Page 17 of Trading Paint
“Miss who?” I knew she knew who I was referring to but was stalling. She fidgeted with the ruffles on her tutu.
“Your mom?”
Sway was silent for a long moment eating her noodles before sighing and leaned back on the wooden floor of the tree house. Setting down my food, I leaned back on my elbows to lie next to her.
“I miss her.” She mused nodding once. “I don’t remember much about her. I wish I did...I feel like I’m constantly forgetting memories that I wish I wouldn’t.”
“What do you remember?”
We had talked about Rachel every now and then but it wasn’t a typical conversation. Sway was a happy go lucky type girl and that’s what I loved about her. It was refreshing. She’d rather have good memories than bad and she’d rather laugh than cry.
“I still remember what she smelled like.” I watched her face closely as a tear slide down her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” I reached for her hand taking it in mine intertwining our fingers together. “I shouldn’t have asked.
“No,” she sniffled wiping her tears away. “I just miss her. It’s okay to talk about it. With you, I can talk about it.”
“Come here,” I pulled her into my arms trying to comfort her in any way I could.
I had no idea what she must feel like. Other than my uncle Lane dying when I was nine, we hadn’t lost anyone in our family. My grandparents were still alive and aside from my mom’s parents who had died in a car accident on New Year’s Eve when she was seven, I’d never had to deal with this kind of loss.
My mom did and I think that’s why she and Sway got along so well. She understood what Sway was going through.
I couldn’t imagine what that must feel like for either of them. I had an idea of Sway’s sadness since we talked about it but to live her life and deal with what she went through, I didn’t know.
“Thanks for not going to the dance.” She told me after a good ten minutes of silence; her tears dried.
“No problem,” I chuckled against her shoulder. “Do you know what would make this night fun?”
“I could use some entertainment.” She turned in my arms. “What did you have in mind?”
“Refilling Emma’s lotions with glue again and cutting holes in Spencer’s underwear.” I stood to help her up. “Our usual madness,”
“Sounds like fun. Let’s see what Hershey’s up to tonight.”
I laughed. “Remember to lock the gate this time.” Hershey was Old Man Roger’s cow. Sway and Hershey had a love hate relationship. Sway thought Hershey was some kind of horse and tried to ride her every chance she could and well, Hershey had other ideas about that. She took every opportunity she could to shit on Sway.Literally.
The following Monday at school I was faced withaangry Chelsea.
“Where thefuck wereyou?” she asked pushing my shoulder. Sway, Tommy, Emma and I were all gathered around my truck before school began.
“What are you talking about?” I smirked. I noticed Sway moved from standing beside me to stand next to Emma.
“You stood me up at prom!” she yelled causing other classmates to turn and stare. “How could you?”
“I’m sure you made do.” I retorted noticing a purplish mark down the side of her neck. My eyes narrowed at her and then moved to the mark on her neck and then back to hers.
She knew damn well I knew.
“Have a nice day, Chelsea.” I winked and walked away to my first class.
Sway, laughing, followed Tommy and Emma toward their math class.
Emma began taking extra classes this year to graduate with us a year sooner so this put her in a few of our classes. That was fine until she ended up in my biology class.
Emma and I didn’t get along for obvious reasons. Get two people who have obsessive compulsive tenancies and then add the need to be a perfectionist...we didn’t mix. With her need to rub lotion on her body continuously and my obsession with anything on my skin, she made me crazy.
She bumped my elbow sometime before class began. “I need a pencil.”
