Penny for Your Heart by Season Vining

Author:Season Vining
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781958686478
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2022-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Our Only Summer

A seagull squawked overhead as I turned my skateboard and circled Misa.

“You want to try?” I asked, jumping the curb and sailing down the sidewalk. I rolled back to where she was walking.

“I’d probably break my ass,” Misa said.

I yanked on her ponytail. “Come on, I’ll never let you fall. You know that.” I put one foot on the street and kicked my board up, grabbing it with my hand. “See? It’s harmless.”

“Okay, I’ll try it. But don’t let go of me.” She kissed two fingers and held them up. I did the same and pressed them together. “Misa and Penny’s Rules Number Eight: Always have your bestie’s back.”

I dropped my skateboard and held it in place with one foot. “Okay, put one foot up front.” Misa carefully placed her left foot near the front of the board. “Good. Now, you’ll push off with your right foot. Once you start to roll, put it on the back of the board. It’s all about balance from there.”

“Shouldn’t I be wearing a helmet and protective pads?” Misa asked.

“Just do it,” I huffed.

With my hands on her ribs, I felt Misa take a deep breath. She pushed off, and I ran alongside her.

“Good,” I said. “One more push, then get all the way on.”

She pushed off the street again and set her foot on the back of the board. A huge smile spread across her face as I ran to keep up.

“I’m doing it!” she shouted. Misa threw her arms up in victory, which must have thrown off her balance because before I knew what was happening, we both tumbled to the asphalt. There we sat, laughing with skinned knees and bruised elbows until she was ready to try again.

That afternoon, we decided to cruise the streets to show off my new bike. It was one of those ordinary days of hanging out with your best friend. Misa and I were riding bikes around our neighborhood. Her bike was all chrome with a black seat and reflective tape her father insisted on. Mine was bright pink with foil tassels that hung from the handlebars. I loved the shushing noise they made when I rode as fast as I could. We had no destination, no goal for the day. Except somehow we ended up at an abandoned house a few blocks over. A cool breeze blew in the smell of saltwater from the coast and the sky was a vibrant blue with no clouds in sight. Misa and I laid in the overgrown grass and made up stories about our future selves living in that house. While mine was full of art and plants and potluck dinners, Misa’s was built on family, a husband, finally getting a dog, and maybe her own office where she would hang awards from her job.

It was a typical example of how opposite we were but how perfect our relationship worked. Eventually, we laid on our sides, resting our heads in our hands while dragonflies buzzed over our heads.

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