by Geof Johnson
Again, she pointed to his hand.
He leaned forward and whispered, “Beat it, Kid.” As Fred turned away he announced, “She’s cute, but clueless. Could I get another volunteer?”
Fred returned to Jamie’s side. Her face was red and her eyes narrow. She growled in Jamie’s ear, “Get him.”
Jamie raised his hand and stepped forward.
The magician held his arms out. “Ah, a handsome young fellow. Perhaps you’ll understand directions.” He placed the ball under one of the cups and moved them around again. “Which cup is it under?”
“It’s in your pants.”
The crowd laughed.
“Is stupidity contagious?” the magician asked. “I said, which cup?”
“It’s in your pants. Your right pants pocket. Look for yourself.”
The magician turned his back to the crowd and opened his right hand, and seeing it empty, he felt in his pocket.
His eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed. “How did you do that?” he said quietly.
“It’s magic.” Jamie winked at him and turned away. Carl stepped forward and dropped a dollar in the hat on the ground.
As they walked away, Lisa said, “That was great! You kids certainly got his goat.”
“You shouldn’t mess with the master, right Jamie?” Larry grinned.
“I’d still like to know how you do that,” Carl said.
Jamie looked at him but didn’t respond.
“Yeah, I know. Can’t tell.”
They toured the gift shops, but Fred had trouble deciding what to get. The tried a store on a side street, and after a few minutes, she squealed, “Mom, look!”
Lisa joined her. “Oh, those earrings look like the little glass fairy that Jamie got you.”
“Can I get them? Please?”
Lisa looked at the price tag. “If that’s what you want.”
“Oh, yes. They’re perfect.” Fred beamed.
* * *
That night, Jamie and Fred lay in the hammock together, looking for shooting stars, while their parents sat around the table on the terrace upstairs, the dinner dishes still not cleared away.
“Good job on the steaks, guys,” Lisa said.
Larry patted his stomach. “That was good, if I do say so myself. A nice end to a nice day.”
“I think my favorite part of today was when Jamie and Fred humiliated that jerky magician.”
“That was good.” Carl put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “What I don’t get, though, is how Jamie does it. I’ve watched a bunch of videos with him of other magicians doing some incredible things, but those guys are older. I don’t see how a kid his age can pull off those stunts.”
“He practices all the time,” Rachel said. “He should be good.”
“Yeah, but that good? It’s just amazing.”
“Remember how you always say he was a miracle baby?” Lisa said. “Maybe he’s growing up to be a miracle boy.”
* * *
Fred held her new earrings as she and Jamie lay in the hammock. “I love these. They look just like the Dream Fairy you gave me.”
“You call it the Dream Fairy?” Jamie said.
“Mm-hmm. My mom told me about her. She said your mom told her.”
“My mom used to tell me that story all the time to get me to go to sleep.” He looked at the earrings. “Let me show you something cool.” He glanced up at the terrace to make sure their parents weren’t watching. He touched each earring and they began to glow.
“What if our parents see?” Fred said.
“We’ll say they’re lightning bugs.” He touched them again and they seemed to come alive, spreading their arms as their wings fluttered.
“Oh!” Fred gasped. The two little glowing fairies rose from her hand and circled over them.
Jamie spun one finger. “The Dream Fairy comes into your room, and when she’s sure your eyes are closed, circles your bed a couple of times.” The fairies swooped down near Fred’s face.
“Then, after she sprinkles dream dust on you, she kisses you.” One fairy went to Fred’s left cheek and the other went to her right.
Fred giggled. “That tickles. What are they doing?”
“They’re kissing you.”
Then the fairies hovered over Fred. “Hold out your hands,” Jamie said.
The fairies slowly descended into Fred’s palms, did a little curtsey, winked out, and fell over as they turned back into ordinary glass.
“Oh, wow,” Fred said.
“Are you kids all right?” Jamie’s mother called from the terrace.
“Yes ma’am, we’re fine,” Jamie said.
“Are those lightning bugs?”
“Yes ma’am,” Fred said. “Aren’t they beautiful?” Fred smiled and clutched the earrings to her face.
* * *
The next morning, Jamie and Fred were back on the beach, building a sand castle. Jamie dumped a bucket load on top. Fred said, “Not there. It needs to go on the other side.”
“You’re being bossy.”
“No I’m not. I’m just giving you some direction.”
“Same thing. Bossy direction.”
“No, it’s….” Fred looked up. “Your mom’s waving at us from the walkway. I think it’s time for lunch.” They stood and brushed themselves off and started walking toward the house.
“Ow,” Fred said. “The shells hurt my feet.”
“Want a piggy back ride?”
“You can’t carry me that far.”
“Sure I can. Hop on.”
Fred hopped on his back, but Jamie said, “Oof,” and stumbled a few steps.
Fred slid off his back. “Told ya.”
Jamie looked around to make sure no one could hear him. “Hop back on, and I’ll use magic to make you really light. Then I can run.”
“Okay, that’ll be fun.” Fred jumped on his back again.
Jamie closed his eyes for a moment.
“Whoa, that feels weird” But she was grinning.
“I can barely feel you,” he said. “Let’s go!” Jamie sprinted toward the house.
Fred squealed with delight. “Giddy up, horsey!”
With Fred’s weight reduced to almost nothing, Jamie was able to run at nearly full speed all the way while Fred screamed deliriously. When they were only a few yards from the walk, Jamie stumbled in the soft sand and they fell forward, rolling and laughing.
“That was awesome!” Fred said.
Near the walkway stood an old woman wearing a big floppy beach hat, smiling at them and holding a little white dog on a leash.
Jamie brushed himself off. “We forgot the shovels and stuff. You rinse off in the shower and I’ll go back and get them.”
Fred headed up the walkway while Jamie jogged back. The old woman was still there when he returned. “Your girlfriend is so pretty,” she said.
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just my friend.”
The woman smiled at him wistfully. “My husband and I used to do that. He gave me piggyback rides, long ago, when we were first married. Right here on this beach. We had so much fun.”
“Where is he now?”
“He passed away a few years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“No need to be, but thank you.” She looked at him for several moments before saying, “These days are very precious. Don’t take them for granted.”
Jamie felt awkward. “Okay, I mean, yes ma’am.”
* * *
That night, their last at Ponte Vedra, Lisa helped Fred get settled in her bed.
“Jamie still thinks I’m bossy,” Fred said.
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Imagine that. What brought that on?”
“We were making a sand castle and he wasn’t doing it right so I told him how to do it better.”
“Sounds bossy to me.”
“I don’t want him, I mean, people, to think I’m bossy.”
“Honey, you don’t have to be that way
. You can change if you really want to. You just have to work at it.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“A good way to start is to try listening to yourself once in a while. Ask yourself: Did I just say something bossy? How could I have said it in a nicer way, as a suggestion instead? If somebody said that to me, would it make me mad?”
Fred thought for a moment. “That’s kinda like the Golden Rule.”
“Yes, I guess it is. Don’t be bossy to others if you don’t like them being bossy to you.” She rubbed Fred’s hair. “Only we’ll call it the Red Rule.”
“Funny, Mom.”
“At least you’re aware of the problem. That’s better than some people.”
“Jamie’s Gramma says that the first step in solving a problem is realizing that you have one.”
“Well, there you go.” She kissed Fred goodnight. “You’re already on your way.”
I hope so, Fred thought.
Chapter 33
“Mom, have you seen my phone?” Rachel asked.
“It’s on the kitchen counter. Where are the boys?”
“They’re already in the van.”
“Jamie told me Fred’s sick. What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s not really sick. She started her period, and she’s a little embarrassed about going to a pool party.”
“Poor Fred. I remember going through that.”
“Okay, got my phone.” Rachel picked up her purse and opened the door to the garage. “I’ll be right back, but the boys won’t be home ’till later. They’re having burgers at Bryce’s party.”
“Shouldn’t they be taking a gift or something?”
“No, Mom. It’s a back-to-school party. Just a bunch of twelve year olds doing whatever twelve year olds do these days.”
“Are you staying?”
“Gosh no. Jamie would rather die than have his mother at a party with him.”
“That’s ironic. When they’re little, they don’t want you to leave, and when they’re bigger, they don’t want you to stay.”
* * *
Jamie and Rollie walked up the driveway as Jamie’s mother drove away. They wore tee shirts over their bathing suits, their flip flops slapping on the concrete.
“Nice place.” Rollie look up at the large red brick house with the sweeping, well landscaped front lawn.
“Bryce’s dad is a doctor.” Jamie pointed to the open side gate. “I think we’re supposed to go in here.” Music and voices drifted from beyond.
Walking into the back yard was like walking into a carnival. Dozens of kids were in the large pool, or standing around on the expansive brick patio that surrounded it. Music blasted from somewhere, and colorful paper lanterns and other decorations were strung between the trees.
Bryce saw them and walked up to welcome them. “Hey guys, thanks for coming. Drinks are in the cooler by the grill, and the burgers will be done soon. Lots of snacks on the table there,” — he pointed near the house where a bunch of kids had congregated — “and the game room is this way.”
He led them to an open door at the back of the house where the music seemed to be coming from. “In here we have a pool table, ping pong, foosball, video games, pinball machine, and some other stuff.” The basement game room was swarming with kids playing games, sitting on stools, or talking in little groups.
“Nice game room, Bryce,” Jamie said.
“Thanks. You guys have fun.” He walked off.
Jamie looked around. “Looks like everybody from seventh grade is here.”
Rollie grimaced. “Oh man, Tanisha’s here.”
Tanisha was Rollie’s first crush. Jamie could tell, even though Rollie wouldn’t admit it, because Rollie always got that look on his face when he talked about her.
“Don’t look now,” Rollie said, “but Betsy’s here, too.”
“Oh, great.” Jamie turned around and pretended to be interested in the foosball game.
“Too late, she saw you. She’s coming this way.”
“Hide me.”
“Hi Jamie. Hi Rollie,” came a girl’s voice from behind him.
Jamie turned. “Oh, hi Betsy.”
“Where’s Fred?”
“She’s sick.”
“Oh. Are you here with anybody?”
Jamie patted Rollie on the shoulder. “Rollie’s my date. We’re gay.”
“Hey!” Rollie said. “No we’re not.”
“Well,” Betsy continued, “a few kids have started dancing by the pool. Do you want to dance?”
“I’m a terrible dancer,” Jamie said.
“I’m not good, either,” she said. “I just thought that, well, you know….”
“We’re gonna play foosball in a minute. Maybe later.”
“Okay.” She walked off, her eyes lingering on Jamie as she left.
“Dude,” Rollie said. “That was weak. Now she’s expecting you to dance with her, and if you don’t, you’re gonna hurt her feelings. You need to be more…oh crud, Tanisha’s walking this way.”
Jamie looked to see Rollie’s heartthrob walking in their direction with a couple of other girls.
“Hey Rollie. Hey Jamie,” she said as they walked by.
“Hey Tanisha,” Jamie said. “Nice to see you.”
Rollie stood there stupefied until she was out of earshot.
Jamie poked Rollie’s arm. “Hey, nice going, Romeo. Real smooth.”
“I couldn’t help it. I don’t know what to say.”
“How about Hello Tanisha. You look nice today, or something like that. You stood there like a stump.”
“I wish I had Rufus with me.” Rollie crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “I could let the dummy do the talking for me.”
“What about a sock puppet?”
“We’re not wearing socks.”
“I bet Bryce has one. I’ll go ask.” Jamie left Rollie in the game room for a minute and returned with Bryce.
“What kind of sock?” Bryce asked. “How about one of my sister’s soccer socks?”
Rollie shrugged.
Bryce led them through the game room to a door on the far wall. He opened it and said, “This is the laundry room. My mom keeps a basket of unmatched socks and stuff in here.” He flipped the light on and pulled a basket off a shelf. “Here. How about this blue one?” He held up a sock.
“It’s okay,” Rollie said. “Can I use this green and white striped one?”
“Yeah. That’s one ugly sock.”
Jamie had an idea. “How about buttons for eyes? My Gramma puts random buttons on a shelf by the dryer. They fall off in the wash.”
“Like this?” Bryce picked up a handful of stray buttons. “You probably won’t find a match, though.”
Rollie picked out a couple of button. “Good enough. One black, one blue.”
“You guys close the laundry room door when you’re done.” Bryce left.
Rollie slipped the sock over his hand. “This’ll do okay. How ya gonna get the eyes on?”
“Hold the sock still.” Jamie placed a button where an eye should be. Then he focused his will on the threads of the sock underneath the button, urging a few to wiggle loose and push upward through the holes in the button. The threads from each hole intertwined, pulled tight, and fixed the button to the sock.
Rollie gave it a little tug and nodded. “It’s tight. Do the other one.”
Jamie held the button in front of him. “You know, for a guy who was scared of magic, you don’t seem to mind taking advantage of it right now.”
“Yeah, well, that was then. Will you please put the stupid button on?”
Jamie placed the other button on and repeated the procedure. After Rollie checked it, Jamie said, “How about a nose?” He pulled a red sock from the basket. “A red nose.” He willed a thread to unravel from the end of the sock, and when it was long enough, snapped it free.
Rollie pointed to a spot on the end of the sock and Jamie dangled the thread over it so that the e
nd touched the spot. Then he willed it to burrow into the sock and he let go. The red thread stitched itself into a lump, the loose end gradually disappearing into the sock, like a worm tunneling into the ground, until none was left.
“How about a red tongue? I can make a tongue out of the same thread.”
Rollie fixed a grin, moved his hand in the puppet, and said without moving his lips, “This is fine. We’ve been in here long enough. People might think we really are gay.”
Jamie laughed and opened the laundry room door.
They walked through the game room and Rollie stopped to do a little ventriloquism for the various groups of kids gathered around the games.
“I like this little puppet,” Rollie said, as they walked through the door to the back yard. “It’s so ugly, it’s cool.”
“Tanisha’s over by the pool,” Jamie said, and they continued the wandering ventriloquism show across the yard, stopping here and there for a joke or two.
When they got to the pool, Rollie said, “Let’s stop here. This is a good spot.” There were eight or ten kids nearby, and when Rollie launched into his routine, he instantly had their attention. They circled around him and he put on his show. Jamie saw Tanisha and her friends come closer to watch.
He’s got it under control. Maybe I can get a burger now.
Jamie went to the grill, got a paper plate, and loaded it up with food. With Rollie drawing a crowd, one of the stone benches by the pool became empty, and Jamie took advantage of it. He plopped down, put his plate in his lap, raised his burger to his mouth and heard, “Hi Jamie.” It was Betsy, holding a plate of food. “May I sit here?”
“Oh. Okay.” Dang. Bad time for Rollie to be gone.
“These hamburgers smell very good, don’t they?”
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Taste good, too.”
They ate in awkward silence for a few moments before she said, “Are you still going to dance with me?”
“Um, sure. How about now?” While everybody’s watching Rollie.
* * *
Fred went to church the next day and sat with her family in their usual pew, the same one as Jamie’s family. Jamie was only a few feet away from her, but she couldn’t bear to look at him.
How could he? She had heard everything. How he talked to Betsy, ate with her, and worst of all, danced with her. He’s never danced with me, but he danced with Betsy.