The Boy in the Woods (2014 Wattys Winner, Wattpad Version)

Chapter 9 - Don't Be Cruel

The next day, she got up extra early, anxious to go to the cabin. Once she'd eaten the breakfast Annie cooked for her, she took her basket with their lunches and a towel with her bathing suit rolled up in it, and hurried out of the house, grateful that Douglas was sleeping in. When she reached the clearing, she was surprised to see the door already open. Marty had come to the cabin early too, she thought with a smile. She found him seated at the kitchen table, drinking a mug of tea.

"Good morning," she said with a big grin, happy to see him. When he saw her, his eyes lit up before he managed to hide it.

"Hi," he said casually, standing to wash his mug. She knew he liked to keep up the facade that he didn't care whether she came around or not, but she didn't mind.

"Are we going fishing today?" she asked, putting the basket on the counter next to his paper sack.

"I reckon," he said, shrugging his shoulders like he didn't care.

"I'll go change then," she replied, smiling on her way to the bedroom. They'd gone to the pond nearly every day that summer. It was always under the pretense of fishing, but they'd ended up swimming the whole time instead.

With the door closed, she put on her bathing suit. It was a simple yellow-green cotton one, with strings to tie around her neck to keep it up. It didn't bother her to wear it in front of Marty now, but she'd felt self-conscious the first time. She knew she looked like a little kid wearing it and hoped she wasn't doomed to be small and skinny forever. Putting on her dress over the suit, she stepped out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen where Marty was waiting for her.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah."

She got their lunches while he got the fishing pole and they were on their way. When they arrived at the pond, Marty laid the fishing pole on the fallen tree trunk and began unlacing his boots and Jess pulled off her dress. Within seconds they were in the cool water, splashing and chasing each other.

A few hours later, they were taking a break under the willow tree, lying on the grass propped up on their elbows so they could look out at the pond. "I didn't come yesterday because my cousin came home from France," Jess said, lifting her hair off her neck to cool it. She was growing it out so she could wear it in a ponytail and it had reached that annoying middle stage; too short for the ponytail but long enough to make her neck hot. "His name is Douglas," she added, and Marty barked out a laugh.

"I know who your cousin is, Jess," he said.

"You know Douglas?" she asked with shock, sitting up to face him.

"I don't know him, but I know who he is," Marty said easily, looking out at the water. "We go to the same school."

For some reason, Jess found that even more shocking. She'd never imagined Marty going to school like other kids, but of course he would. Just because she only saw him in the woods of her property didn't mean he wasn't a regular boy with a life like everyone else. She laid back, resting on her elbows again.

"I can't wait for school to start," she said. "It's going to be so much fun!" When Marty snorted, she looked over at him. "What was that for?" she asked bemusedly.

"School is never fun," he replied, trying to catch a fly that had landed on his leg and missing.

"Sure it is!"

"Not for me. I hate school." She was stunned.

"Why do you hate school?"

"There's no point to it," he said with a shrug, looking out at the lake again.