here
soon.
“Fisher!” I look up and see Sara coming down the
path toward the dock. She gives me a slight wave. But suddenly I
notice she's not alone. What's going on? It's another girl who
looks to be about Sara's age with red hair to her shoulders. She's
wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, jeans, and I suddenly notice
she's also carrying a small duffel bag.
I stand up on the deck of the boat, arms crossed
tightly across my chest. As they approach the boat, I say,
“Sara?”
“Hey, Fisher. This is my cousin Josephine.” Then
Sara adds, “And she'll be coming with us.”
“Whoa! Wait a minute. When did all this happen? You
knew we were leaving today.”
“I told you she was coming for a visit this summer.
I just didn't know she was coming this soon. It was supposed to be
a surprise. She's from—”
“I can speak for myself,” Josephine interrupts.
“Y'all act like I'm not even standing here.”
“Sorry,” Sara says looking down at her feet.
“I'm from North Carolina; the Outer Banks. Which is
kinda funny because my name is Jo Banks.” She smiles at me.
“Outer Banks?” I say. “I don't get it.”
“It's a place, you chuckle-head. The Outer Banks.
It's a long strip of beach that sticks out into the Atlantic.”
“Okay,” I say still not really sure what she's
talking about.
“Don't they teach you Yankees anything about
geography?”
“Fisher, I know it's a small boat, but there's
plenty of room,” Sara says as she tosses her duffel bag into the
cockpit. “Besides, with another person it'll be easier to look for
the treasure.”
“So you told her about the treasure? Sara!”
Sara acts like she doesn't hear me, and grabs
Josephine duffel bag and tosses it next to hers. “Yes, I told her.
And she's coming with us, and that's that.” Both of the girls climb
on board.
I put both hands behind my head, turn around and
breathe a deep sigh as I watch the puffy white clouds float
past.
Sara adds, “The longer we sit here and talk about
this, we'll miss the ebbing tide.”
“But she doesn't even know anything about boats,” I
say looking at Josephine, but she gives me a sarcastic grin in
return.
“She knows more about boats than you do, Fisher
Shoemaker. Now let's untie the boat and get going.”
I look at my watch again. Time's running out and
clearly Sara's made up her mind about Josephine coming along. The
one thing I've learned about Sara is once her mind's made that's
it, nothing's going to change it. I don't have to like it,
though.
“Let's get going,” I grumble. Pointing to the
dock-lines tied to the cleat on the dock. “Josephine, can you untie
us? We can put the sails up while we ride the tide out.”
“Aye-aye, captain boy.” And she gives me a mocking
salute.
I snap a look at Sara, but she just shrugs her
shoulders.
Soon we're out in open water, and the boat heels
over nicely in the breeze moving through the water like a horse
galloping across a green field. I look up at the sails, and they
seem to be full and trimmed properly. In this part of the bay I
have to keep my eyes on the water because there are endless lobster
pots that appear right in front of us. It's simple steering out of
the way, but if I wasn't paying attention just for a second, we
might run over one with the rudder then it'd be a huge mess.
Sara's been down below studying the chart making
sure we're on course. She calls up from below, “If I figured
everything correctly, at this rate we should get to Damariscove
Island by late afternoon.”
Josephine, who's been sitting in the cockpit with me
and hasn't said a word since we left, looks at me and says, “So you
think you're going to find buried pirates treasure.” She smirks and
looks back out at the blue water.
“Laugh if you want, but you're not getting any of
it.”
“I'm not worried,” she says. “I'm pretty sure y'all
are not gonna find a dang thing. No one ever does.”
“So you're a boat expert and a pirate
expert.” I
soon.
“Fisher!” I look up and see Sara coming down the
path toward the dock. She gives me a slight wave. But suddenly I
notice she's not alone. What's going on? It's another girl who
looks to be about Sara's age with red hair to her shoulders. She's
wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, jeans, and I suddenly notice
she's also carrying a small duffel bag.
I stand up on the deck of the boat, arms crossed
tightly across my chest. As they approach the boat, I say,
“Sara?”
“Hey, Fisher. This is my cousin Josephine.” Then
Sara adds, “And she'll be coming with us.”
“Whoa! Wait a minute. When did all this happen? You
knew we were leaving today.”
“I told you she was coming for a visit this summer.
I just didn't know she was coming this soon. It was supposed to be
a surprise. She's from—”
“I can speak for myself,” Josephine interrupts.
“Y'all act like I'm not even standing here.”
“Sorry,” Sara says looking down at her feet.
“I'm from North Carolina; the Outer Banks. Which is
kinda funny because my name is Jo Banks.” She smiles at me.
“Outer Banks?” I say. “I don't get it.”
“It's a place, you chuckle-head. The Outer Banks.
It's a long strip of beach that sticks out into the Atlantic.”
“Okay,” I say still not really sure what she's
talking about.
“Don't they teach you Yankees anything about
geography?”
“Fisher, I know it's a small boat, but there's
plenty of room,” Sara says as she tosses her duffel bag into the
cockpit. “Besides, with another person it'll be easier to look for
the treasure.”
“So you told her about the treasure? Sara!”
Sara acts like she doesn't hear me, and grabs
Josephine duffel bag and tosses it next to hers. “Yes, I told her.
And she's coming with us, and that's that.” Both of the girls climb
on board.
I put both hands behind my head, turn around and
breathe a deep sigh as I watch the puffy white clouds float
past.
Sara adds, “The longer we sit here and talk about
this, we'll miss the ebbing tide.”
“But she doesn't even know anything about boats,” I
say looking at Josephine, but she gives me a sarcastic grin in
return.
“She knows more about boats than you do, Fisher
Shoemaker. Now let's untie the boat and get going.”
I look at my watch again. Time's running out and
clearly Sara's made up her mind about Josephine coming along. The
one thing I've learned about Sara is once her mind's made that's
it, nothing's going to change it. I don't have to like it,
though.
“Let's get going,” I grumble. Pointing to the
dock-lines tied to the cleat on the dock. “Josephine, can you untie
us? We can put the sails up while we ride the tide out.”
“Aye-aye, captain boy.” And she gives me a mocking
salute.
I snap a look at Sara, but she just shrugs her
shoulders.
Soon we're out in open water, and the boat heels
over nicely in the breeze moving through the water like a horse
galloping across a green field. I look up at the sails, and they
seem to be full and trimmed properly. In this part of the bay I
have to keep my eyes on the water because there are endless lobster
pots that appear right in front of us. It's simple steering out of
the way, but if I wasn't paying attention just for a second, we
might run over one with the rudder then it'd be a huge mess.
Sara's been down below studying the chart making
sure we're on course. She calls up from below, “If I figured
everything correctly, at this rate we should get to Damariscove
Island by late afternoon.”
Josephine, who's been sitting in the cockpit with me
and hasn't said a word since we left, looks at me and says, “So you
think you're going to find buried pirates treasure.” She smirks and
looks back out at the blue water.
“Laugh if you want, but you're not getting any of
it.”
“I'm not worried,” she says. “I'm pretty sure y'all
are not gonna find a dang thing. No one ever does.”
“So you're a boat expert and a pirate
expert.” I
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