Eternal Spring A Young Adult Short Story Collection Read Online Free Page B

your hands
and knees. Then me and Emma will slip under your neck
and get on our hands and knees. And we will all crawl out the door and onto the
porch like giant caterpillar.”
    I could picture it, but I had my doubts. Until this week,
I'd had no idea how hard it was to be one of these slow learners.
    Ian and I got down on our hands and knees. We counted to
three and then he rolled and we carefully maneuvered his neck. Next we did as
Ian had said. I'd never been up close and personal with a giraffe neck before.
    “Okay, Emma,” Ian said from behind me. “Start crawling.”
    We made it outside.
    “Max,” Ian said. “It's going to be really hard to stand up
and support your neck. It works for giraffes because they have a bigger base
and four feet on the ground. You only have two. You push yourself up with your
arms and legs and we'll do the same thing so that your neck can follow along.
Once you are standing, grab me with your arms so I can help steady you and
carry part of your weight.”
    “Okay,” he said.
    “Emma, are you ready?”
    “Ready,” I said, hoping my voice didn't convey my concern.
    “Tell us when, Max, and we'll all count. One, two, and then
go on three.”
    “Okay. I'm ready.”
    “One. Two.”
    “Three,” we all said as we strained to climb to our feet.
    A split second later, and I was free of the neck. I turned
to see Max actually smiling as he hunched over Ian, gripping his chest with
white knuckles. Ian grimaced as he struggled to help with the weight.
    The two of them stumbled down the steps and crawled into the
back of the van in that position. Mrs. L guided Max's head carefully from the
side door, and Ian crawled through and out of the van. Once Max was lying
comfortably on his side in the van, he gave us a thumbs up.
    Ian shut the door, and we waved as Mrs. L drove away.
    “There aren't any windows in the van, you know,” I said. “He
can't see us wave.”
    “Thank God,” Ian said, and he melted onto one of the porch
steps. “How much do you think that neck weighed?”
    “I don't know. A hundred and fifty, maybe two hundred
pounds?” I sat beside him and watched as he rubbed his arms.
    “I was keeping up with my magic but I wasn't lifting
weights.”
    I laughed, and moved behind him to rub his neck and
shoulders. All of it was so natural that it took a moment for me to realize
that I was touching a guy. Massaging a guy. I didn't stop. I made myself keep
kneading his muscles.
    “Thanks, Emma,” he said in a rough voice.
    I was excited, and terrified, and I had stopped breathing in
anticipation of what might happen next.
    Then we heard the shouts from Scott as he ran down the path.
“You did it!” He jogged right up to us, and I dropped my hands in my lap. “I
can't believe you did it.” He high fived Ian and then me. “Get moving, guys,”
he urged. “Everybody's waiting to hear about Max.”
    Ian stood, and held out a hand to me. He gave me the most
adorable look of regret as I stood up too.
    Scott clapped Ian on the back and pulled him along. “What a
nightmare! I didn't know what was going to happen. I did good though, right? I didn't even scream when I saw him.”

 
 
    Ian's popularity among the campers was through the roof, and
I hadn't spent two minutes with him yesterday or today. The longer I went
without seeing him, the more I started to look for him. After our dinner of hot
dogs, I told Sophie to go ahead with the other girls while I waited for Britney
to return from the restroom. When Ian and Scott gathered their group to walk to
the campfire, I found myself following along behind. If Britney hadn't called
out to me as I stepped out the door, I would have left her alone. I would have
forgotten her!
    I covered really well by telling her I was going to wait on
the porch. At least I hadn't hurt her feelings. Still, I had almost made a huge
mistake, and all because of a guy. I had to get my head straight. As Britney
and I skipped down to the lake… What? I