one moved to Switchback in the middle of winter unless they had to. Enrolling in school so late in senior year made Fletcher a particular enigma. He was shaggy-haired, with a long, lanky frame and a slow, easy smile.
Annie had been secretly fascinated with the newcomer ever since sheâd spotted him in Mr. Dowâs homeroom. When heâd shown up at Kyleâs office last week, looking for work, the sugar season suddenly turned more interesting.
No one knew much about him. He had come to town with his father. The two of them lived in an old shotgun house by the train trestle. In a place the size of Switchback, the absence of a woman in the family fueled plenty of conjecture. By appearances, he seemed to be the kind of kid mothersâincluding Annieâs motherâtold her to stay away from. Heâs trouble. Heâs going to wind up in jail one day. Heâll drag you down .
No one could quite explain how such a troublesome kid didnât really seem to get into trouble. Since his arrival a few weeks back, he showed up for school on time, minded his own business, owned the court when PE was basketball, and was rumored to play guitar. Her mom would say itâs early days, heâs new in town, heâll be in trouble soon enough.
Annie thought he might be the coolest guy in school, but she kept her distance, certain he wouldnât have any interest in a girl whose life consisted of 4-H Club meetings, taking part in the statewide local foods cooking challenge twice a year, getting good grades, and working on the family farm.
After checking the temperature in the evaporator, Annie returned to the window. There were days during the sugar season when the weather was miserable, with snow piled so high that snowshoes were required, or so rainy and muddy it made sane people want to choke something. This was not one of those days. This was a day that made the mountain look like a dreamerâs private fantasy of the perfect Vermont dayâcrisp air, blue sky, crunchy snow, brilliant sunshine. Her final season.
As she watched the guys hard at their chores, Annie was reminded that she was full to the brim with secret desires. She wanted to have sex. Sheâd never gone all the way with a guy. She had totally planned on doing it with Manny, her boyfriend, but they broke up and the opportunitywas gone. She didnât regret it too much, though, because Manny hadnât been a great kisser, and he seemed way more into himself than into her.
She got rid of the boyfriend but not the wild inner yearning. What would it feel like, naked flesh pressed to naked flesh, someoneâs hand stroking her, endless kisses, bodies joined and building toward a pleasure sheâd been dreaming of for a very long time? The questions filled her imagination.
Some of her girlfriends said sex was overrated, so she shouldnât expect too much. Celia Swank, by far the most beautiful and knowledgeable friend on the topic, said a girl had to learn to enjoy it, because sex was the only language guys truly understood. But Annieâs very best friendâPam Mitchell, who always threw her whole heart into everythingâsaid if it was the right guy and the right moment, it was magic.
Annie had always been a big believer in magic.
The crew brought the loaded trailer over to the big holding and filtration tanks and hooked up the hoses to transfer the fresh sap. Fletcher went to collect the sap from the old-style buckets, which hung from the spiles that were tapped into the tree trunks.
Degan, Carl, and Ivan started teasing Gordy. Annie couldnât hear what was being said, but she could tell they were teasing just by watching. They circled the poor guy like a pack of coyotes, their faces taut with mean grins. Gordy kept his eyes averted and his shoulders hunched up, as though hoping to make himself smaller. Didnât he know that never worked?
As if to prove her theory, Degan cuffed Gordy on the back of the head,
Annie had been secretly fascinated with the newcomer ever since sheâd spotted him in Mr. Dowâs homeroom. When heâd shown up at Kyleâs office last week, looking for work, the sugar season suddenly turned more interesting.
No one knew much about him. He had come to town with his father. The two of them lived in an old shotgun house by the train trestle. In a place the size of Switchback, the absence of a woman in the family fueled plenty of conjecture. By appearances, he seemed to be the kind of kid mothersâincluding Annieâs motherâtold her to stay away from. Heâs trouble. Heâs going to wind up in jail one day. Heâll drag you down .
No one could quite explain how such a troublesome kid didnât really seem to get into trouble. Since his arrival a few weeks back, he showed up for school on time, minded his own business, owned the court when PE was basketball, and was rumored to play guitar. Her mom would say itâs early days, heâs new in town, heâll be in trouble soon enough.
Annie thought he might be the coolest guy in school, but she kept her distance, certain he wouldnât have any interest in a girl whose life consisted of 4-H Club meetings, taking part in the statewide local foods cooking challenge twice a year, getting good grades, and working on the family farm.
After checking the temperature in the evaporator, Annie returned to the window. There were days during the sugar season when the weather was miserable, with snow piled so high that snowshoes were required, or so rainy and muddy it made sane people want to choke something. This was not one of those days. This was a day that made the mountain look like a dreamerâs private fantasy of the perfect Vermont dayâcrisp air, blue sky, crunchy snow, brilliant sunshine. Her final season.
As she watched the guys hard at their chores, Annie was reminded that she was full to the brim with secret desires. She wanted to have sex. Sheâd never gone all the way with a guy. She had totally planned on doing it with Manny, her boyfriend, but they broke up and the opportunitywas gone. She didnât regret it too much, though, because Manny hadnât been a great kisser, and he seemed way more into himself than into her.
She got rid of the boyfriend but not the wild inner yearning. What would it feel like, naked flesh pressed to naked flesh, someoneâs hand stroking her, endless kisses, bodies joined and building toward a pleasure sheâd been dreaming of for a very long time? The questions filled her imagination.
Some of her girlfriends said sex was overrated, so she shouldnât expect too much. Celia Swank, by far the most beautiful and knowledgeable friend on the topic, said a girl had to learn to enjoy it, because sex was the only language guys truly understood. But Annieâs very best friendâPam Mitchell, who always threw her whole heart into everythingâsaid if it was the right guy and the right moment, it was magic.
Annie had always been a big believer in magic.
The crew brought the loaded trailer over to the big holding and filtration tanks and hooked up the hoses to transfer the fresh sap. Fletcher went to collect the sap from the old-style buckets, which hung from the spiles that were tapped into the tree trunks.
Degan, Carl, and Ivan started teasing Gordy. Annie couldnât hear what was being said, but she could tell they were teasing just by watching. They circled the poor guy like a pack of coyotes, their faces taut with mean grins. Gordy kept his eyes averted and his shoulders hunched up, as though hoping to make himself smaller. Didnât he know that never worked?
As if to prove her theory, Degan cuffed Gordy on the back of the head,
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