White Converse

Tom Matheson's big blue truck roared past on dusty Neil Lane, spraying dirt and rocks in it's wake. Jimmy Rogan leaned out the passenger side window and yelled back into the dust cloud "Hey TT wanna polish my chrome for me?" The insipid laughter of 16-year-old boys with their daddy's trucks echoed around her as Jenny 's eyes watered and she coughed, cursing the shithead boys and their stupid nickname TT, she didn't even have tiny tits anyways. Stupid dickwads.

Jenny angrily kicked at a pebble in the road scuffing up her new converse and pissing her off even more. It was not a good day. The afternoon sun fell around her lighting a fiery sunset in her hair. She was beautiful and there would come a day when boys would trip over themselves for her and the taunting of high school youth would reveal itself as nothing more but the unschooled and insecure precursors to suave courtship. Her mother knew this as did most of the middle-aged men in Yelida but Jenny just thought that boys her age were assholes who only thought with their pricks. The only boy that was remotely tolerable was her second cousin Barcley, whose mom ran the Dairy Queen on 3rd and whose daddy had left them a long time ago, even before Jenny's dad.

Barcley was supposed to wait for Jenny on Wednesday afternoons so they could study together in his mom's shop, but she hadn't found him waiting in the usual spot and so she'd started out alone. Stupid prick. She was mumbling to herself that they were all stupid pricks when a murder of crows was startled out of the bush just ahead causing Jenny to throw her hands up around her head, books landing with heavy clumps at her feet. Heart still beating a furious rhythm she reached down to pick up her books nervously glancing around for whatever had spooked the crows. She didn't have to wait long for the culprit to reveal himself- themselves.

Coming out of the bushes just a few feet away were Barcley and Aaron Wells. Jenny crouched down even lower against the ground hidden by nothing more then their inattention. Aaron Wells was a senior pitcher for the baseball team, Jenny couldn't imagine how Barcley and him had even come to know each other much less hang out after school. As she watched Aaron casually bumped into Barcley laughing a little when when the smaller boy stumbled. Barcley punched Aaron on the shoulder in mock anger and then reached down and grabbed Aaron's hand, gently rubbing his thumb against Aaron's. They walked a few steps like this when Jenny finally unfroze, unconsciously uttering a surprised gasp before quickly returning to the task of picking up her books before the boys could turn and see her gaping at them like a wide-mouth fish. She cursed under her breath.

"Jen? You ok?"

Jenny continued rooting around in the dirt trying to school her face as she heard two pairs of sneakers stop followed by rushed whispers that ended with one pair continuing on it's way while the other came closer to her.

"Jen...uh here let me help you."

Between the two of them all of the books were returned to the bag which Barcley placed over his shoulder as he turned to continue walking up the road. Jenny stood rooted to the spot shuffling the toe of her shoe in the dirt. Barcley stopped, but didn't turn around. Jenny could feel him gathering his voice from where she stood.

"Jen, I just...uh what I mean is that...uh..."

Jenny looked up as Barcley trailed off. She stared at his drooped shoulders and thought that he looked defeated. She didn't like defeat on Barcley. He turned around to face her and shrugged wearing a slight, worried half smile while raising his hands palm up towards her. Jenny sighed and looked at the ground again before nodding slightly.

"So...are we going to study now?" Jenny asked finally looking up at Barcley with an arched eyebrow. The smile that burst across his face was like the sunrise and it sent warmth throughout her chest. Barcley nodded and turned to head up the road again waiting for her to catch up this time. They walked in silence for a few steps before Jenny reached over and lightly cuffed Barcley on the back of the head.

"My new shoes are dirty you know, and it's partly your fault!"

Barcley sighed and rolled his eyes heavenward but he was grinning when he said 'Yeah, Jen I know. It's always my fault." They walked on in companionable silence, shoes kicking up small dust clouds that settled in their wake.