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Authors: Laura Langston
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didn’t even know the whole truth myself.
Oh God, oh God. I gagged, knelt down by a weathered log and threw up. Twice.
Jason rubbed my back. “You okay?”
My legs and arms shook, my teeth chattered. I pulled my jacket around my shoulders. “Just great,” I mumbled. Even my voice sounded weird.
He handed me his beer. “Rinse your mouth out,” he said. “It’ll help.”
It did. So did the stick of gum I found in the bottom of my purse. We walked a few hundred feet and then sat on a log. In the distance, car engines started, people yelled. The police were shutting down the party.
“I shouldn’t drive like this.” I felt sober enough, but I wasn’t stupid. I’d drunk more tonight, in one form or another, than I ever had before.
“Me either.” Jason pulled me close. “We’ll walk to my place. I’ll call you a cab from there.”
I didn’t remind him that I had a cellphone and could call one myself. I didn’t want a cab. I wanted a hotel room, white bathrobes, hearts and flowers, Jason. But I felt dirty and embarrassed, because of my revelation, and because I’d just thrown up. “Sure.” I kicked at the sand. I was determined to sleep withhim; I just needed a few minutes to compose myself…to figure out how to tell him.
“Is it true?” he asked softly.
Uneasily, I glanced at his face. I was worried that I’d see disgust there, but he just looked curious. “Yeah. Donor insemination.” I had to work hard not to slur the words together. “Strange sperm meets warm body.”
“So you don’t have to worry about Huntington’s?”
“Right.”
“Why’d they hide it from you?”
I shivered. “Who knows.”
His whistle was low and deep. “Parents are weird.”
“Amen to that.” I wiggled out from under his arm and stood. “Come on, let’s go.”
SIX
Most birds are away smarter than you would think. Parrots, for enstance. They are smart like children. But not the Hawaian goose. They sometimes attack themselves in the mirror.
Cassidy MacLaughlin, Grade Four Science Project
A ll the lights in Jason’s house were out, except for a single bulb that illuminated the back door. He held his finger to his lips, slid the key into the lock and carefully unlatched the deadbolt. I slipped inside and tiptoed down the basement stairs while he pulled the door shut and quietly refastened the locks.
Jason’s bedroom was an old converted family room. It was large enough for his bed and dresser, a snack fridge, even a small pool table at the far end beside the bathroom. I unzipped my jacket and tossed it, along with my purse, on his desk.
Seconds later, Jason was beside me and we both waited, breath held, to hear footsteps upstairs.
But it was quiet.
“I’ll call you a cab,” Jason whispered.
It was now or never. “Please don’t,” I whispered back.
“Why not?”
“I want to stay here tonight.” I took a breath. “With you.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Please, Jase. I told my parents I’d be at Prissy’s overnight and…well…I just want you to hold me.” Make me forget. I wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled close.
“My mother will kill me.”
“She doesn’t have to know. We can set your alarm. I’ll go before she gets up.”
His arms tightened. I felt his heart thumping against the thin cotton of my sweater. He buried his face in my hair. “Jeez, Cass. I don’t know if I trust myself.”
“I don’t want you to trust yourself.” I could barely breathe. “I’m ready now.”
He froze. For a minute, I imagined his heart had stopped beating. “Don’t say anything.” I slid out of his arms. “I’ll be back in a sec.” I bolted for the bathroom.
I splashed cool water on my face, finger-combed my hair and smeared a large glob of Jason’s toothpaste on my teeth, my gums, my tongue. Then I remembered. My new lingerie sets were in the trunk of my car. And my car was back at Max’s.
It’s not hearts and flowers, I said to my
Oh God, oh God. I gagged, knelt down by a weathered log and threw up. Twice.
Jason rubbed my back. “You okay?”
My legs and arms shook, my teeth chattered. I pulled my jacket around my shoulders. “Just great,” I mumbled. Even my voice sounded weird.
He handed me his beer. “Rinse your mouth out,” he said. “It’ll help.”
It did. So did the stick of gum I found in the bottom of my purse. We walked a few hundred feet and then sat on a log. In the distance, car engines started, people yelled. The police were shutting down the party.
“I shouldn’t drive like this.” I felt sober enough, but I wasn’t stupid. I’d drunk more tonight, in one form or another, than I ever had before.
“Me either.” Jason pulled me close. “We’ll walk to my place. I’ll call you a cab from there.”
I didn’t remind him that I had a cellphone and could call one myself. I didn’t want a cab. I wanted a hotel room, white bathrobes, hearts and flowers, Jason. But I felt dirty and embarrassed, because of my revelation, and because I’d just thrown up. “Sure.” I kicked at the sand. I was determined to sleep withhim; I just needed a few minutes to compose myself…to figure out how to tell him.
“Is it true?” he asked softly.
Uneasily, I glanced at his face. I was worried that I’d see disgust there, but he just looked curious. “Yeah. Donor insemination.” I had to work hard not to slur the words together. “Strange sperm meets warm body.”
“So you don’t have to worry about Huntington’s?”
“Right.”
“Why’d they hide it from you?”
I shivered. “Who knows.”
His whistle was low and deep. “Parents are weird.”
“Amen to that.” I wiggled out from under his arm and stood. “Come on, let’s go.”
SIX
Most birds are away smarter than you would think. Parrots, for enstance. They are smart like children. But not the Hawaian goose. They sometimes attack themselves in the mirror.
Cassidy MacLaughlin, Grade Four Science Project
A ll the lights in Jason’s house were out, except for a single bulb that illuminated the back door. He held his finger to his lips, slid the key into the lock and carefully unlatched the deadbolt. I slipped inside and tiptoed down the basement stairs while he pulled the door shut and quietly refastened the locks.
Jason’s bedroom was an old converted family room. It was large enough for his bed and dresser, a snack fridge, even a small pool table at the far end beside the bathroom. I unzipped my jacket and tossed it, along with my purse, on his desk.
Seconds later, Jason was beside me and we both waited, breath held, to hear footsteps upstairs.
But it was quiet.
“I’ll call you a cab,” Jason whispered.
It was now or never. “Please don’t,” I whispered back.
“Why not?”
“I want to stay here tonight.” I took a breath. “With you.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Please, Jase. I told my parents I’d be at Prissy’s overnight and…well…I just want you to hold me.” Make me forget. I wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled close.
“My mother will kill me.”
“She doesn’t have to know. We can set your alarm. I’ll go before she gets up.”
His arms tightened. I felt his heart thumping against the thin cotton of my sweater. He buried his face in my hair. “Jeez, Cass. I don’t know if I trust myself.”
“I don’t want you to trust yourself.” I could barely breathe. “I’m ready now.”
He froze. For a minute, I imagined his heart had stopped beating. “Don’t say anything.” I slid out of his arms. “I’ll be back in a sec.” I bolted for the bathroom.
I splashed cool water on my face, finger-combed my hair and smeared a large glob of Jason’s toothpaste on my teeth, my gums, my tongue. Then I remembered. My new lingerie sets were in the trunk of my car. And my car was back at Max’s.
It’s not hearts and flowers, I said to my
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