Page 31 of Unsupervised
“Shh, we’re missing the show,” Serena says, pointing her phone at Marty as the firemen surround him.
A fireman kneels in front of him, and another lifts him until he’s draped over the kneeling one’s shoulder. While one holds him, the other tries to pull the swing off.
Marty lets out a squeal. “Ah! No! My nut’s caught!”
Laughter rattles around us, and I look around to see neighbors sitting out in lawn chairs and on porches at every apartment that has a view of the park. The ones from farther down the street have gathered at the park fence to watch.
“Don’t break the swing!” Dillon calls, one of the little boys who live on the other end of the circle. It draws laughter again.
I’m not close enough to see exactly what the firefighters are doing, but it looks like they’re greasing him up with something. Whatever it is works. The next time they pull him, he slides out of the swing, and the fireman sets him on his feet.
A cheer and applause go up from all around us. It makes me laugh until I have tears in my eyes. This neighborhood is weird, but damned if it doesn’t grow on you. Gavin, our neighbor from a few doors down, and his teenage niece, Penny, walk up to the firemen, offering them some cold drinks. It’s nighttime, but the heat has hung on.
The firemen pack up and head to their trucks while Marty makes his way over to us.
“Well, that sucked.”
“What the hell were you doing?” Remee asks.
“Owen bet me I couldn’t,” he says with a shrug, as if that explains everything.
“Are you hurt?” Zara asks.
He grins at her. “It’s nothing a blow job wouldn’t cure.”
I can’t believe he’s seriously standing there, with whatever goop they lubed him up with still shining on his shorts, hitting on her. He has no shame.
Zara isn’t fazed. “Where are you going to find a dick to suck on such short notice?”
“Not it,” Owen says, laying his finger on the side of his nose.
* * *
I’m awake before my alarm. Groaning, I roll over and stare at the ceiling. I have class today. And Adulting Club. It’ll be the first time I see Mr. Aldrich since I kissed him. He canceled his piano lessons last night. The thought still sends a wave of sadness and regret through me. I shouldn’t have done it.
Now, I have to face him again. My plan is to be as mature and adult as possible about it. Just act like nothing happened, attend class and Adulting Club like usual. It’ll be fine.
Zara stands at the stove when I sit at the kitchen table. “I’m making some scrambled eggs. Want some?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
While she cooks, I put us both some bread into the toaster—that’s something I can’t screw up—and pour us both a glass of juice. I’m just putting the bowl of sliced melon on the table when she sets a plate of eggs in front of me.
As we eat, I check my student email.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, seeing my frown.
“I’m not exactly nailing this school thing.” My music grade is fine. We haven’t done much in there that can be graded. English isn’t terrible, it’s passing at least, as is geography, but I failed the econ quiz. Maybe because I spend his classes zoned out thinking about him naked. I can’t imagine that’s going to get much better now that I know what it feels like to kiss him.
“It’s early in the year. I’m sure you just need to adjust. Maybe you should find a tutor?” Zara suggests.
“It’s not that I don’t understand the work. It’s a matter of…motivation. I’m a lazy bitch.” I rest my head in my hands.
“Kelly, I watch you juggle work, school, and now volunteering at a retirement home. All without a car. You rarely even let any of us give you a ride. You’re gone all day on that bike most days. You aren’t lazy.”
“I failed my econ quiz.”
“Oh, well, I take it back. If you failed a quiz, I’m not sure how you can even look at yourself in a mirror. Seriously, how do you even sleep at night?”