WIP Book

Heat Wave

Casey Rodgers stepped off the curb into the street, looking quickly left then right as she crossed the hot bitumen. The weather had turned extremely hot as of late. She looked over at her friend, Michael Taubman; whom everyone just called Mikey. He had beads of sweat forming on his brow, which were slowly melding together to run down his face. Casey knew that if she were to look into a mirror the same could be said for herself. Casey smiled as she looked at her friend again.

He was only an inch taller than she was, but unlike her, he had dark tanned skin and hazel eyes, his black hair was messy, and today was dripping with sweat, usually it would have been light and feathery across his face. His body was thin and lean, not completely muscled up like several of the guys in their grade. Although how it was like this Casey didn’t understand because Mikey ate like a pig and wasn’t into sports or anything that required him to do much more that walk, he was however extremely book smart, always first in class.

Casey reflected on her own image, orange hair to her waist, pulled up into two plaits, underneath a worn baseball cap. Casey’s eyes were her favorite features, a pale grey that almost seemed to sparkle as though they were silver. Her skin was pale and she burnt easily, but her body was toned and athletic, she was head cheerleader for their grade.

Wiping a hand across her forehead she felt the salty sweat tingle on the back of it. The street was almost devoid of people, everyone was huddled indoors in front of their air conditioners. Only those brave enough to venture out to the shops and, of course, the kids on their way to the local pool were outside in the heat. The two friends stopped dead in their tracks in front of the gates, letting out loud groans. “Oh no…” there was already a group of kids standing in front of the pool gates?

“What does it say Scott?” someone yelled from across the other side of the group. All eyes were on a taller boy standing at the front of the queue. He scanned the note, his face souring as he read it, or it could have been the heat, Casey thought to herself as she and Mikey caught each others eyes. He just shook his head sadly, already knowing that it was going to be bad news. Scott shook his head like Mikey had done then lifted it to face the group.

“Narquet public pool is closed until further notice. With the recent heat wave the health and safety of all participants has become an extreme concern and as per the councils request the pool has been closed. However the air conditioned shops will still be open to the public. Please stay cool and in the shade. Thank you for your understanding. The Narquet pool staff.” Scott’s speech was met with boos and hisses. “Looks like we’re going to have to head indoors everyone.” More jeers followed as the crowd slowly dispersed.

“Hey Mikey! Casey! How’s it going? Sucks about the pool doesn’t it. I guess we could go down to the old swimming hole. I know it’s a bit of a walk but the shade around the water’s edge will definitely be welcoming.” Casey laughed as Sharon Gooch talked at them. She was considerably shorter than the two of them, to look at her one would think she was a shy bookworm that spent her time in the library cause she wore thick pink rimmed glasses that accented her bright green eyes, but instead she headed the female hockey team. She usually wore her short brunette hair down, letting it skim her shoulders, but today was too hot to do that, so instead it was in a high ponytail.

“Hey guys!” Matthew Carrey pushed his way through a group of giggling girls, seeing easily over their heads. No one ever called him by his first name, ever since he was little people had said that he looked like a young Jim Carrey so came his nickname Jim, and by coincidence his last name was the same, which always made it that much funnier to outsiders. His brown hair and eyes made it all the more convincing, especially when he hadn’t cut it for a while. Standing next to Mikey the three inches in height made a difference; Jim was on the basketball team, along with all the other tall boys in the grade.

Finally the last one to push their way to the group was Scott Clifton, who stood just shy of a foot taller than Jim. “Bad news, hey?” He said, flashing his killer smile to the other four. This boy was, without a doubt on the basketball team, his sun-bleached blonde hair and blue eyes made all the girls fawn over him, and because he was named the captain of the basketball team he was that much more wanted, but his sights were set on only one girl, Sharon, who repeatedly beat him down and told him no. He swung a sweaty arm around Sharon’s shoulders.

“Eugh! Get off! It’s too hot to have you hanging off me.” Her hockey training gave her quite a strong arm as she swatted at Scott’s hand, Casey watched as red marks immediately welted across his skin. She inwardly shook her head at the two. Being the only two girls they talked about so much. Casey knew that Sharon did, indeed like Scott but didn’t want date him for fear of ruining their relationship, and splitting their group if something went wrong. Scott didn’t seem to understand or didn’t seem to think that anything like that would ever happen to them. “So shall we go then?” her question was answered by nods, from everyone, and Mikey threw in a groan about the hike to their destination.