Everblue

Chapter 26 - Ash

ASH

 

"Get up, Ashlyn," Mom demanded from down the hall. "Hurry or we'll be late for church."

I pried my stubborn eyelids open and removed a wayward fake lash, but didn't leave the sanctuary of my bed. Church was the last place I wanted to go. More than likely, Callahan would be there, along with other kids from my school. I didn't want to face him yet, still dying of embarrassment from the flubbed up kiss.

Within minutes, Mom opened the door and picked up the dirty laundry off the floor. "Didn't you hear me? You need to get ready."

"I'm not going," I said plainly.

"And why not?" Her tone told me she wasn't in the mood for theatrics or sob stories.

"I have cramps," I lied, knowing my period could get me out of anything since she had horrific cramps herself.

"Oh," she said with a softer tone. "I didn't realize. Did you start early?"

A flicker of dread flashed across my body. Did she keep track of my cycle? I wasn't supposed to start until next weekend.

"Must have been all the stress," I mumbled into my pillow, curling into a ball and moaning for effect.

"I'll bring up the Midol," she said quietly and closed the door.

I asked God for forgiveness for my deception, knowing He'd understand. If Dad had come to wake me instead, he'd have accepted my need for solitude, but chances were, he'd already left for the fire station.

Shortly after Mom brought the pills and a heating pad, the family got into the car and left. I exhaled at the sudden quiet. Three peaceful hours all to myself. What would I do first?

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep longer, but couldn't shake the anxiety. If Callahan noticed I wasn't at church, he'd probably call. I wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

I pulled on jeans and my team jacket, deciding a walk far away from my phone would calm my nerves. The cool breeze off the lake tickled the inside of my nose as I sloshed down the soupy path to the water. Memories of playing on the trail with Tatchi before we were old enough to take The Sea Star, our four-seater row boat, to Fannette Island, prompted a desire to visit our secret spot.

Inside the shed, the blue boat leaned against the wall closest to the door. I heaved it down the dock, then grabbed two paddles and looked at the life vests. A big hairy spider had made its home on the edges of the fabric, wigging me out. I shrugged and left the eight-legged beast alone. It wasn't as if I didn't know how to swim.

The paddles glided the boat across the calm deserted waters. Out in the bay, the clarity allowed me to see down into the eerie depths. I bit my lip, thinking about the source of the splash the night before. Was Tessie the one making noise, distracting me from kissing Callahan? I giggled, before the embarrassment hit me again. As if.

Fannette Island was closed to tourism this time of year due to the frigid weather. I made sure the coast was clear before I snuck over to "our" spot. Underneath the ponderosa pines and white firs, I scooped the dirt away from the line of rocks we'd arranged as kids. Somewhere under the sand a plastic Folgers coffee can slept, filled with childhood treasures deep inside. We'd counted twenty steps from the spot to the water. Now, the steps were more like fifteen. The landscape had changed, but I still remembered where we'd hidden it.

The sandy loam made digging the earth easier and I finally hit something hard. With my fingers, I traced the edge of the circular object under the dirt and lifted the can from the ground. The outside wording had faded, but when I pried the duct tape free, the inside was dry as a bone.