Separate Schools Read online

  Roxie, Kelsey Kay, Shelby, and Taylor went out first. KC drove the boat, Rick-Joe with a can of beer was in charge of the tow. He saw Shelby sneak a pull off his Rolling Rock and get caught but Rick-Joe didn’t care. They went out for half an hour and Harrison bowed out of another volleyball game, preferring to sit in the sand on the outskirts of a loose group of Riley, Cookie, Jamie, April, and Cisco. Mostly he watched what happened out on the water as each of the girls took a turn on skis. It felt pretty safe because KC was out there with her and wouldn’t want any of his college friends touching his little sister, and Colt was safely on shore. He watched with a nervous knot in his stomach, just the same.

  26

  When it was her turn because no one wanted to try waterskiing—not when they had a big old fun and bouncy inner tube instead—they all watched as she sat on the back of the boat and readied her ski. It was a slalom mono, a gift from her father after she won the Michigan State youth comp in 2013. A super-narrow Syndicate Pro, a sleek piece of aeronautical carbon-fiber that took her most of 2014 to figure out how to stay up on. It was sharp and fast and angled like a demon but it was so racy it was like she had to learn how to ski all over again. Dad kept her at it, and by August she was carving like a junior pro and she won the age-group again that summer. But the next year she didn’t even ski at all and she was just a bitch to her dad all the time. Then high school started and the next thing you know Dad was moving out. Fucking Harrison bringing it up down on the beach—it was hard enough coming here in the first place, she didn’t need pointed reminders, thank you, buddy.

  Behind her, KC said, “Look out everybody, it’s the hotshot. She’s getting her custom ski on.”

  They were mid-lake, and the pressure was on, all eyes on her. The water was pretty chopped but she could handle it, she hoped. Nobody on this boat but her could do a deep water start anyway, so they were easy to impress, but still she felt the tension begin to twist and she wanted to lash out and make them all look away. She bit her tongue.

  She said, “Aw, come on, KC, I hardly go out ever, anymore.”

  “Hardly?”

  “Geez, like not at all. I probably can’t even ski anymore.”

  “The talk of the forever-sandbagger,” KC said toward the sky. He held a coolie cup with the neck of a High-Life poked up out of it. His butt leaned on the boat’s steering wheel and he couldn’t help looking like an overly muscular version of their dad.

  “Fuck off,” she muttered and as she turned back her left foot grazed the saddle of her waterski. Ah, fuck. That was as bad as putting your left foot in first and even Pythagoras knew that was bad luck.

  KC taunted her: “You want the thirty-five rope, hotshot?”

  “No, KC. Don’t. Just leave me alone.”

  She rubbed the back of her wrist against her forehead and hoped they weren’t looking at her. You couldn’t just put your right foot in now like the left foot never touched it. She hunched forward and hid her face while she spat in the saddle. That removed the curse, as legend told, and now she put her right foot into the binding with her left held far away and safe.

  The anger was back, and she said over her shoulder, “Give me the thirty-five rope, asshole.”

  “Uh-oh,” KC sang, “Tay-tay’s mad.”

  She hissed, “I need the boat at thirty-six—you think you’re man enough to get it up to thirty-six?”

  KC said, “I’ve never had problems getting it up, Tay.”

  Roxie interjected: “Not what I heard.”

  The girls and even Pontoon admired the zinger with a lowing sound and watched to see how KC would react.

  KC said, “Your mom did everything she could, Rox, but the way your dad was watching me and stroking himself just freaked me the fuck out.”

  Roxie laughed but her face went wide with horror and disbelief that he would say something like that. “Are you kidding me? That’s so mean ... I can’t believe you said that ...”

  “Hey, don’t make fun of a guy not getting it up. You punch low, I punch low.”

  “Yeah, but a joke about my mom ...?”

  KC smiled at her as she folded her arms protectively like she’d been physically injured by his joke. He said, “It’s kind of more of a joke about your dad, really—your mom is hot, I’d totally get it up for your mom ...”

  “You’re eee-vil,” Roxie said, wounded, but KC had got her laughing again and now he took her in a hug and whispered in her ear. Roxie tugged herself away and acted like she was still mad but she wasn’t.

  Rituals complete, Taylor looked at her happy friends and forced a smile. “I’m ready,” she said, and hoped to God she was.

  27

  The girls came back to the dock with boisterous laughter and yelling that he heard before they even got to shore. Climbing out of the boat’s cabin, taking turns, Taylor turned and shoved Shelby off the back of the boat when it was her turn to step off. Shelby tried to save herself but eventually toppled, going with it and kicking her legs high so she ended up doing a dive. KC yelled at Taylor for being an idiot because the motor was still running. She told him to relax, and he bear-hugged her like he would throw her off as well. Taylor’s scream was high-pitched and sharp and KC laughed and let her go, kicked her almost-bare ass as she climbed out, making her giggle and run away. He scolded her and told her to put on some pants; joking, but kind of serious, too. Then he lamented that hugging her had got his T-shirt wet.

  Harrison met Kelsey Kay at the entrance of the dock and she was wringing her silver hair out. When he approached she swung her wet, tangled mane at him, trying to get him wet but he deflected it with his hands, saying, “How was it out there?”

  “Fun,” she said. “Your girlfriend is so unbelievably good.”

  “I know,” he said. “You ski?”

  “No, we went on the tube. We watched Taylor rip it up for a bit and KC tried to shake her off but he couldn’t.”

  Over Kelsey Kay’s shoulder he watched as Roxie and Taylor helped Shelby out of the water and up onto the deck, each hoisting her by holding one of her hands. Once safely on the deck, Shelby made like she would throw Taylor into the lake now, but Taylor turned her back to her and hunched her shoulders, yelling, “Don’t, don’t, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Shelby hooked a long forearm around Taylor’s neck like she would choke her but didn’t. Instead, she let go, let Taylor get one full stride ahead of her, arm winding way, way back. Then she hauled off with an open palm slap across Taylor’s ass cheek, the sound so loud and so wet it echoed under the low canopy of the shoreline maples quadruple-fold. It made Taylor’s flesh shake, and she yelped. Her mouth pulled back to a ring, lips peeled in an O over her white teeth. Stevie had come out of the frontward boathouse door at the exact moment and he laughed and pointed. As a coup de grâce, Shelby tugged the string of Taylor’s bikini top with the flare of a magician.

  The turquoise triangles of Taylor’s bikini top slumped and clung loosely to her bosom. Taylor jumped realizing what her friend had done, and both her brown nipples showed for an instant. Now Stevie had seen her bare breasts as well. She screamed, laughing at the same time, clutched the material over her breasts, and trotted out of Shelby’s reach. Kelsey Kay laughed as well and closed the distance between them. Taylor turned her back seeing her coming and hunched forward. Kelsey Kay retied the knot for her. Shelby was keeping her distance, giving Taylor a threatening fist and a mean smile. Taylor shouted at her, “You bitch.” Taylor’s pale ass cheek showed a red hand print.

  Stevie clapped his hands like he was applauding. Then behind Stevie, idling a jet ski out was Colt. He had his sunglasses on and his baseball hat backwards. His tanned face was turned up to see what was happening on the dock. He saw the girls gathered, and he gave a startlingly loud wolf whistle at them. They giggled, and Roxie wagged her bottom at him. He gave her an OK sign. Stevie then joined the four girls and said, “Who wants to go for a jet ski ride?” Shelby threw up her hand like it was a classroom and she had an answer to the question. But s
he didn’t wait to be picked, instead sitting down at the edge of the dock and waving Colt to come over and get her. Stevie said to Taylor, “How about you?”

  Kelsey Kay had waved them off and was returning to the front of the dock. Beyond Kelsey’s shoulder, Harrison could see Taylor turning and giving him a sheepish look. He just watched her.

  Kelsey joined him, standing next to him and watching down the dock. She said to Taylor, “You going?”

  Taylor kind of shrugged, and said, “I don’t know.” She made eye contact with Harrison and he hated that she was confronting him like this. She had to know what he thought given the conversation in the boathouse. He was reluctant to tell her no, just staring at her in disbelief that she would challenge him so soon after they had a good talk. Stevie stood waiting, that body bared and rippling.

  Kelsey Kay said to him quietly, “Are you kidding me? Harrison, let her go.” It was direct and straightforward—and she was right, what kind of guy would stop someone from doing something? That would be a guy who had no pull. No strength in his relationship. And he didn’t want to be like that.

  “Yeah, go,” he said not quite convincingly, but he waved at her shooing her away. It made her beam, and she flashed a smile at him. He couldn’t help it—he smiled back.

  Now he stood with Kelsey and watched as Taylor went side-by-side with Stevie down the five steps to get to the water’s edge. There was a jet ski tied there, and he got on first, waiting for her to join him. It was crazy, watching her go. Watching her go off with another guy and barely wearing anything. From the back it was like she only wore strings. And here she was, long legs extending to get herself onto the jet ski and she clutched against another guy. Pressed her bare and naked body to Stevie’s bare and naked back. She kept her hands on her spread knees. Stevie was a muscular guy, and Taylor was aware—she’d let Rox know exactly what his body was doing to her heart. He didn’t want to let her go off with him, but couldn’t be the kind of guy to stop her. It was harmless, wasn’t it?

  With the jet ski in a low idle, Colt led the way from shore, Shelby clung to his back with her arms hooked around to hold his chest, and then once they were about forty feet from the dock, they opened them up, sending sparkling white rooster tails into the blue sky and darting toward the horizon at full speed. Taylor had put her arms around Stevie as they accelerated and held him like Shelby had held Colt.

  Kelsey nudged him now, and said, “Come on and join me, come and sit with me.” She waved a plastic puck of Skoal at him. Sometimes she liked to chew, especially in the summer, and he would occasionally join her. It was a perfect reason to go and sit at the end of the dock and keep an eye on his girlfriend while she was out with those two good-looking college guys.

  28

  He let Kelsey Kay get ahead of him on the dock and watched her walk. She was shorter than the other girls and had a fuller figure, but she brimmed with confidence. She was curvy and shapely; her bathing suit was nowhere near as revealing as Taylor’s, but she still attracted attention. Her long silvery hair had gone a flat gray color with the wet, and the pink tips had turned a deep rose. She walked along, tossing the puck of chewing tobacco up and down and catching it, sometimes drumming a little beat on its top with the fingers of her other hand. Beside them, KC was in the boat waiting on the next batch of fun-seekers and the deck shuddered under his feet as Riley, Jamie, Cookie, and probably Cisco, maybe even Mikey, trotted up from the beach and onto the decking.

  At the end of the dock, Kelsey Kay sat herself down with her legs hanging over the edge. He joined her, sitting down right next to her so their shoulders touched. The boat began revving as he started to say something and he held the words back, the two of them looking at each other and smiling as twin Volvo motors roared behind them. The boat went in gear, still revving loudly but traveling at slow speed. As it came along next to them they turned to look and saw everyone giving them solemn and blank faces, Cisco in the back hugging the huge inner tube. Before he caught on, he shrugged to them and said, “What?”

  In unison, five people flicked bottle caps at them and he protected Kelsey Kay and put up a hand to cover his eyes. They all laughed and none of the caps hit them. The boat went into action, roaring loudly, hunkering down and shooting off into the depths of the lake with a wet, guttural drone.

  “Assholes,” he said to Kelsey.

  “Tell me about it.”

  She pried open the lid of the puck and Harrison saw that they were prepackaged Bandits because Kelsey Kay was a lady. She plucked one of the pouches, passed it to him and he popped it in his cheek. She did the same.

  It was lively out on the Wolf today. Not just the Brooks’ jet skis and the Brooks’ boats, but many others out there as well. Jet skis zipping along silently on the far shore and big boats out in the middle of the lake. Off to the right-hand side there was some sort of conclave of boats all gathered around in what looked like a ring, some sort of party happening out there. On the left-hand side of their view was a small island maybe almost five-hundred yards away. The house that had been on it burned down maybe ten years ago or so, just before the first year he’d come up here. During a winter, it had burned down when the owner came up with his hunting buddies and somebody fell asleep with a cigarette. Burned the whole thing down to sticks. Nothing had been built in its place yet. The island had a boathouse as well, a big single-bay that looked in need of some serious care. It was left untouched by the fire, and Taylor’s dad told him the owners of the island would never tear it down despite how crooked it might get. You couldn’t build a new boathouse these days what with the updated environmental laws, but old boat houses were grandfathered in. The guy was trying to sell the property and the boathouse would be a great feature.

  Kelsey Kay shielded her eyes from the sun with a saluting hand and squinted at the horizon. He did as well, looking out to see where Taylor was. The jet skis were far and he couldn’t tell which one was which. As long as they were moving he felt pretty good about it. He didn’t like thinking of Taylor’s arms around Stevie. Especially given what she’d written in her text to Roxie. In fact, he would have liked to prevent her from going, and would have if Kelsey Kay hadn’t intervened. Now he was regretting it. He worked his fingertips over his palms, his hands in curled, tense cups.

  Kelsey Kay leaned forward and let out a stream of spit. He followed suit, aiming to project his further.

  He said to her, “Where’s Brady?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Harrison turned and looked back at the beach. Waist-deep in the water, Care Bear and Brady tossed a football back and forth.

  He returned to face the horizon and said, “He’s playing football with that big guy.”

  “That’s good.”

  “You guys okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine. I’m done with him.”

  It made him laugh, and he had to push his tongue up so he wouldn’t swallow the pouch of chewing tobacco. He said, “You’re done with him?”

  “Yeah, he was fun.”

  “But his time’s up?”

  “He gets on my nerves a little.”

  “Everybody gets on your nerves a little. I get on your nerves a little.” He spat out into the water.

  “That’s true, but I don’t fuck you.”

  “Your loss.”

  She laughed, then said, “That’s not what I heard.”

  He knew she was joking, she did it to him all the time, but somehow after all the shit today his defenses were weak and watery and that jab got him right in the bread basket. “What did you hear?” he asked, playing along a little, but curious to see what his question might provoke from her. Curious and worried.

  “Huh?” she turned and looked at him sideways, her brow lowered with meanness.

  “What did she tell you?”

  “Taylor? About you? Nothing. Gross. She started to tell me, I’d stop her.”

  The tension relaxed, and he joked, “Afraid you’d get jealous at what you’re missing?”r />
  “Sure,” she said, and instead of being mean now, she leaned forward and pulled her hair back so she could spit, then with her forearms on her thighs, she regarded him, squinting but smiling. She said, “How are you guys doing?”

  “Me and Taylor? We’re good.” With that said, he peered off to the horizon, his hand shielding the sun.

  “You don’t like seeing her out with those guys ...”

  “You were the one said I should let her go.”

  “You should.”

  “I did.”

  “There’s going to be a lot of guys out in California.”

  He said, “What does that mean?” Now he regarded her and that sick twist had returned below his stomach.

  “You’re going to have to be a cool cucumber, Harrison. You might as well get used to it.”

  “Did she tell you anything?”

  “About what?”

  “I don’t know. About going out there without me. About our relationship.”

  “She said you were going to try to make it work.”

  “Try?”

  Still with that smile, she studied his face for a long time and they said nothing. She blinked and watched him, that smile never faltering. The waves washed to shore and lapped at the supports of the dock below their feet. At last she said, “I did you a favor. Let Taylor go and do what she wants to do. You try to stop Taylor, control Taylor, she’ll run you over. You’re too good to get run over.”

  “She won’t run me over.”

  “She won’t if you’re not standing in her way.”

  “Do you think I’m standing in her way?”

  “No, but it’s like you’re wandering around on the road with your earbuds in and your head down. Look up, look around.”