Cru
Last night we were told that we’d be getting a new roommate. We were informed that his name was Jay Miles and would be in the swim camp with me. He was sixteen and I’d seen his time for the 200yd butterfly, and it was faster than mine. New kids to the camp will normally try to hang out with other kids from their camp. So, knowing how other people who are new to this stuff will cling, I assume that Jay will too, and I don’t feel like having a puppy follow me around. My plan, stay out of the dorm and let Jacob, Echo, and Kaelan tell Jay about me.
I quickly jump into the shower. I emerge from the bathroom five minutes later. The second I walk out I turn and go back into the bathroom and take down the towel I hung on the mirror. As I do so, I see a little bit of my reflection. Not enough to send me down memory lane again, but enough that I almost start spiraling. “What are you doing?” Echo asks walking up behind me.
“Just picking up my towel.” I respond gesturing to it.
“Cru, you forget that I remember how you were back at the beginning of eighth grade. How you were in seventh, sixth, fifth, and fourth grade. You were kind, funny, you smiled, you laughed, you were happy. When I came out to you in fourth grade you were happy for me. You were someone I could talk to and trust. You weren’t cold, you weren’t detached, you weren’t like this!” Echo says yelling at me now.
“You want to know what happened to me? Why don’t you ask your brother! Grayson knows what happened to me! While you went to a different daycare Grayson all but killed me!” I yell back. Yes Echo is Grayson’s brother, and he looks so much like him. Echo’s mother changed his last name, Hoult, to her maiden one Rivers. She tried to do the same with Grayson but he refused saying he liked his name and wouldn’t change it because of his father.
As I storm out of the dorm I grab my jacket and car keys. As I close the door I hear Echo call a number and hear the line click and Grayson’s voice. I hear Echo hiss, “What did you do to Cru?”
As it turned out I didn’t leave the campos but I did walk to a quieter area beneath a weeping willow tree. This spot was behind the main buildings and away from any of the camp areas. Surprisingly no one was there. When I sat down I let myself fall into another one of my memories from the beginning of sophomore year.
One year ago.
“Rivers and Holloway.” Mr. Thorn called out for the group art project. I turn around to see who my partner is. Echo stands up and looks at me questioningly then asked. “Do you know who Holloway is?”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Hi I’m Holloway, though, most people call me Cru, Echo.”
“Hi Cru, I’m glad the person I trust most in this class is my partner for the first group project.” Echo says laughing.
“I know that’s what I was thinking. Isn’t it weird though that we didn’t really know each other’s last name?” I ask them.
“A little bit. Do you want to come over after school to work on it?” Echo asks me.
“Yeah, why not.” I say.
After school I met Echo at the huge oak tree in the front lawn. As we start walking Echo mentions that they have a brother offhandedly. I didn’t think much about it until we got to their house. When we entered there was a boy sitting at the table. When he started to turn towards the door Echo called out. “Hey Grayson, I have my friend Cru over to work on an art project.” His brother freezes at the same time I do, our names sinking in.
As Grayson finally finished turning around he smirked at me. The same smirk that used to make me weak in the knees. All I feel now is nausea and old ghost crawling out of the waves from the ocean that make up my mind, trying to pull me down into the cave I created for anything Grayson related. “ Long time no see Cru.” Grayson says in his perfect voice, his perfectly shaped lips forming the words perfectly. The entire time I remain quiet, not responding to him.
“Anyway, Cru and I are going to go up to my room and work on our project.” Echo says after an awkward pause. As we walk up the stairs I can feel them looking at me with curiosity. I don’t meet their eyes. I finish my portion of the project quickly setting it up how it’s supposed to be. While I finished quickly my work was impeccable. I excuse myself and run home before Grayson can try to corner me.
Now
When I look up there’s a figure standing about ten feet away. A boy with long brown hair cropped close on the sides and long in the front falling into his eyes, which are such a deep grey they’re almost black. I quickly realize that I’d been crying and wipe the tears away angrily. I tilt my head up and examine the branches of the weeping willow. When I look back he’s gone.
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