I went back into the house just as my mom was putting in her earrings, getting set to take another flight first out to Chicago, then back over to Germany. She gave me a look when I was playing my mismatched purple and orange drumsticks on the counter, so I slid them in my back pocket, tapping my fingers instead.
"That song will be in my head all the way to Chicago." She teased, singing a few bars as she finally finding the post with the back of her earring. Changing out your naval pierce was way easier, because you could see what you're doing. I’d gotten a ring over the weekend, and another little bar, this one with a bright pink stone. It wasn’t quite dragonfruit, but I still liked it. The ring was pretty cool too. My mom still hasn't found out about it, but at least now I can say “remember when I didn’t guilt trip you about missing parent’s day?” Maybe that would give me some leverage.
"That’s right, the windy city. You can let me know which is better, the Santa Ana winds or Chicagos. Actually, don’t. I already know Santa Ana wins.” She shot me a smirk this time and went about making sure the oven was turned off, coffee pot was unplugged and all that.
"So what are your plans for the week?" She asked, and I shrugged.
"Throw a wild party, wreck the house. Maybe dig a big hole in the yard, fill it with water and call it a pool."
"Shayne Renee Vaughn...."
"Throw in a fire kid, make it a hot tub, do some skinny dipping." I chuckled, and she flicked my ear. "I dug out my wetsuit and a couple of boards. Weather's been nicer, figure I'll do some skimboarding, body surfing, see if Jared or anyone wants to come with."
"See if the local kooks want to get shacked?" She asked in her best valley girl voice. I groaned, and held up a hand.
"Don't talk surf. No one talks surf. " Once again, I was embarrassed for her. She giggled.
I knew exactly where I'd packed all my stuff, so finding it was pretty easy. I pulled out my short short suit, and my long short, just in case it was cold. I wasn't diehard enough for a short long or a steamer - if it was that cold out, I usually just stayed out of the water.
I had two skimboards, one that I picked up at a garage sale, and one that my mom got me for my birthday one year. I had an old surfboard, a wake board, and a couple of boogie boards. None were brand new, but they were all in great condition. I liked to take care of my stuff. Some had stickers and such, but that was more to make them mine than anything. It’s not like you could just up and paint one some hot colors or anything.
Back home, I wasn't a surfer. I surfed, but I mean, you couldn't really call yourself a surfer unless you were hardcore, and I'm not so much hardcore anything. I do what I like doing. Play a little guitar, beat on the drums, catch a few waves, whatever bubbles, bubbles up.
Skimboarding is different than boogie boarding, which is also fun - boogie board you lie on your stomach and ride waves back to shore. Wake boarding, surprise! Also fun - you get dragged behind a boat on a board, usually on your knees or belly. Skimboarding - basically, you run, throw your board down, then hop on and ride it out, skimming across the surface. You could skimboard near anywhere there was water, we used to go down to this field when it flooded now and again even, but I like it best with a little waves thrown in. What you definitely don't want to do is talk surf, because then you sound like my mom when she's trying to be cool.
I didn’t mention Mr. Edgerton’s homework assignment. The less my mom and I talked about all the meta stuff, the better off we were, I figured. We don’t talk about it much, actually. I mean, I guess me being ‘bright’ - that’s just that it’s normal for her too. Sorta like if I wore glasses, we wouldn’t talk about wearing glasses all the time. To be fair, I didn’t so much talk about her being normal either, so I guess I could rationalize it like that. But Mr. Edge was nagging the back of my brain, and I’d figure out something that week.
The cab beeped out in the driveway. I dragged my feet, pulling my mom’s super heavy rolly bag behind me. She picked up her carry-on, then took a deep breath, pausing to give me a hug.
“I’m going to miss you baby girl.” She said, as I one armed hugged her back. “You want a ride back to campus? I can have the cab swing back that way.”
“I’m gonna stick around here for a bit. You signed the permission slips for summer vacation week, just in case, right?”
“They’re filled out and on the kitchen table. There’s money in your account, but here’s an extra 50, please take a cab back to campus? It’ll be dark soon, and I don’t want you running around at night by yourself. Paragon isn’t Santa Ana.” Truth be told, she used to worry a lot if I was out on my bike after dark back in Santa Ana too - the times that she knew about it. I had to chuckle, because I do the whole light thing, which makes ‘the dark’ way less ominous. Still, she’d flip if she knew I patrolled. Seriously flip. But I nodded anyway, I mean... fifty bucks!
I waved from the front door as she got into the cab. I promised not to use the stove or leave any appliances plugged in when I went back to school. She worries a lot. After the light blue cab pulled out of sight, I went back to the garage to organize my gear. I had until Thursday to figure something out for Mr. Edge, that was plenty of time. After school tomorrow? Skimboarding!
