Tuck Sinn

4

The group hung out more over the following week. Going on walks through town; looking through the market; sitting by the river from after school to when the sun started setting, falling with heat. Becky joined them most days. Some days she left early to do homework— she usually wanted Tom to do the same, but he never did.
Other days she went straight home. This was one of the latter days, when the air was different and a soft, tired humidity set over everything.

The sun set differently without Becky. Tom felt he couldn't see all the hues in the sky when she wasn't there to bring them out. And so a sunset was just that. Just colors in the sky of a fading sun. But on those days, he wasn't really focused on the sunset, and was instead just trying to relax with Amy and Joe and his other friends.

Today, they were by the river again. The sun was still up, but not for long.

"Mr. Dobbins is really getting on my nerves." Amy said. The spark of his name made Tom and the others sigh and murmur, and so Amy continued. "He's become very liberal with his beating stick. Ben, you hardly said a few words in Bible study and Mr. Dobbins was already saying how incorrect you were!"

"Yeah, but he had skipped a few classes before, so no wonder he was mad." Joe shrugged.

"Oh, whatever. Just cause I skipped a class or two ain't mean he can come after me. Right, Tom?" Ben Rogers said, pulled out of a smaller side conversation with another boy.
Tom nodded, feeling sick at even the memory of the schoolroom.

"Yeah! And the other day, Tom said, like, two words and Mr. Dobbins went straight to the front and grabbed a beating stick. For what? His rules have really changed since a few years ago." Amy huffed, taking a strand of hair in her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"And I don't ever want to go to that class, but if I don't, I'll still catch one of those beatings. It's a lose-lose with Mr. Dobbins." Tom said, sighing. They nodded.

"It happens, I guess." Joe said.

They talked until the air was darker and fresher with night.
And then the sun started its array of colors.
When a dark was hanging and waiting to set in, everyone got up, brushing themselves off, finishing off conversations. They all started to walk back towards town. Towards their houses.

"Tom," Amy called out his name, and he looked back, slowing so she could catch up with him. She took a few steps towards him, but then stopped. "Can we talk?" Amy asked. He looked towards everyone else's continuing figures, but decidedly turned around and walked back to Amy. It'd only take a few minutes.

"Yeah. What's up?" Tom asked, running a hand through his hair.

"I just wanted to talk a few minutes more. It's really been so long since we've hung out alone..." She said, and he nodded. Amy wandered towards the edge of the river, looking out at it.

"You haven't been avoiding me, have you? Tom, say you haven't been." Amy asked, turning to him, waiting for his response. Her voice mixed with the river's waves. Tom shook his head, walking towards her. The air felt dark, confined.

"No, Amy. Why would I wanna avoid you?" Tom asked, looking at all of the boats passing by on the rippling water currents. The red sun was glowing against the water. Tom wished Becky was here to see it.

He felt something strange in his gut at being here alone with Amy. Despite having years of friendship, he couldn't recall ever hanging out with just Amy. Alone together outside their brief relationship as children.

"Well... Because of Becky, of course." She said. One of her hands came up and messed her hair, twisting it and tucking it behind other strands. "Tom," She said his name with a breath, looking at him like she had pulled herself from her thoughts to say it. "We've never had a chance to be close friends these past few years!"

"Um... Amy, what do you mean? There's been plenty of times-- We've all hung out so much. And there's right now." Tom said. He took a few more steps towards her to hear her better over the waves. To see her through the fading air. He could see the glint in her eyes from the sun.

"Yes, Tom, but... Well, do I have to say it directly? Out loud?" She asked, nudging the dirt with her heel. He just looked at her inquisitively, seeing how breezes pulled at her hair and how the light reflected with red against her skin. "I guess I do." She answered herself quietly. "Tom," She turned towards him completely.

She felt a bit too close-- he could feel some of the heat coming off her body; He could see a sharpness and a color in her eyes he couldn't usually see when they were surrounded by their friends.
He didn't like it.
"Tom, do you like me?" She asked.

"...Well, yeah." Tom said. A wideness grew in her eyes. A smile. Was there something he was missing?

"You do?" She asked. He couldn't tell if she had stepped towards him, or if he had just taken too large a step before, but now she was right here in front of him. Tom could feel the air from her breaths on his skin. His stomach dipped sickly.

"Yeah. We're friends, right?"

"Very much so, I hope." Amy said. The air around him was condensed, trapping in its expanding night.

"Then that's all you need, right?" He smiled. Was that it— could he go now, before the dark settled in?

"I hope so..." She seemed a little too close. "Tom?" She asked.

"What?" He hoped his voice would break whatever tension there was. Would make her take a step back. But it didn't, and he would've felt weird moving away from her.

"Have you, well... Have you liked me all this time? Even with Becky?" There was something in her voice. Something he couldn't fully process in this shrinking moment. They were face-to-face. His stomach was turning, pulling.

"What? Yeah. We're—" She took another step.

She kissed him.