Skye came over after school yesterday and wanted to play some ping pong. That caused a problem. Not the ping pong. She is a pretty good player, but not as good as I am, so we normally have some close games. I usually win, but not always. She is competitive and as self-motivated as a badger digging after whatever it is badgers dig around for. Hand-eye stuff just seems to come natural for me.
Skye just dropped by, and that was the problem. I tell all my friends, or rather the few who are close enough and have known me for long enough to even be invited to our house, to always coordinate visits. Always.
I tell them my parents are anal about having everything planned ahead of time. My friends accept this, although more than once they've said some version of, "I don't know, Kevin, your mom and dad seem pretty cool. I think they wouldn't mind us coming by whenever."
"Yeah, but it might be your last visit," I usually reply. Let them think it's just hyperbole.
Anyway, I was in the kitchen, ours is an open floor plan ranch, and I thought I saw a shadow slant across the drapes, back lit by the late afternoon sun. Shadows that cut across drapes make me nervous, even when I shouldn't be.
I heard the thump-athump of sneakers on the porch, a quick rap of knuckles on the door, and Skye's shout, "Hey Kev, you in there jerkin' off?"
I cut around the kitchen counter and trotted to the door. I didn't want her to think I actually had been jerking off.
"Hi! I'm here to school your ass in ping-pong." She grinned and popped up on her toes, sliding her hips to the right and pantomiming a slow lob return with a paddle.
"Oh,come on Skye. You know I'll take you down. Besides, why didn't you call before you came over? You know . . ."
"It's all good, your mom and dad aren't home. I know 'cause you told me yesterday they were going to some kind of all day symposium thing and wouldn't be back until after dinner."
"Well, yeah, that's true, but still."
"Ohhhhh. I get it. You had a hot date with Rosie." Skye loosely curled her fist and made a vigorous stroking motion while squinting her face in comic ecstasy. "Don't worry, I'll leave you plenty of stroke time, after I kick your ass in ping-pong." She bounced past me and into the house and turned into the kitchen. "But first, a snack."
I sighed, shut the door and followed her into the kitchen and watched her root around for something to eat.
"Marshmallows!" Skye pulled the half-eaten bag from the cabinet and raised them over her head in triumph. "Let's go."
She stuffed a couple of marshmallows in her mouth and talked through them all the way down the basement stairs. "Ymph knomph Mmp Hanphommnu?"
"No. I have no idea what you are saying."
Skye jumped the last three steps, spun around and laughed, pointing to her stuffed cheeks. the light from upstairs formed a bright rectangle around her, like a spotlight on her own private stage. Skye liked being in the spotlight. Behind her, the basement was dark.
"Hey Skype, you need to reboot."
She rolled her eyes. "Somph" gulp "funny. Like I haven't heard that one, from you, before."
As I popped on the light switch, I remembered why I was still on edge, and it was far more than just being irritated at Skye for not having called before she came over.
I hadn't gotten around to cleaning up yet.
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