Read Online Summer Nights by Caroline B. Cooney - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline B. Cooney
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able to sail on to the next happy event without worrying about boats getting returned.”
He was grinning at her, and the thin features seemed momentarily hers, as if she owned them, or had blended with them. They talked about life’s annoyances for a moment. “What are you going to study in college?” he asked abruptly.
He thought I was interesting, Beth Rose mused. He liked what I said about boat returns. But now I’ll tell him what I’m studying and he’ll laugh at me, not with me. If only she could answer something thrilling like astronomy or automobile design. “I kind of want to teach sixth grade,” she said, “so I guess I’ll study a little bit of everything.”
“I loved sixth,” Blaze told her. “All the good stuff is in sixth. Ancient history and Stonehenge. I remember when we got to Egypt we built pyramids out of sugar cubes. We were bringing shoe boxes to school so we could make dioramas about early agriculture.”
Beth was delighted. “I loved all that,” she confessed. “It was the last time I was really terrific in school. My shoe boxes were always the best.”
“Not mine,” Blaze said. “I’m pretty good at grades, but I haven’t hit anything I want to do for a lifetime. I’m hoping to find the shoe box of my dreams at college.” He stood up, started the engine on the first rip of the cord, and set a course for the Duet. Beth no longer felt like shouting a conversation. Why had he broken off their talk like that? Of course, it was probably just that he was fulfilling his promise to get her to the Duet. But maybe she had gotten boring, and he was lying about sixth grade pyramids and couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
“Here we are, Beth. Throw that guy the line right behind you, okay?”
She grabbed the rope he was pointing to. It was odd, throwing a rope (which partially stayed with you) instead of a ball (which left completely). It was caught by, of all people, Con Winter, who whipped it efficiently around a cleat. The Duet idled, its engines quieter, and the little skiff banged gently against the tubby sides of the bigger boat.
“Hi, Con,” Beth said. “The ice cream has melted away. If you wanted it solid, you should have waited for me.”
Con just laughed. “The Duet waits for nobody,” he informed her. “Sailing times are never flexible. Those who are tardy make separate voyages. Welcome aboard.” He reached a hand down for her. Beth was frightened. The skiff felt awfully tippy. There didn’t seem to be anywhere to step, or anything to grip with her other hand.
Gary materialized next to Con with two more hands out, and with a push from Blaze she was up and over. The boys enjoyed it, but Beth had never felt so awkward nor so heavy.
“Con?” she said. “Can Blaze come to the party, too?”
“Sure, the more the merrier. Let me ask the captain if we can just tie his boat and let it follow us in the wake.”
Con darted off. Blaze, surprised and pleased, waited. Gary whispered in her ear, “So who’s this, Beth?”
“This is my friend, Blaze,” she said, making introductions. “Gary—Blaze.”
The dark, sleek boy on board half-saluted the tanned, sharp-edged boy sitting in the bobbing skiff. It seemed to Beth they were eyeing each other very warily. Perhaps they’re both in love with me, she thought, and they’re checking out the competition.
She laughed to herself. It was just dark, and they had to narrow their eyes to see each other.
“Captain says no problem,” Con informed them. “He saw the skiff; he’s going to radio Calvin Rentals to tell him this one’ll be in later.”
They retied the skiff in another location and yanked Blaze aboard. Con said that any friend of Beth’s was a friend of his, which was certainly news to Beth. Beth began introducing Blaze to everybody. It was enormous fun. Blaze was good-looking, and completely unknown. Where Beth could have found a boyfriend from Arizona in the few hours since they had seen her last was
He was grinning at her, and the thin features seemed momentarily hers, as if she owned them, or had blended with them. They talked about life’s annoyances for a moment. “What are you going to study in college?” he asked abruptly.
He thought I was interesting, Beth Rose mused. He liked what I said about boat returns. But now I’ll tell him what I’m studying and he’ll laugh at me, not with me. If only she could answer something thrilling like astronomy or automobile design. “I kind of want to teach sixth grade,” she said, “so I guess I’ll study a little bit of everything.”
“I loved sixth,” Blaze told her. “All the good stuff is in sixth. Ancient history and Stonehenge. I remember when we got to Egypt we built pyramids out of sugar cubes. We were bringing shoe boxes to school so we could make dioramas about early agriculture.”
Beth was delighted. “I loved all that,” she confessed. “It was the last time I was really terrific in school. My shoe boxes were always the best.”
“Not mine,” Blaze said. “I’m pretty good at grades, but I haven’t hit anything I want to do for a lifetime. I’m hoping to find the shoe box of my dreams at college.” He stood up, started the engine on the first rip of the cord, and set a course for the Duet. Beth no longer felt like shouting a conversation. Why had he broken off their talk like that? Of course, it was probably just that he was fulfilling his promise to get her to the Duet. But maybe she had gotten boring, and he was lying about sixth grade pyramids and couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
“Here we are, Beth. Throw that guy the line right behind you, okay?”
She grabbed the rope he was pointing to. It was odd, throwing a rope (which partially stayed with you) instead of a ball (which left completely). It was caught by, of all people, Con Winter, who whipped it efficiently around a cleat. The Duet idled, its engines quieter, and the little skiff banged gently against the tubby sides of the bigger boat.
“Hi, Con,” Beth said. “The ice cream has melted away. If you wanted it solid, you should have waited for me.”
Con just laughed. “The Duet waits for nobody,” he informed her. “Sailing times are never flexible. Those who are tardy make separate voyages. Welcome aboard.” He reached a hand down for her. Beth was frightened. The skiff felt awfully tippy. There didn’t seem to be anywhere to step, or anything to grip with her other hand.
Gary materialized next to Con with two more hands out, and with a push from Blaze she was up and over. The boys enjoyed it, but Beth had never felt so awkward nor so heavy.
“Con?” she said. “Can Blaze come to the party, too?”
“Sure, the more the merrier. Let me ask the captain if we can just tie his boat and let it follow us in the wake.”
Con darted off. Blaze, surprised and pleased, waited. Gary whispered in her ear, “So who’s this, Beth?”
“This is my friend, Blaze,” she said, making introductions. “Gary—Blaze.”
The dark, sleek boy on board half-saluted the tanned, sharp-edged boy sitting in the bobbing skiff. It seemed to Beth they were eyeing each other very warily. Perhaps they’re both in love with me, she thought, and they’re checking out the competition.
She laughed to herself. It was just dark, and they had to narrow their eyes to see each other.
“Captain says no problem,” Con informed them. “He saw the skiff; he’s going to radio Calvin Rentals to tell him this one’ll be in later.”
They retied the skiff in another location and yanked Blaze aboard. Con said that any friend of Beth’s was a friend of his, which was certainly news to Beth. Beth began introducing Blaze to everybody. It was enormous fun. Blaze was good-looking, and completely unknown. Where Beth could have found a boyfriend from Arizona in the few hours since they had seen her last was
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