Five Summers

11 Years Old

"Okay, does everybody have a flashlight?" John B asks the group again.

A chorus of "yes's" rings out from each of us at varying times.

"Great, so the rules—"

"JB we know the rules," Kie says, her tone exasperated.

"Not everyone," I say pointedly.

"Aww come on, city girl, you really don't know?" Pope says.

"Sorry," I shrug. "We don't do stuff like this at home."

"Okay, the run down: its like hide and seek meets tag, but with flashlights. You run around, hiding from whoever is 'it', and if you get the light shone on you, you're out. Last one not caught wins. Got it?" John B says as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"I got it. Let's go," I say.

"Kie's it! Everybody run!" JJ shouts.

Kiara counts loudly as we scatter through the cut. I run a couple blocks down to a thicket of trees and shut my flashlight off as I settle down into a hollowed out willow. I listen closely in case I have to make a run for it.

The trees are alive with the sounds of summer. Insects create a symphony of sound as birds, frogs, and the occasional cicada start their nightly routine. You don't get sounds like this in the city.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by a rustling noise. I look around, but it's too dark to see anything. The trees hide the moonlight from my place in the willow's trunk. I try to make myself smaller by curling into a tight ball.

The rustling stops after a few moments, and, listening hard once again, I hear nothing. I decide to take my chances and keep moving. I creep out of the thicket of trees and make my way back towards the road. A lone car goes by before its relative silence once again. I make my way across the street and into the back yard of an unassuming looking house. As I glance around the yard, I hear unmistakeable laughing from the street. Kie.

Ahead, I spot an overturned jon boat propped up on one end by a pile of cinderblocks. I have to crouch low to get underneath. I bump into something and I start to scream but a hand clamps over my mouth and I hear the telltale click of a flashlight.

"It's me! Shh!" JJ says, his hand still over my mouth.

I try to slow my racing heart. "You scared the crap out of me!" I whisper as I sit back on the grass.

"You scared me! I thought you were Kie," he says. He relaxes and switches off his flashlight, leaving us in darkness. "This is where I always hide. And I always win," he says, the smile evident in his voice.

"Well now what are you going to do? I found your spot. We can't both win."

"I'll let you take this one," he says. I hear him moving next to me. I can just make out his silhouette crawling along the ground.

"But what about all that 'I am the champion' stuff? You can't claim the title of undefeated if you're defeated by me," I point out.

"Like I said, I'll let you have this game," he reiterates.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I think you're pretty," he says, and he takes off like a bullet from a shotgun. I can hear his feet pounding against the stranger's driveway as he makes a run for it.

As his footsteps begin to fade, I hear another set getting closer, and then a scream rings out through the air. "Oh my god I caught JJ!" Kie's surprised voice announces. Laughter follows.

**********
Another fifteen minutes later, I can hear Kie, JJ, John B, and Pope walking through the neighborhood together.

"Em! Em! You won! Come out!" John B calls out.

Having already crawled out from under the boat several minutes ago, I simply walk out of the yard and into the street, where I see the group congregating a couple houses down.

They all look surprised when I approach, except for JJ,  who wears a smirk.

"You won! You beat the champion!" Pope says excitedly. "It's about time someone stopped him from bragging all the time."

"Where did you hide?" John B asks.

"I'm not telling! That's how I won, silly," I reply.

"You're right. Hey, I'm just glad you beat JJ for once, he's getting a big head about all the winning," John B says. "Come on, we've got to get back to my house so dad can take you all home."

As we head back through the cut to John B's, Kie, Pope, and JB get a little ahead of JJ and I.

JJ shoves his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for not giving up my hiding spot," he says quietly enough so that they can't hear him.

"No problem," I tell him.

We walk silently the rest of the way to John B's.

Uncle John loads all of us into his VW bus upon our arrival. We weave through town with the windows down, dropping Kie, then Pope, and then JJ. As we pull up in front of his house, I yank open the sliding door for him.

"Bye, pretty girl," he whispers to me as he exits. I blush so hard I can't even reply.