Full Count

nine

"I lied." I confess to AJ once we're on the main road far away from the loud music and alchol and all the loud teenagers.

"What do you mean you lied?" He asks.

"I don't wanna go home."

"Then where do you wanna go?"

"The lake."

"You want to go to the lake?"

I look at him but he's looking at the road. "Yes I want to go to the lake."

"But why?"

"Lakes are nice."

"Lakes are nice?" He asks looking at me like I'm brain-dead.

"Are you stupid?" I ask. "Yes, lakes are nice, pretty, and calming."

"Fine we'll go to the lake."

"Really?"

He looks at me and shakes his head laughing. "Yes we'll go to the lake if you want."

"I really really want to." I tell him.

-

"Why'd you wanna come to the lake?" AJ asks once we're sitting on the dock.

"I like the lake. It's calming. Dad use to take me here all the time."

"For what?"

"When he'd have a hard time at work we'd come and go swimming so he could relax."

"You're not supposed to swim in the lake. The signs have said that for years."

"You ever look at the name of the lake?" I ask him.

"Not really. Always called it The Lake."

"It's Reed Lake." I tell him. "As in Parker Reed Lake. As in Katherine Reed's lake technically when she turns eighteen."

"Your dad owns the lake?"

"Been in the family for generations." I say putting my bare feet in the water.

"I alway thought it was just some random lake."

"Nope."

We sit there in silence and just watch the water move. It's peaceful and comforting. The more I stare at the water the more I remember how I much I miss swimming.

"Let's go swimming."

"Huh?"

"I said let's go swimming." I say again smiling at AJ.

"We don't have anything to swim in." AJ says.

I stand up and smile at the boy sitting on the dock. "Yes we do." I take off my hoodie and i begin to take off my jeans.

"Katie what are you doing?" AJ asks still not standing up.

"I want to go swimming, but I need dry clothes for the ride home. So I'm improvising."

AJ nods slowly as I step out of my jeans.

"So you're really just gonna jump in the lake?"

"Yup." I take a deep breath and then catapult myself into the water. The waters cold as it rushes around my body, everything becomes muffled as I go under the water. I stay there for a moment because the silence under the water is peaceful, but then I come back up.