A Different Truth by Annette Oppenlander

Author:Annette Oppenlander
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical mystery, coming of age, action adventure, historical fiction, bullying, hazing, boys, Vietnam War, teen fiction, military school, catcher in the rye, J.D. Salinger, A Separate Peace, John Knowles, boys and men, boarding school, reluctant reader, teen boys
Publisher: Annette Oppenlander
Published: 2018-03-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I stare out the window, but ignore the landscape that dissolves into a whoosh of brown and yellow, cornfields with dry stalks eight feet high, the barren earth of late August, cracked and dusty, modest farmhouses and pockmarked limestone formations. The air sizzles, bringing no relief no matter how far the windows are open. My pants stick to the vinyl seat of the car, the orange soda my mother packed, syrupy in my mouth.

To my amazement I don’t mind returning to Palmer. All summer I felt like a guest in my own home. No, worse, more like an appendage, a third arm not really belonging. My siblings went about their ways as if I didn’t exist. They had their friends, went to camp and the city pool. My older brother acted all sophisticated and hid in his room studying.

Nobody ever asked him to do chores. Gary is working, my mother repeated daily. Why don’t you make yourself useful and mow the lawn? So I helped like a chump. My old friends were busy.

Daniel was attached to his girlfriend and if he’d seemed disinterested before, he had absolutely no time for me now.

If I were honest with myself, I hadn’t had such a boring summer in my life. I’d wanted to hide in my room and sleep away the time. Of course, that was out of the question. My mother made me get up by eight every day. Even on Sundays—especially on Sundays—when we all went to church. Sometimes I ran off and hid in the woods to be left alone and daydream.

I lean forward to catch the breeze. Paper rustles inside my jacket—my favorite letter from Maddie. I smooth the tattered pieces. She wrote at the beginning of summer when I felt blue and missed her so much, it was as if the memory of her face had implanted itself on every girl I saw. I sniff, trying to imagine the scent of her hair. I’m going mad.

“Dear Andy,

You’ve only been gone a week, but it feels much longer. The store is a bit busier right now which makes Dad happy. Sometimes, tourists get lost and find their way to us. I’m spending most of the day counting out candy and selling fishing gear.

I’m always glad when school is out, but this year it seems more boring. I wish I could go away to college next year instead of working in the store. Some of the boys come around and hang out, but I’d rather wait for you. I wish we’d had more time together before you left.

Eric is doing okay, though he drinks too much. He always liked whiskey, but now he drinks it like water. He’s always moody and sometimes he gets so mean. It makes me sad.

I wonder what you’re doing. I wish I could be there with you. It’d be much more fun, maybe go fishing or swimming. I look forward to the school year and seeing you again. We’ll be seniors. I better finish. I want this letter to go out and the postman will be here soon.

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