Penpals

The Twelfth Letter

Theo's POV

I bounce and lurch as the tractor plows Mrs. Parker's vast lands. Heaps of hay pop out the farther along I drive, and the sun is beating down on me. Every trace of my skin feels hot, and is covered in sweat. My muscles are sore and aching, but I ignore and try to concentrate on the farm work. God knows what Mrs's Parker will do to me if I don't.

"Aye! City Boy! We're callin' it a day!" I faintly hear Lucas bellow from the barn over the roar of the tractor. I wave at him, signalling to him how I heard him. Changing paths, I cruise back to the barn.

"Is it me, or does it feel like it is the hottest day of the summer?" I ask as I park the tractor. Avery's brothers all break out in a fit laughter, each of them inside some joke that clearly I'm not in.

"This is just Tennessee weather, this ain't nothing yet." Noah says, patting me on the back.

"Tell me you're joking, is at least a hundred degrees today!" I exclaim.

"When it is the hottest day of the summer, trust me, you'll know." Jonah says, an amused look of his face.

"Ya know, we did finish work mighty early, we got maybe an hour or two. How bout we head on down to the swimming hole?" Noah suggests.

"I'm in. Anything to cool down." I say, pulling at the collar of my shirt.

"I can go for a swim." Jonah agrees.

"I'm pretty sure the cheer leading team just let out of practice, and the varsity squad had the same thought as us." Lucas smirks down at his phone in his hand. "Daisy Harvey- one of the girls on the squad- just told me so herself." Lucas says slyly, but I can't really give a damn. I just want to dunk my head in cool water.

"The varsity cheer leading squad, wet and in bikinis?" Noah's mouth drops. "What are we still lagging around here for? Let's go!" Noah eagerly says before taking off to the black pickup up truck. I laugh after Noah, he's acting like he hasn't seen a real chest outside of some old porno mag.

Later

The four of us sing to Bob Dylan as we roll up into a makeshift parking spot in the middle of a clearing. There are dozens of other cars here, all parked in neat rows, a majority of them pick up trucks. I can hear water splashing, the sound of a crowd, and music. Teenagers run about, most of them half naked in swim wear.

"I didn't reckon you knew Bob Dylan." Jonah says to me from the passenger seat, the oldest brother Lucas sitting next to him.

"Dude, come on, It's Bob Dylan." I say, nudging his shoulder. "Just because I'm from New England doesn't mean country music doesn't reach us." I say. "It just isn't as popular." I add.

"Next time we should take you to a hoedown. We can properly christian you into country music life." Noah suggests. I feel a pleasant shock go through me at Noah's words. Next time... we're all going to hang out again... I think these three are becoming my friends.

"Do I have to wear cowboy boots?" I ask, a huge grin on my face.

"YES." Lucas answers. I'd like to see them try to get me to wear cowboy boots, cause I'm sure as hell am not putting them on my feet. We all get out of Lucas's pick up truck, and I let the three brothers guide me to the town's swimming hole. We walked in between cars, and walk past towering trees till we finally reach a huge swimming hole the size of a pool. A few stray ropes hang high up in trees over the blue water, and the hole is to the brim with teenagers. Dozens of girls in only tiny little bikinis, and guys in trunks all stop.

It becomes dead silent, the music suddenly stops, everyone stops and just gawks at me like I'm a freak at a circus. My hands clench up in tight balls as every pair of eyes of these clean living, sheltered people  burn a hole into me. Yeah, I look like dirt who lived on the streets, hell, I have lived on the streets. Sure, I look like some punk who would pick pocket you, mug you, and yeah I've done those things to survive doesn't mean I'll do them just for kicks. Just... just stop judging me...

"CANNON BALL!" Everyone turns to watch as Jonah runs towards the swimming hole, and jumps up in fully clothed like an idiot. He sends water every where, and his stunt makes the party come back to life. Sound returns, everyone is laughing, and the music is back on; everyone is having fun again and not looking at me.

"Jonah that wonderful dork." I say under my breath with a grin. He did that for me, he knew I was crawling under my skin and he went and made an ass out of himself to make me feel better.

"He's a good kid," Lucas says watching bemusedly next to me. I look at Noah as he trudges out the hole, being weighed down his soaking wet clothes with the world's cheesiest grin on his face.

"Come on',"Lucas says, pulling off his shirt. "Lets go swimming." Lucas says with an eager grin. Following his lead I pull off my own clothes, catching girls staring hungrily, and guys glaring jealously. Ignoring them all I dive into the water, every sense of my body cooling off. When I pull up to the surface I breath in a sigh of relief, man I needed this.

"Hey," A girl's voice says behind me.