𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 24.

━ 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀.

    "𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋 it towards me?"

    I was standing inside my grandparents boat, bare feet against the floor of it, and my calloused hands wrapped around the string of the motor. The sun was hot, slightly burning my skin as we stood right beneath it, which made it hard for me to not just jump in the water.

    It was midday, Saturday, and Daryl had suggested he'd teach me how to start the boat for the first time, and learn the basics. I was more than happy to go with him, and finally step inside of their small white boat, close to the water. While he explained the fundamental things I needed to know, I glanced back a few times to see Caroline sitting in one of the old lawn chairs on the porch, her hands peeling open a book as she sat with sunglasses on, occasionally glancing over to us as well.

    The night before, I had gotten someone to drive Sarah home. It was just my luck that I'd somehow chosen the right person, because the guy didn't seem to mind dropping her off, and I assumed it was because he was leaving too. I walked Sarah to her door, she had hugged me again, thanked me for getting her home, and I went back in the guy's expensive car. Me and the unknown boy didn't talk to each other, while I stared out at Sarah's mansion, and soon told him to just drop me off by City Hall— not spilling my address. I had walked the rest of the way home.

    I was sort of hoping John B would swing by while I was walking by myself somehow— but I never saw the van. I didn't know what time it was when I made it back to the house, the power was still out and none of the clocks, nor my cellphone, were working.

    "Yeah, yank it real hard," Daryl now answered, as he placed his hands on his hips, watching me from the side.

    I gripped the string harder, and then pulled on it forcefully. The sound of the motor rumbled in the water, sending bubbles to the surface below us.

    "First try!" Daryl cheered, as the motor became louder. "Great job, bug," He tapped my shoulder, approvingly.

    "Thanks," I laughed to myself, looking down at the water and the small waves I created, before turning away and shoving my hands into my pockets.

    "You wanna learn how to drive it, now?" He asked. He glanced down at the wheel.

    "Don't you need a license for that," I softly narrowed my eyebrows, looking to the steering wheel as well.

    "You don't got a license?" He said curiously, while taking off his baseball cap and rubbing the sweat off of his forehead.

    I shook my head. They didn't have the time, and I was far too afraid to bring it up in general, so I just simply never asked my parents if I could get my driver's license when I turned sixteen. They wouldn't have cared, anyways, if I did have the opportunity to ask.

    "Oh," he nodded, slightly taken back, "Well it's not too hard to steer the boat," he shrugged, stepping towards the 'driver's seat'.

    "I should probably go on a ride before I start driving this thing," a laugh spilled past my lips.

    "You're probably right," he nodded, and laughed out loud, stepping back over to me. "Don't wanna crash— kill the boat and yourself," he chuckled, delicately wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he guided me towards the dock.

    "That wouldn't be good," I chuckled as well, as he stepped up onto the dock and waited for me to follow.

    "So, your friends comin' over today?" He asked, his arm still wrapped casually around my shoulder, while we walked to the grass.