Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Author:Julie Murphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

DECEMBER

TWENTY-TWO

The next morning I’m sluggish as my legs pump the pedals of my bike. Sharing a twin bed with Hattie has turned into a regular occurrence. She’s stopped even bothering to try sleeping in her full-size bed with Tyler. He gets too sweaty, she says, and your room is the first one off the AC vent. It’s true that my room is cooler than my dad’s and Hattie’s, but I keep thinking that’s not the only reason she’s taken up residence in my room.

Having Tyler in our house feels like a stranger’s begun occupying the room next to mine. The thought of him living in our house and eating our food—all free of charge—grates on me more and more every day. I know Dad feels it, too. He’s just too nice to say so.

And truthfully, my head was too full of questions last night for me to ever shut down and fall asleep. The only conclusion I came to was that Freddie and I must do everything we can to stay friends. And friends don’t make a big deal of holding hands—or pinkies?—during movies.

As I fly down the hill to Freddie’s, I kick my legs out and let the pedals spin on their own. The drive home last night was only slightly awkward, and I totally chickened out and asked Freddie to drop me off before Ruth.

When I drop my bike in Freddie’s driveway, Agnes is sitting on the porch, drinking her morning coffee. “Brought your swimsuit?” she asks.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The front door swings open as Freddie comes walking out with his gym bag hanging from his shoulder.

“All right, kiddies,” says Agnes. “Let’s motor.”

“Shotgun,” I call, trying my best to act normal.

Freddie walks himself to the backseat.

“Not gonna fight me for it?” I ask.

“I think that’d be a losing battle.” He half smiles, but his voice is flat.

A little twinge of disappointment settles in my belly.

We drive with the windows down as Agnes listens to her talk radio show.

At the YMCA, the only car in the parking lot belongs to Carter, the old man who works the front desk in the mornings.

The three of us drop our bags in the locker rooms and change into our suits before heading out to the pool. Agnes takes her usual end lane and Freddie beside her and me beside him. We all dive in and begin to swim our laps, each hitting our rhythm.

I love the way my body reacts to water. I know that I’ll pay for pushing myself as hard as I am this morning, but in this moment I can’t feel my muscles burn. I am weightless, and my brain is on autopilot as my body does exactly what it is supposed to do. I can hardly remember that I’m exhausted and frustrated and confused. I barely let myself blink, though, because every time I do, I see Freddie’s freckles.

I swim back and forth and back and forth. The only thing that stops me is Freddie as I’m about to do a flip-turn to make another lap.

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