Read Online SYLO (THE SYLO CHRONICLES) by D.J. MacHale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: D.J. MacHale
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course they would. Why would I think otherwise?
I was tired of stressing. It was the day of the Lobster Pot Festivaland I was ready to kick back, eat some bad food, listen to corny music, and basically spend the day having the kind of fun that a lazy weekend on Pemberwick Island was all about. More than anything else, it was a day to try to forget all of the lousy things that had happened over the last few weeks and just enjoy the moment.
The moment.
I think back on it. A lot. It’s like revisiting a favorite place. A place you wish you could go to again. But I can’t because that place doesn’t exist anymore, except in my memory.
SEVEN
T he Lobster Pot Festival was the annual blowout that marked the end of summer. Three blocks of Main Street in Arbortown were closed off to traffic, making the whole downtown feel like one big party. Restaurants set up carts loaded with hot dogs, sodas, and lobster rolls. There was a band on every other corner playing rock oldies. Red, white, and blue banners hung everywhere. It was bigger than the Fourth of July.
This was my fourth Lobster Pot Festival and the most crowded by far. Oddly, there were a lot of faces I didn’t recognize. Since the festival fell so late in the season, it was geared mostly to locals, but there were plenty of non-locals there to enjoy the day. I figured it must have been because the warm weather had stuck around longer than usual, so many tourists did, too. That was okay. I liked the energy. Kids ran everywhere. People wandered around in their khaki pants, Izod shirts, and Topsiders while downing loads of ice cream and cotton candy. Arcade booths were busy with guys trying to impress girls with their ability to knock over bottles with a baseball or hit free throws. Old folks danced in front of the bands, notcaring what anybody thought of them. There was a sailboat race in the harbor and fireworks at the end of the day to cap it all off. It was always a great event…the last blast of summer.
I wandered through the crowd, looking for Quinn. Instead, I found Olivia. She was off by herself in a small alleyway, pacing and talking on her cell phone. As I walked closer, I could see that she was deep into a conversation. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for her to finish…and heard what she had to say.
“No!” she cried. “No, this isn’t what I agreed to. I’ve already been here too long.”
She was pissed off.
“I want off, now. Right now,” she demanded. “Before it’s too—”
She kept trying to get a word in, but whoever she was talking to wouldn’t let her. I felt bad eavesdropping and started to move away when she spotted me. Her eyes widened as if she had been caught doing something wrong. I froze, not sure what to do. She looked me square in the eye and I saw that she was not only upset, she was crying.
“Stop,” she said into the phone, suddenly cold. “I get it. Goodbye.”
She punched the phone off.
“I’m sorry,” I said nervously. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay,” she said, wiping her eyes. “That was my mother. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. Is she coming to the festival?”
“No,” Olivia said curtly. “She went to the mainland to do someshopping…while I’m here.” She said this with a shrug and a big fake smile as if this were the last place she wanted to be.
“Are, uh, are you all right?” I asked.
She sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. Just homesick. I didn’t think we’d be staying here for so long. But hey, things change.”
I wanted to put my arm around her and tell her it was okay and I’d make sure she had a good time at the festival, but I didn’t get the chance.
“Homesick?” Kent exclaimed as he walked up with a swagger. “That’s not allowed on such an awesome day.”
Olivia smiled bravely. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
Kent stared me down and said, “I’m surprised you can walk, Rook.” He looked to Olivia and added, “It was an
I was tired of stressing. It was the day of the Lobster Pot Festivaland I was ready to kick back, eat some bad food, listen to corny music, and basically spend the day having the kind of fun that a lazy weekend on Pemberwick Island was all about. More than anything else, it was a day to try to forget all of the lousy things that had happened over the last few weeks and just enjoy the moment.
The moment.
I think back on it. A lot. It’s like revisiting a favorite place. A place you wish you could go to again. But I can’t because that place doesn’t exist anymore, except in my memory.
SEVEN
T he Lobster Pot Festival was the annual blowout that marked the end of summer. Three blocks of Main Street in Arbortown were closed off to traffic, making the whole downtown feel like one big party. Restaurants set up carts loaded with hot dogs, sodas, and lobster rolls. There was a band on every other corner playing rock oldies. Red, white, and blue banners hung everywhere. It was bigger than the Fourth of July.
This was my fourth Lobster Pot Festival and the most crowded by far. Oddly, there were a lot of faces I didn’t recognize. Since the festival fell so late in the season, it was geared mostly to locals, but there were plenty of non-locals there to enjoy the day. I figured it must have been because the warm weather had stuck around longer than usual, so many tourists did, too. That was okay. I liked the energy. Kids ran everywhere. People wandered around in their khaki pants, Izod shirts, and Topsiders while downing loads of ice cream and cotton candy. Arcade booths were busy with guys trying to impress girls with their ability to knock over bottles with a baseball or hit free throws. Old folks danced in front of the bands, notcaring what anybody thought of them. There was a sailboat race in the harbor and fireworks at the end of the day to cap it all off. It was always a great event…the last blast of summer.
I wandered through the crowd, looking for Quinn. Instead, I found Olivia. She was off by herself in a small alleyway, pacing and talking on her cell phone. As I walked closer, I could see that she was deep into a conversation. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for her to finish…and heard what she had to say.
“No!” she cried. “No, this isn’t what I agreed to. I’ve already been here too long.”
She was pissed off.
“I want off, now. Right now,” she demanded. “Before it’s too—”
She kept trying to get a word in, but whoever she was talking to wouldn’t let her. I felt bad eavesdropping and started to move away when she spotted me. Her eyes widened as if she had been caught doing something wrong. I froze, not sure what to do. She looked me square in the eye and I saw that she was not only upset, she was crying.
“Stop,” she said into the phone, suddenly cold. “I get it. Goodbye.”
She punched the phone off.
“I’m sorry,” I said nervously. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay,” she said, wiping her eyes. “That was my mother. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. Is she coming to the festival?”
“No,” Olivia said curtly. “She went to the mainland to do someshopping…while I’m here.” She said this with a shrug and a big fake smile as if this were the last place she wanted to be.
“Are, uh, are you all right?” I asked.
She sniffed and nodded. “Yeah. Just homesick. I didn’t think we’d be staying here for so long. But hey, things change.”
I wanted to put my arm around her and tell her it was okay and I’d make sure she had a good time at the festival, but I didn’t get the chance.
“Homesick?” Kent exclaimed as he walked up with a swagger. “That’s not allowed on such an awesome day.”
Olivia smiled bravely. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
Kent stared me down and said, “I’m surprised you can walk, Rook.” He looked to Olivia and added, “It was an
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