The End of June

Are we to ignore what happened?
What happened when we used our freedom granted by the summer?
Days were spent by the creek, watching the water trickle by on the top of the bank.
You always wanted to dip your feet in, feel the coolness,
Spot the minnows swim above the rocks,
Skip rocks across the water, admire the ripples they caused.
But we never ventured down there until we met Stanley.
Stanley was adventurous and bold and never backed out of a dare.
He scoffed at our timidness when he moved here in the beginning of June.
Stanley asked why we were so scared.
I replied, “We are simply following our mother’s orders.”
He responded, “Then don’t tell her about this,”
And slid down the bank and into the water.
You thought he was crazy.
I thought he was asking for trouble.
In truth, he was just trying to have fun.
We glanced at each other at that moment and shrugged our shoulders.
We wanted to have fun too.
That day was spent watching the water trickle by in the creek, instead.
So was every day after that.
Never did we tell mother.
Days in the creek turned into weeks.
One month passed and the only one to stop our fun was Drake Neville.
He found us skipping stones one day and threatened to tell our mother.
We sobbed and begged and he promised not to as long as he got something in return.
I never liked him, but I liked playing in the creek with Stuart, so I succumbed.
I gave him three quarters.
That quieted him down until a few days later.
You gave him a deer bone you found by the creek.
The next day, Drake, grinning, threatened again.
I had balled my hands into fists when he appeared.
Stuart placed a hand on my shoulder before handing Drake his four-leaf clover.
He loved that four-leaf clover so much.
“Why would you do that?” I asked when Drake left, satisfied. “You love that clover!”
“I love being with you and your brother more,” he responded.
Drake shut up for awhile, you remember.
You were on edge for days.
Finally, your worries came true.
Stuart was expecting him and held a smooth, polished stone in his right hand, hiding behind his back.
“Stuart, what are you-“
“SSH!” he shushed me.
I twiddled my thumbs and you bit your nails.
Drake folded his arms, ready for his new present.
Stuart shook his head. “No.”
“No, what?” asked the bully.
“No. No more gifts. No more bothering me and my friends.”
Drake blinked. “Then I guess their mother will find out about their little games.”
My fists clenched in anger and you dropped your hands from your mouth.
“You will not,” said Stuart.
Adventurous and brave Stuart, who we thought was insane,
Brought that stone out from behind his back.
Drake never saw the stone before it connected with his temple.
He collapsed on the ground moaning and groaning.
At the time, I was not scared.
I became brave just like my friend.
You were terrified.
I helped Stuart drag Drake out of view.
I helped Stuart hide him.
I’ll admit that I wanted Drake gone.
You stood on the bank, tears running down your face faster than the creek’s current.
“D-Don’t, please, I’m so sorry. I’ll give all of your things b-back. P-please,” Drake begged.
You didn’t see the side of Stuart I saw that day.
I didn’t just see a boy who was loyal, I saw a boy with a dangerous side.
You saw him hold that rock, bloody from Drake’s wound.
You watched Drake sniff and close his eyes.
You followed that stone as he raised it high,
And as it dropped to the ground with a thud.
“Okay.”
He backed away and let our victim get up.
I watched the fire die from Stuart’s eyes as Drake ran home.
Drake never bothered us again.
Our things were on the creek bank the next afternoon.
Stuart never talked about what happened.
He only swore to do the same to us if we told.
You didn’t believe him. I did. I saw that fire. I saw Stuart ready to kill Drake Neville.
The only thing that stopped him was me. You saw the stone fall, because I knocked it out of his hands.
I saved Drake. We hated him, but he didn’t deserve to die.
Mother can never know about what happened at the end of June.
Category:Honeyrose34's Stories
Category:Original Stories