. I get around the field twice when I see someone walking over the river. I lean back to look who it is when. CRRRRICCKKCCKCKC. Bump Bump Bump. I lift the blade up and move forward. I put it back down and start again ,"Fucking ground hogs." I cruse out.

I keeping mowing and forget about the person walking across the river. CRCCCCRRRRIIIIICCKCKCKCK BUMP BUMP BUMP. I hit another hole. I lift the blades up when the tractor moves a little I snapped my head to the side and see Derrick sitting next to me. "Arrrrrgggg." I say to my self and put the blade back down. I turn the blades on and continue mowing.

"What are you doing here." I say yelling over the motor angry. "They didn't want you alone out here." He says with a cocky smile. "Then why didn't they send my boyfriend or brother or sister or anybody but you." I say looking away from him, at the blade. "Well your brothers are all busy along with your sisters and they wanted someone to come out here that knows what there doing to help you." He nudges me with his arm and says,"Plus I offered." I roll my eyes and make a hard turn around the corner almost making him fall off. I grab is shirt to stop him from falling back. I straighten the wheel back out still holding onto his shirt. "Well thanks for not letting me fall." He says with a sly smirk. I roll my eyes and let go of his shirt shoving him back a little. "Just hold onto something. There's a lot of ground hog holes if I remember correctly. And I don't need everybody hating me if I accidental run over you." He grabs onto the handle and the back of my chair.

I make another hard turn and this time he's holding on. I straighten it out and have a sudden urge. I reach into my back pocket and pull out a little white box. I open it up and pull out a long white and brown cigarette. I stick it in my mouth and pull out a lighter. Derrick looking the other direction so he doesn't see any of this.

I can't light up and drive so I nudge him and say,"Hey grab the steering wheel." He turns around and sees the cigarette in mouth and a lighter in my hand.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He yells at me pulling the cigarette out of my mouth. I make another hard turn and say,"Well if you must know I'm cutting the hay and going to smoke a cigarette cause I was expecting to be alone. Also I haven't lite up in 3 days and I'm dying here." I say snatching the cigarette back and grabbing his hand and putting it on the steering wheel.

I stick the but in between my lips and push the gas down on the lighter to show a red flame. I suck in the smoke trying to light the but. It finally lights. I close the cap on the zippo lighter. And put everything back in my pocket and grab the steering wheel from Derrick. He looks at me in disbelief. I keep glancing back at him to see if his stare has changed. When it hasn't after a few minutes I say annoyed yelling with the but in my mouth ,"Why the hell are you looking at me like that." I say sucking on the but and pulling it out blowing smoke the other direction. "I just can't believe.. What happened to you Katelyn." He says a little quit but loud enough for me to hear.

I suck on the but again and say blowing the smoke out. "Nothing I'm still me. I'm just me with out you." I hit another ground hog hole and do the same thing as before. After I starting up again. I suck on the but some more.

Derrick says,"Okay well let me try." "What?" I say glancing at him and back at the blade. "Let me try," he says. Putting his hand out for the but. I nod my head and take another big suck in. Before I hand the but to him.

He puts it in his mouth and sucks it in. The smoke gets caught in his throat and makes him cough. I laugh and turn around the corner again. I grab the but back and suck on it again. He looks at me and says,"Not half bad. Let me try again." I hand it back over to him and he sucks it in again this time not coughing at all but blowing it out like a pro. "Not bad." I say taking the but back. Sucking the rest of the smoke out I put the but out on the metal and throw it in the grass somewhere.