Skipper's Heartbeat (PRN)

Epilogue

The very last day of summer comes and I guess you can sense the nervousness. Tomorrow, I start my first day of back at school and lord knows what's coming next for me. I'm not ready. I have so many things I've grown accustomed to from this summer that I am not ready to let go of.

"Can you believe it?" I sigh, my legs swing off the dock where we're all swimming. For some reason Morris insisted on driving to Lake Minnetonka. I can't figure out why since it's so overrated. The waters aren't all of that. The lake by my house is way better than this. "We start school in an entire twenty-four!" I shout.

It's roughly around seven o'clock. Two weeks ago, everybody here made the vow to make this the best day ever.

"Stop talking about school before your ass goes gray," Andre laughs from the left side of the dock.

Lauren laugh as well. "Yeah, live in the moment!" She, then, jumps face first into the crystal waters.

I narrow my eyes out of annoyance. Of course that's what she'd say. "Lauren, you don't have to go back to campus for another week! I don't think you can say jack shit," I jokingly holler at her.

Everybody except the oldest ones in our clique will be returning to school. All of us going to a different grade. Lindsey and I going to 11th, Linda going to 12th, practically all of the boys going to 12th, and Lauren's going to start her second year in college. To make matter's a little worse, we all go to two different schools. Me and Lindsey must return to Bingham High while the guys head back to Central High. My cousins are transferring to Central High too. Everybody's going to be Uptown except me!

"Awww, Mo's mad," Chazz laughs swimming closer to the dock. I quickly pull my knees to my chest. I have a gut feeling he's going to try and pull me into the water by my bare ankles.

Prince yells out pulling me into his lap. "Leave my girl alone. She's fine," he defends.

Monae laughs splashing him. "Oh, can it, Skipper!"

My back resting against Prince's bare chest, I wonder what will come next for us. I have a hard time focusing on the future with so much noise and distraction around from our playful ways. "Hey, you think I could make it to college if I keep skating," I ask Prince. My intelligence aside, he knows ice skating has my heart. It's my passion.

"Mo, you can make it to the olympics," he beans.

I look back at him. "You think so?"

"Oh yeah," he laughs with a smile. He's confident in his statement, letting me know that he truly believes what he is saying. "Why?"

I shrug my shoulders, wrapping my arms around his neck, as I confess. "I don't know... Maybe I should try."

And I will.