Nothing to Lose
your daddy's boat
Casper and Jatie had finally gotten the nerve to ask the big question.
“Can we take the boat out on the lake? By ourselves?” the blonde-haired teen asked her parents, Casper showing his support by nodding vigorously.
The McClains shared a hidden wink before looking at the teenagers. “We’ll think about it,” Mrs. McClain replied.
Jatie and Casper both nodded and went out to the porch to wait.
“I think they just want to mess with us,” she suggested.
Casper shrugged.
“Maybe?” she asked.
Casper shrugged again.
“Maybe it is,” she stated.
Casper smiled.
“What?”
He shook his head.
“Not even going to let me guess?”
He shook his head again.
“Fine, fine, you win for now.”
The front door opened to reveal the McClains.
“Okay, you can use it-“
“Yes!”
“-but Casper has to drive,” Mr. McClain finished.
Jatie froze in her jumping. “What? Daddy, I only almost hit the dock, like, three times!” she exclaimed.
“Do you want to use it or not, Jathryne?” Mrs. McClain asked.
“Yes, Mother.”
Her dad handed the keys to Casper. “You two have fun and be careful!”
The duo looked at each other before grinning and racing down the stairs of the porch.
“Bet I can beat you to the dock!” Jatie challenged.
Casper smiled and sped up.
The two ran around the house and down the shore to the McClain’s dock.
“I think you’re gonna lose, Cas!” she yelled.
Casper raced past her and onto the dock before she even finished her sentence.
“Damn, Casper,” she panted, sitting on the end of the dock.
Casper grinned as he sat down next to her.
“Fine, fine, you win this one,” she said, turning to smile at him.
Casper chuckled, motioning to the boat.
Jatie nodded and moved to the boat, lifting the swinging door and pushed it open. “I still can’t believe that they’re letting you drive over me!” she exclaimed.
Casper just shook his head and climbed on after her.
“I mean really!” she continued, sitting down in the front end of the boat.
Casper sat in the driver’s seat after closing the door. He turned the key and gently moved the boat out of the dock.
Jatie continued to talk as her conversation morphed into just ramblings of different subjects.
Casper sped up and raced down to an area that was guarded by a bunch of weeping willows that brushed into the boat.
Jatie smiled softly as the boat slowed and wafted through the grove. “You know, I really love weeping willows. They’re so pretty, but so sad at the same time. Does anyone know why they’re so sad? Or was it just a simple observation by some scientist years ago?” she mused, brushing a hand through the leaves.
Casper killed the engine and stood up, moving to stand behind her slightly.
Jatie felt his presence behind her and reached a hand back to grasp one of his inside her own. “You know, they’re a lot like you,” she whispered.
Casper didn’t react. He only placed his chin on her shoulder to watch her movements.
“They have a reason to be sad, but they can’t tell anyone because they have no way of doing so. They have no mouths and yet they have a story to be told,” she continued.
“You have a story to be told too. The difference is that you have a way to tell your story, but refuse to use it. You’ve let me in this far, why not tell me the reason why you’re so sad you won’t speak?” she whispered, turning around to face him.
Casper watched her with apprehensive eyes.
“Cas, we’re eighteen. I’ve known you since preschool, that’s fourteen years worth of friendship. We’re going to college at the end of the summer; could I be privy to your story just once?” she asked softly, looking up into his eyes.
Casper held her gaze until he had to look away.
Jatie sighed, looking down. “I know you probably don’t want to tell me and that I seem rather brash about it, but I just want to under-“
Casper cut her off by placing his lips over hers, silencing her.
Jatie, after the first bout of shock, kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his arms come around her waist as they broke away for a breath.
Casper looked into her eyes once again before he took a deep breath.
A few moments passed before he shook his head and pulled away.
Jatie sighed angrily. “Fine, Casper,” she said. “Let’s go home.”
Casper grabbed her elbow, but lost it.
“Home, Casper. Now.”
He sadly walked to the driver’s seat and drove them back.
Jatie took the keys from him, jumped onto the dock and walked inside.
Casper was left to piece together the puzzle that was his best friend as he walked to his car and left.
It may have taken years to build their friendship, but it took only minutes to destroy the trust they had build.
“Can we take the boat out on the lake? By ourselves?” the blonde-haired teen asked her parents, Casper showing his support by nodding vigorously.
The McClains shared a hidden wink before looking at the teenagers. “We’ll think about it,” Mrs. McClain replied.
Jatie and Casper both nodded and went out to the porch to wait.
“I think they just want to mess with us,” she suggested.
Casper shrugged.
“Maybe?” she asked.
Casper shrugged again.
“Maybe it is,” she stated.
Casper smiled.
“What?”
He shook his head.
“Not even going to let me guess?”
He shook his head again.
“Fine, fine, you win for now.”
The front door opened to reveal the McClains.
“Okay, you can use it-“
“Yes!”
“-but Casper has to drive,” Mr. McClain finished.
Jatie froze in her jumping. “What? Daddy, I only almost hit the dock, like, three times!” she exclaimed.
“Do you want to use it or not, Jathryne?” Mrs. McClain asked.
“Yes, Mother.”
Her dad handed the keys to Casper. “You two have fun and be careful!”
The duo looked at each other before grinning and racing down the stairs of the porch.
“Bet I can beat you to the dock!” Jatie challenged.
Casper smiled and sped up.
The two ran around the house and down the shore to the McClain’s dock.
“I think you’re gonna lose, Cas!” she yelled.
Casper raced past her and onto the dock before she even finished her sentence.
“Damn, Casper,” she panted, sitting on the end of the dock.
Casper grinned as he sat down next to her.
“Fine, fine, you win this one,” she said, turning to smile at him.
Casper chuckled, motioning to the boat.
Jatie nodded and moved to the boat, lifting the swinging door and pushed it open. “I still can’t believe that they’re letting you drive over me!” she exclaimed.
Casper just shook his head and climbed on after her.
“I mean really!” she continued, sitting down in the front end of the boat.
Casper sat in the driver’s seat after closing the door. He turned the key and gently moved the boat out of the dock.
Jatie continued to talk as her conversation morphed into just ramblings of different subjects.
Casper sped up and raced down to an area that was guarded by a bunch of weeping willows that brushed into the boat.
Jatie smiled softly as the boat slowed and wafted through the grove. “You know, I really love weeping willows. They’re so pretty, but so sad at the same time. Does anyone know why they’re so sad? Or was it just a simple observation by some scientist years ago?” she mused, brushing a hand through the leaves.
Casper killed the engine and stood up, moving to stand behind her slightly.
Jatie felt his presence behind her and reached a hand back to grasp one of his inside her own. “You know, they’re a lot like you,” she whispered.
Casper didn’t react. He only placed his chin on her shoulder to watch her movements.
“They have a reason to be sad, but they can’t tell anyone because they have no way of doing so. They have no mouths and yet they have a story to be told,” she continued.
“You have a story to be told too. The difference is that you have a way to tell your story, but refuse to use it. You’ve let me in this far, why not tell me the reason why you’re so sad you won’t speak?” she whispered, turning around to face him.
Casper watched her with apprehensive eyes.
“Cas, we’re eighteen. I’ve known you since preschool, that’s fourteen years worth of friendship. We’re going to college at the end of the summer; could I be privy to your story just once?” she asked softly, looking up into his eyes.
Casper held her gaze until he had to look away.
Jatie sighed, looking down. “I know you probably don’t want to tell me and that I seem rather brash about it, but I just want to under-“
Casper cut her off by placing his lips over hers, silencing her.
Jatie, after the first bout of shock, kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his arms come around her waist as they broke away for a breath.
Casper looked into her eyes once again before he took a deep breath.
A few moments passed before he shook his head and pulled away.
Jatie sighed angrily. “Fine, Casper,” she said. “Let’s go home.”
Casper grabbed her elbow, but lost it.
“Home, Casper. Now.”
He sadly walked to the driver’s seat and drove them back.
Jatie took the keys from him, jumped onto the dock and walked inside.
Casper was left to piece together the puzzle that was his best friend as he walked to his car and left.
It may have taken years to build their friendship, but it took only minutes to destroy the trust they had build.