Don't Know Tough by Eli Cranor

Author:Eli Cranor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2022-01-22T21:39:54+00:00

23.

We float in the river awhile. I let Lorna get close cause the stink gone and the water feel good. There ain’t no thinking in the water, just like out on a football field, and I like that. She move here, I go there, and all the while we’re treading water, floating downstream.

“Shit.”

“What?” I say.

“My earring.”

Lorna got her hand to her ear, touching one a them dangly feather earrings she wear every day.

“Dad will kill me,” say Lorna. “He gave me these earrings for my birthday a few years ago. They were literally the only thing he’s ever given me that I liked.”

I start pawing at the river, diving under, eyes open in the dark water. Don’t look like nothing down there. Water black and taste like dirt. I keep at it.

“It’s gone, Billy,” she say when I come up. “Forget it. The feather part is made of all these tiny wires. I’m sure it sunk straight to the bottom.”

I’m still fighting, though, thinking maybe I can find it, while the river keep pushing us downstream. It ain’t until I see the light from the fire I realize we gone too far.

“Lorna,” I say. “Look.”

“My earring?”

“We all the way back down to the bonfire.”

“So?”

“The dam come after the bonfire. And the dam as far downstream as we can go. We float over that dam and we won’t be floating no more.”

“Let’s just get out,” she say, like it that simple. Like we can just come out the water, walk up to the bonfire. But she already paddling that way. Ain’t got no clothes on. Her clothes up at the bluff. I ain’t got no clothes, neither. Feel the water pushing me. I watch her stand near the bank, shadows playing across every curve.

“You coming?” she say, loud.

“You ain’t wearing no clothes.”

“Well,” she say, not even whispering, “if it’s between falling to my death over that dam or being seen naked—I’ll take the latter.”

“But all them guys up there.”

“We can just walk along the edge of the bank, sneak all the way up to our clothes.”

“Bank steep, Lorna. Gonna be a hard climb at night.”

“Those are your options.”

I paddle for her. Make it close enough to the bank to stand. The warm river water dripping off me feel like coming out from under a blanket. I see Lorna little ass swaying as she scurry up the bank. The boys hunkered around that fire back near the tree line. Good chance they won’t never see us if we follow the bank back up to the bluffs. Keep good and quiet.

“Come on,” she say over her shoulder.

I put a finger over my lips.

“Most guys would want to be seen in the nude with the new girl at school.”

“I ain’t most guys.”

“I know.”

We’re almost up the bank, almost to flat ground and a easy walk back to our clothes, when somebody holler from the bonfire. “Who the fusk out there?” And already I can tell it drunk-ass Jarred.

“Shit.”

“Who cares?” say Lorna.

“Shut up,” I say and don’t even mean to.

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