The Shadows Of Yesterday

The Shadows Of Yesterday {14}

The thing about college towns was that they were not as exciting as small town kids expected them to be.

This town was much more active than where I was from, sure. But it was mostly made up of restaurants and bars, with a few small shops scattered about. If you weren't hungry and you weren't trying to take shots, there really wasn't much to do. There was a small mall at the other end of town, but the bus stopped running there in the early evening.

Still, having come from a small, boring place, I knew how to find ways to pass the time. I'd spent time my freshman year exploring the town and eventually discovered the path that followed the creek. It was a nice place to go to clear your mind and get some exercise.

Currently, Arlo and I walked alongside it as the sun set overhead. Arlo, for once, had fallen silent as he watched leaves run along the water of the creek.

He finally broke his silence. "We didn't really have anything this quiet in the city. I mean, there was a pond in the park, but there were always a bunch of people there. And geese."

"I'm sorry, did you just say a bunch of people willingly went to a spot where there were geese?"

"Lotta nipped fingers and scared kids."

"At least they survived to be afraid."

Arlo laughed. "Yea, nasty piece of work, those damn geese. But you only really found 'em in the park. I always used to want to go fishing, 'cause I had a buddy who's dad took him fishing on the weekends. But my dad said there were no good spots for fishing nearby. He said you needed a quiet place to fish well. Finally went on a family vacation, and man, was I bored out of my damn mind! But for a little, it was kinda nice."

"I only went fishing once," I said. "I caught a fish but then I, uh, didn't know what to do with it. I didn't want to touch it to throw it back. But I didn't want to just let it die."

Mom had dragged me along to fish with a couple she was friends with and their son. I shoved my hands in my pockets, remembering the way the husband had watched me stare at the fish uncertainly and said, "There's a boy who didn't have a man around". Mom had snatched the fish off the line, waved it in his face, tossed it back in the lake, and said, "No, he had a woman who showed him what to do instead of being a useless wiseass".

That almost made me smile. I still thought she should've slapped him with the fish.

"So, what'd you do with the fish?" Arlo asked.

"Nothing. My mom tossed it back in the lake and I didn't catch another," I said.

"Alright, so a fishing date is out," Arlo said.

"Who said we were going on any date?"

"I can be hopeful, can't I?"

"I mean, I guess. But, yea, fishing is definitely out."

"So, if you don't like to fish, what do you like to do, Jeremy?" Arlo asked. "I don't mean, like, reading and stuff. When you go out, what do you like to do?"

"Uh...this?" I gestured lamely to the world around us. "I just like to walk and see nature. Not too up close, because I hate bugs. But I do like to just...explore?" Jeez, if my lameness didn't drive him off after tonight, then the guy was sure as hell determined. Or stupid. Or desperate.

He didn't look like he thought that was lame, though. "Gotcha! No good hiking spots in the area, which is a bummer, though."

"There's not much in the area," I said. "I already looked online. It's okay, though. At least there's one nice spot to take a walk."

He nudged me playfully. "And a nice guy to walk it with?"

I looked around. "Really? Where?"

He nudged me harder. "Such a jerk, dude."