Jessica watched him and he scrambled to his left to catch sniffed got a cold.” it. “I in third grade,” the boy got to go,” Jessica said, “I’m “I said. watching him wind up for another throw. “Bye.” Jessica brightened. too.” “Me After a moment she asked, The ball again hit the garage “You want to play or something?” door and bounced, but Steven spun around, letting it roll away. He bounced the ball “Naw.” He looked straight at her. “Maybe hard on the driveway, then caught I can come down later.” it on the way down. got to help “I move things in. Mom and Dad Summer went to get donuts somewhere.” She skipped out of the live down there.” She supermarket into the sticky heat “I pointed. blue house. Can of the July afternoon. With “The you come down sometime?” sandals slapping, a single plastic bag dangling from her hand, she don’t know.” “I scurried down the aisle of the Jessica wiped at her nose, parking lot toward her car. She following his play with the ball. kept her head down against the glare of the sun, her long chestnut Steven eyed her sideways. hair falling into her face. look like a boy.” “You Jess.” The voice, low and “Hi, mom likes my hair “My ahead, was that of a young man. short,” she said, sniffling. For a second, his gaze met hers. She jerked her head up, “Your eyes are green,” she blurted. automatically brushing aside her hair. “Steve!” He whirled and “Yeah.” threw at the garage door. The How you doing?” “Hi. tennis ball clunked, bounced, and Steve,” she moaned, “Oh, tugging at her
Jessica watched him and sniffed “I got a cold.” “I’m in third grade,” the boy said. Jessica brightened. “Me too.” After a moment she asked, “You want to play or something?” “Naw.” He bounced the ball hard on the driveway, then caught it on the way down. “I got to help move things in. Mom and Dad went to get donuts somewhere.” “I live down there.” She pointed. “The blue house. Can you come down sometime?” “I don’t know.” Jessica wiped at her nose, following his play with the ball. Steven eyed her sideways. “You look like a boy.” “My mom likes my hair short,” she said, sniffling. For a second, his gaze met hers. “Your eyes are green,” she blurted. “Yeah.” He whirled and threw at the garage door. The tennis ball clunked, bounced, and he scrambled to his left to catch it. “I got to go,” Jessica said, watching him wind up for another throw. “Bye.” The ball again hit the garage door and bounced, but Steven spun around, letting it roll away. He looked straight at her. “Maybe I can come down later.” Summer She skipped out of the supermarket into the sticky heat of the July afternoon. With sandals slapping, a single plastic bag dangling from her hand, she scurried down the aisle of the parking lot toward her car. She kept her head down against the glare of the sun, her long chestnut hair falling into her face. “Hi, Jess.” The voice, low and ahead, was that of a young man. She jerked her head up, automatically brushing aside her hair. “Steve!” “Hi. How you doing?” “Oh, Steve,” she moaned, tugging at her
2015%20Summer%20S&S.docx