The School Car
by
Sheila Lee Brown
Published by Sheila Lee Brown
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 by Sheila Lee Brown
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The School Car
“My great-great grandmother was an Indian.” Carrie said matter-of-factly. By Indian, I knew that she meant Native American, but I didn’t tell her she was wrong. I was too busy watching the fence at the bottom of the hill where two boys had just climbed over and off the school grounds.
“There they go,” I said. The two boys shot across the seventy or so feet of grass on the other side of the fence to peek in and tag the old rusty car that was rooted in vines and other plants at the edge of the forest. They got just close enough to touch the car door before running back to the fence. I glanced around to see if any teachers were nearby. There were none. The boys were back over the fence and safe.
“I said my great-great grandmother was an Indian,” Carrie said, sounding slightly annoyed that I wasn’t impressed.
I really didn’t want to respond to her. Unfortunately, my parents had decided to move during the summer and I had to start sixth grade at a new school with new kids and no friends. Carrie had seemed nice to begin with and she was someone to talk to at school, but more and more often she kept trying to sound like she was better and more interesting than everyone else. After knowing her for a month, I didn’t really believe anything she told me anymore. Besides, I figured that she had only brought this up because a boy had been telling the class about his summer vacation in Cherokee. So, I looked at her and said, “Mine, too.”
Carrie frowned at me. We were standing at the top of the hill, just where the shade from all the pine trees began. The hill was the only shaded area on the school playground, and the cool shadows were welcome on hot days. Before she could say anything else, I headed down the hill towards the two boys. They had joined a group of other boys and were talking quickly, while still trying to catch their breath. Surprisingly, Carrie followed.
“What did you see?” I asked as I neared them. They ignored me. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered to try to talk to them, but I was really curious about what was down there. “Did you even look inside?”
They knew what I was asking about. I had watched several kids run over and touch the car. Most of them never looked inside. I had already heard the stories that someone had been murdered in the car and that there were still blood stains on the back seat. The idea was eerie and fascinating at the same time.
One of the boys, Todd, turned towards me slightly and smiled.
“If you want to know so bad, why don’t you go down there yourself?” he said. The other boys laughed.
“She won’t do it,” one of them said.
“That’s right.” Carrie spoke up. “Because running over and touching an old junk car is something only stupid boys do. Right, Shelby?” She nudged me with her elbow. I didn’t say anything.
“Uh-oh,” Todd said, his expression changed, as if he were looking at me for the first time. “I think she might do it.” The other boys chuckled in disbelief.
“No way,” One said.
“She’s too afraid,” Another one said.
“Shelby?” Carrie said, incredulously.
Todd turned around to completely face me and stared me down.
“I dare you,” he said.
I felt the challenge in his gaze and really knew what I had known all along. Getting secondhand stories wouldn’t be enough. I would have to go down there and find out for myself.
I looked over at the fence and up at the top of the hill. No teachers were in sight and there was enough recess time left for me to get it over and done with.
“Fine,” I said. “Let’s find out what the big deal is.”
I turned away from the group of boys and a clamor that broke out amongst them as I made my way to the fence and began pushing down the wires so I could cross quickly like I had seen so many others do. I heard Carrie’s nervous breathing behind me.
“You’ll get caught,” Carrie said, her voice trembling slightly. When I didn’t respond, she grabbed my shoulder and shook me a little. “I said you’re going to get in trouble.”
“Leave her alone,” Todd said. “She’ll be fine.” He came up beside me and helped me press the fence wires down. “I’ll make the run with you.”
I was a little surprised, but nodded in agreement. I was already starting to get a little frightened at the idea of leaving the school grounds and the possibility of getting into trouble, but I also didn’t want to back down. Knowing someone else would be there settled my nerves a bit. It would be no big deal for Todd. He had made the run several times.
“My friends are watching out for any teachers,” he said.
“I can’t believe you’re going to do this,” Carrie said, and she backed away as if she didn’t want to be associated with us.
“Count of three?” Todd said.
I nodded yes again. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I looked out at the car. The distance seemed to stretch out endlessly before me and my heart was starting to pound as I realized that I had committed myself to doing this.
“One, two, three…go!” Todd whispered loudly. I stopped thinking and moved forward. Todd and I bolted out across the grassy opening towards the car. He was slightly faster than me, but we managed to make it to the car at the same time. I didn’t dare stay out in the open any longer than necessary for fear of being seen and caught, but I had to look inside the car. I couldn’t NOT look.
My glance inside was only a matter of seconds, but it clearly showed me all I needed to see. A rusty metal piece from the car window was lying on the back seat and there were some dirt stains here and there on the fabric, but mostly the car was exactly what it appeared to be – an old junk car on the edge of someone’s property. No blood. No knife.
I pushed myself away from the back door and began pounding my way back to the fence. Todd reached it before me. I crossed the fence shortly after he did. He turned to look at me.
“Now you know,” Todd said and headed up the hill towards his friends.
The school bell rang before I could say anything. Carrie had waited for me to return, but she now looked at me like I was an alien. I walked up the hill and back to class silently, only barely listening to her yammer about how lucky I had been not to get caught.
I was lost in my own thoughts. Part of me agreed with Carrie, that running out there had been risky and there hadn’t really been much to see to make it worth it. But, then another part of me was glad I knew the truth and that I had seen it for myself. That part felt liberated. I flexed that feeling of liberation like a tiny muscle.