they’ll have docks like this in South Carolina?”
He nods. “Yeah, I reckon they do. Only instead of lakes, they’ve got an ocean. So, it’ll be better than this dock.”
I look up at him. “I don’t think so.”
I sit down and dangle my feet off the edge, and seconds later, he does, too.
“I don’t think anything can be better than this,” I say.
The water is dark, like black diamonds, glistening in the moonlight.
“Plus, there are no Ebens on those boat docks in South Carolina.”
He smiles. “You don’t think?”
“Probably not,” I say, shaking my head.
“You could always stay. You could stay here...with me. You know, Mom wouldn’t mind.”
“I know, but mine would. I’ve got to go, Eben.”
He lets out a long, defeated sigh. “I know. I know you do.”
I find his eyes. They’re warm and light. They feel like sunrays and look like the color of sand. And the way he’s looking at me now, I know he wants to kiss me. I can see it, but more so, I can feel it. And I want to kiss him back. But where would that leave us?
I feel a little piece of my heart tearing for us...for him...for me. I’ve always had a thing for Salem Ebenezer. But when I was little, I didn’t know what it meant, and when I was old enough to know what it meant, I feared he didn’t feel the same way. And now... And now, it doesn’t matter anymore.
He puts his arm around me, and I breathe in the smell of his bedsheets. I’m going to miss the smell of his bed...and his room—his dumb, boy room, with its old Spiderman comforter and drum set and boy things. It reminds me of all those long nights we would spend holed up in there, eating chicken and dumplings and trying to make it across the Oregon Trail without one of us getting dysentery.
I’m going to miss it all. But mostly, I’m going to miss him.
I love him.
I always have.
V annah: Thanks for walking me home.
Eben: Thanks for rescuing my Saturday night.
Vannah: :)
Vannah: Can you tell me some more of the story?
Eben: Okay
Eben: So, the boy thought about what he wanted his one wish to be. There were so many things he wanted: a dirt bike, a four-wheeler, a new lawn mower. Hell, maybe even wings to fly or superhuman strength or x-ray vision.
Vannah: What would he use x-ray vision for?
Eben: Don’t worry about it.
Vannah: Lol!
Eben: Anyway, he thought real hard about it, and then it came to him.
Vannah: What did he pick?
Eben: To be continued...
Vannah: Eben!
Eben: Good night, V.
Vannah: Sweet dreams, E.
Chapter Eleven
Salem
(Sixteen Years Old)
Day 4,039
“Y ou leave tomorrow.”
We’re at Hogan’s slab, just standing on the cool concrete, side by side, staring at that big moon.
“No,” she says.
“No what?”
“No, I don’t leave.”
I give her a confused look, but something inside me also springs to life.
“I’ve decided I’m going to stay here. I’m just going to disappear into the wind and stay here forever.”
My chest deflates, as I chuckle softly and take her hand.
The action throws her off, I can tell.
I just figure that if she can put her head on my chest, then I can hold her hand. And plus, I feel as if I’m losing her. I feel as if I’m losing control. And the more time I spend with her, the more I think the boundary between friends and more starts to blur.
Her head is lowered. Her focus is on her hand, now intertwined with mine. I like the way her hand feels, but mostly, I like the way it makes me feel—like I could float away if I weren’t tethered to her.
After a few heartbeats, she looks up. She’s breathtaking. I’ve never said that about someone...or even thought that about anyone. But that’s the only word that fits. Breathtaking .
Her eyes catch on mine. I study the greens, the golds, the browns that swirl around her thoughts. It’s as if they’re pulling me in.
She doesn’t move. She just keeps her wandering stare in mine. My breaths quicken. My
He nods. “Yeah, I reckon they do. Only instead of lakes, they’ve got an ocean. So, it’ll be better than this dock.”
I look up at him. “I don’t think so.”
I sit down and dangle my feet off the edge, and seconds later, he does, too.
“I don’t think anything can be better than this,” I say.
The water is dark, like black diamonds, glistening in the moonlight.
“Plus, there are no Ebens on those boat docks in South Carolina.”
He smiles. “You don’t think?”
“Probably not,” I say, shaking my head.
“You could always stay. You could stay here...with me. You know, Mom wouldn’t mind.”
“I know, but mine would. I’ve got to go, Eben.”
He lets out a long, defeated sigh. “I know. I know you do.”
I find his eyes. They’re warm and light. They feel like sunrays and look like the color of sand. And the way he’s looking at me now, I know he wants to kiss me. I can see it, but more so, I can feel it. And I want to kiss him back. But where would that leave us?
I feel a little piece of my heart tearing for us...for him...for me. I’ve always had a thing for Salem Ebenezer. But when I was little, I didn’t know what it meant, and when I was old enough to know what it meant, I feared he didn’t feel the same way. And now... And now, it doesn’t matter anymore.
He puts his arm around me, and I breathe in the smell of his bedsheets. I’m going to miss the smell of his bed...and his room—his dumb, boy room, with its old Spiderman comforter and drum set and boy things. It reminds me of all those long nights we would spend holed up in there, eating chicken and dumplings and trying to make it across the Oregon Trail without one of us getting dysentery.
I’m going to miss it all. But mostly, I’m going to miss him.
I love him.
I always have.
V annah: Thanks for walking me home.
Eben: Thanks for rescuing my Saturday night.
Vannah: :)
Vannah: Can you tell me some more of the story?
Eben: Okay
Eben: So, the boy thought about what he wanted his one wish to be. There were so many things he wanted: a dirt bike, a four-wheeler, a new lawn mower. Hell, maybe even wings to fly or superhuman strength or x-ray vision.
Vannah: What would he use x-ray vision for?
Eben: Don’t worry about it.
Vannah: Lol!
Eben: Anyway, he thought real hard about it, and then it came to him.
Vannah: What did he pick?
Eben: To be continued...
Vannah: Eben!
Eben: Good night, V.
Vannah: Sweet dreams, E.
Chapter Eleven
Salem
(Sixteen Years Old)
Day 4,039
“Y ou leave tomorrow.”
We’re at Hogan’s slab, just standing on the cool concrete, side by side, staring at that big moon.
“No,” she says.
“No what?”
“No, I don’t leave.”
I give her a confused look, but something inside me also springs to life.
“I’ve decided I’m going to stay here. I’m just going to disappear into the wind and stay here forever.”
My chest deflates, as I chuckle softly and take her hand.
The action throws her off, I can tell.
I just figure that if she can put her head on my chest, then I can hold her hand. And plus, I feel as if I’m losing her. I feel as if I’m losing control. And the more time I spend with her, the more I think the boundary between friends and more starts to blur.
Her head is lowered. Her focus is on her hand, now intertwined with mine. I like the way her hand feels, but mostly, I like the way it makes me feel—like I could float away if I weren’t tethered to her.
After a few heartbeats, she looks up. She’s breathtaking. I’ve never said that about someone...or even thought that about anyone. But that’s the only word that fits. Breathtaking .
Her eyes catch on mine. I study the greens, the golds, the browns that swirl around her thoughts. It’s as if they’re pulling me in.
She doesn’t move. She just keeps her wandering stare in mine. My breaths quicken. My
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