Perfect Weather (Chapter 1)

I live here in this tiny house, way out in the middle of nowhere. Of course there are farms all around, including ours, and we still have our little small town. My parents did the best they could do to raise their little son, and I’m sure they did a hell of a good job.

I walk out of my worn down, light blue house, accidentally making the screen door slam shut. We have a wrap-around porch. Mom always wanted one, so when I was seven I helped Dad make one for mom’s birthday. The whole house is faded now. There’s so much life in it, I don’t see how it couldn’t look like this.

I walked out my rusted pick-up. It may look like shit, but trust me, she can do a lot. It’s what every farmer needs, away from the nice, big tractor.

I blast my wonderful country tunes all the way to school. Honestly the last place I think any of us want to be, but it’s the last day to say good-bye to everyone, except my friends. We’re going to hang out after school at the old pond.

I park my truck, and then you can guess the rest of the morning. Me, at school, chatting with people, joking. It’s a blow off day today. I mean what can the teachers do, but let us talk the whole time. It’s our last day of school!

Ding. Ding. Ding.

Everyone’s on their feet in seconds and running out the door. School’s finally out for summer, and for some people, like me, we don’t ever have to come back. Some people are going to college, or starting in the workforce, or joining the military. I’m staying home. I have to tend to the farm. With dad’s condition, there’s nobody else to do it. He doesn’t trust hiring anybody else to do the work for him on the farm that he took years and years to build it to how is to this day.

Cancer. Cancer’s a pain in the ass. I’d go into the ring with it, and knock it out any day. Dad’s body has grown older and gone through pain that no one else deems imaginable. He’s had multiple surgeries, and scars that cover his body. They have found brain tumors before, and they said they may or may not see them again. His blue eyes, where I got mine from, have been getting more and more distant. He no longer has the smile in his eyes that used to wrap me in love as a boy. Ma’s grown older too. Her sun-bleached brown hair has gotten whiter and whiter throughout the last year with anxiety. Her laugh lines are now even more visible on her face.

I’m walking out to my beat up black Chevy. Just as I’m stepping into it, my friend, Ben, stops me, “Hey, Conner, party at the old pond tonight. Are you in?”

The old pond’s something that has been a significant part of this small town; people are always there no matter the time of day. I mused on it, “I don’t know man. I’ve got a lot of work to do to prepare for summer.”

He punched me in the arm, not hard, considering how much of a weakling he is. He’s older than I am, yet a good foot and a half smaller than me. His blonde hair and blue eyes would show his German pride, if his mouth already didn’t. “C’mon man! You work as much as a middle-aged man does! You’re young, have at least one last hoorah. You’ll regret it if you don’t come, and I’ll even help you out one day if you do come. And guess what? Rachel will even be there. Say one last word to her before you never see her again.”

Rachel is someone who I used to love with all of my heart. Or thought I did until she cheated on me. I still get butterflies when I see her glance at me, and sometimes I can feel my face get really warm. Her long, red hair always smelled like strawberries and her big, blue eyes seemed endless. She was there for me when I needed someone, through all of the hard times and plenty of good ones. She was the kindest person, and not just to me, to anyone she met. She never judged and Ma adored her. That’s why I didn’t believe her at first when she told me what she had done. She’ll always be a small piece of my heart, even though she’s the one who shattered it.

“So does that mean you will come?” I was so lost in thought I forgot that he was even there anymore.

“Yeah, I guess so. But I'll only stay for a little bit.” I started my engine and started backing up. “And don’t pull anything while I’m there.” I called out of the window towards him.

He put his hands in the air in denial with that same mischievous smile that I’m sure all the teachers won’t miss, “I’d never!”

I started driving off and I looked in my rearview mirror I watched him as he turned around and hugged his girlfriend, Bridgette. They’re smiling at each other with such love, and it hurts my heart to the point that I can’t watch them. I’m jealous of him, something that I don’t feel too often. Oh, how much I miss being caressed like that in lust with somebody. I miss being able to hug someone that was so special to me.

I look back to the road and drive all the way home, thinking about tonight.

I ran out the screen door, it slamming behind me. I open it back up a crack knowing Ma probably wants to beat me right now. She’s the kindest woman in the world, but once that door slams shut, you want to run. She turned around from the dishes and is stared at me. “Sorry Ma!”

Her frown turns into a smile, “Never mind that boy, go have fun!”

I sprinted to my truck, after slowly closing the door of course. I don’t know why I’m so excited to go, but I am.

I drove down the old, dirt road to the pond, blasting my country tunes. I pulled up to the pond, took of my shirt, and grabbed myself a beer. I sat on the edge dipping my feet into the cool water. On a day this hot, everyone needs a cold beer. A bunch of people have already jumped into the pond. Everyone all together is screaming, having a good time.

I looked around and noticed Tom coming over to me. He sat down next to me and handed me a beer, “What’s going on man?” He’s not your typical man at this party. Instead, he has his ears pierced, tattoos all over, and I’m sure he doesn’t really know what work is.

I take the beer out of his hand, “Not much.”

He chuckled, “Work on your farm?”

“Yeah, as soon as I got home I was out there until it was time for supper.” I took a nice big gulp of beer. It soothed my throat, warming my body.

He patted me on the back, “Do you know-“

“Conner!” Ben interrupted him. He walked over and grabbed my arm and started pulling me away from Tom. “Sorry about that, bud, nobody invited him. He just sort of came I guess. Anyways, a part of me thought you wouldn’t come. I guess I’m going to have to help you on the farm now for a day.” He laughed.

I smiled, “I actually needed to get out of the house for a while.”

“Yeah I bet.” He walked me to a group of girls standing by the picnic table that someone placed next to the camp fire, which included Bridgette and Rachel. Rachel looked at me and smiled.

Ben looked at Bridgette, “Hey babe, can you come help me really quick?”

Bridgette walked away with him, the other girls following. Only Rachel stayed behind. I knew this was one of Ben’s tricks. I started walking away, but she grabbed my arm. “Wait, can we talk?”

I took another gulp of beer, “Yeah, I guess.”

She smiled softly, “Okay, meet me at the dock? I’m going to go get us some drinks.”

I finished off the rest of my beer as she walked away. I knew that I would need all the beer that I could get my hands on to get me through the situation that I knew was coming my way. She came back sooner than I hoped she would and sat down next to me, dipping her toes in the water. “You know, I’m really sorry about everything,” she grinned, and took a sip of her beer. “I’m going to miss these days. Just hangin’ out, you know?”

“I’m sure these days will always be here. They aren’t leaving without taking me with them. It is because of days like these that I feel good to be alive.”

“But what about going to college?”

“Not going.”

She looked at me confused, “How come?”

“There’s only one thing that I want to do with my life, and that’s to own my own farm. Have that huge field for myself, to do whatever I desire with it.”

She just stared out at the pond for a little bit, “I’m leaving to go to California. I don’t know what I’m going to find, but I sure as hell ain’t coming back here.”

I know about her past. Her father used to beat her, and scream at her. I even got in a brawl once with him, not a fun time. She ended up moving out early. That’s when we were dating, so I gave her a bunch of money to pay for rent and things like that. Those were the days when I thought we’d be together forever, she was my one and only. That is until she cheated on me with my best friend one day. It was like I would never be able to breathe ever again. It was when everything in my life was going so good, and I never thought I could be happier, just for it all to come crashing down.

We’re still friends though, and I know how badly she’s always wanted to leave. I just never thought she would actually ever do it, “When are you leaving?”

“Tonight, that’s why I came over here to talk to you. Conner, I still feel awful for-”

“Don’t. I don’t want to bring this back up. It’s over and done with, okay?”

She stood up, “Both of us know it’s not. That’s why I wanted to talk about it before I left. I don’t want our friendship to end like that. I truly am sorry.”

She left and I gulped down my beer, plus another one, and then jumped into the pond with the others. By the time it was dark out, I think I downed half a case of beers, and I was feeling a little buzzed, but not enough.

I lay down on the grass and stared up at the stars. This is one of the many things that city people don’t get enjoy. It seems sad to me, but it’s the lifestyle they chose. That’s why I don’t get Rachel anymore. I used to know her in and out, now she’s a changed person. She was one of the biggest country girls in town, and she’s going to get rid of that to run from her fears? She’s definitely not the same.

I was looking at the big dipper when Ben put his face in front of mine, “Come on, drama queen. Let’s get some fire for the wood.”

I laughed knowing that he was obviously drunk, “You mean wood for the fire.”

“That’s what I said, now let’s go.” I got up and grabbed all the wood that I could carry, getting a few splinters, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. I helped make the fire start and continue to stay that way. I lay by it, propped up on one elbow. Staring at the fire made me remember even more memories. All of the memories of Rachel and me. Memories of when we would build our own fires in my backyard. Nearly each night throughout the summer we made one it felt like, even before we were dating. We have been close since before I could even remember. She’s been the one consistent friend throughout my life. And oh boy did I miss those times.

I looked away from it, and turned to see her and Brad in each other’s arms. I got up and went to my truck. After kicking two love birds off the back of it, I drove home.