Hanging Stars On Big Willow Creek: A Novel

by Sarah Hill

  Maysen stood frozen in the middle of the road with his mouth open.

  Turning away from him, Rylie let out a big sigh and started walking up the road again.

  “Rylie! Hey, Rylie, wait!” Maysen shouted, running after her.

  She kept walking, but looked over at him as he caught up to her and said, “I’m sorry. I just don’t want school being any worse for me than it already is.”

  “No. I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve never talked to you and here I am acting like we’re best friends,” he said, his forehead creasing. “Look, I promise to talk to you at school, okay? And if we cut up some frogs, you can be my partner and I’ll do all the work.”

  Rylie struggled to keep from smiling but her lips wouldn’t listen to her brain. She looked over at him and laughed.

  They’d made it to the bus stop when Maysen stuck his hand out in front of him and said, “Friends?”

  Rylie could see the bus lights in the distance and knew it would be there to pick them up in minutes. “Friends,” she said, taking his hand and shaking it.

  Maysen surprised Rylie even more when he sat next to her instead of his usual group of friends. Looking over at him as her stomach flipped, she asked, “What are you doing?”

  “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

  Rylie turned, looking past Maysen to the area his friends were sitting, bug-eyed. “Aren’t you scared they’ll get mad?”

  Maysen followed her gaze and looked over at his friends. Waving at them he shouted over the noise of the conversations going on around them. “Hey guys! Wait for me when we get to school and we can all walk in together.” A few shrugged and gave him unenthusiastic waves before going back to whatever they’d been talking about.

  “You don’t have to talk to me in front of your friends.” Rylie felt fear bubbling up in her stomach. The looks his friends gave her let her know she was going to pay for this trespass.

  Maysen turned in their seat to face her, squaring his shoulders he said, “If we’re going to be friends, it includes talking in public. If we hide it when we’re around other people, then it’s not real. You just got mad at me because you thought I would ignore you at school.”

  “I meant maybe say hi in the hallways or at recess every once in a while. I didn’t mean you had to sit with me on the bus. Your friends aren’t happy about it and I don’t want them picking on me anymore than they already do,” she whispered, as she shot a sideways glance in their direction.

  Maysen laughed. “Rylie Skeet, I am going to prove to you that I’m a good friend, even if it kills me.”

  “Easy for you to say. They don’t pick on you.” Rylie folded her arms across her chest and looked out the window.

  “They won’t pick on you anymore. I’ll make sure of that,” Maysen said, pulling on a pigtail and adding, “I’m sorry for not stopping them before now.”

  Rylie looked over at him with a frown and said, “This is so weird.”

  “What is?”

  “This. You talking to me. Nobody talks to me.”

  Maysen smiled and placed his hands behind his head and leaning back as if he were relaxing and said, “Get used to it. We’re friends now and everyone is going to know it.”

  Rylie couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. “Thank you.”

  Maysen sat up straight and asked, “Do you write stories?”

  “What?” she asked with a frown, the change of subject catching her off guard.

  “You said you want to be a writer. I was just wondering if you’ve written any stories.”

  “Just little stories, nothing real,” she said, leaning forward to pick at a tear in the back of the seat in front of her.

  “Can I read them?”

  Leaning away, Rylie looked over at him, a crease deepening between her eyes.

  “I told you I like to read,” he said, ignoring the look she was giving him.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because,” she said, her voice trailing off.

  “You can’t even think of a good reason.”

  “I don’t know you. I’m not going to let you read my stories. You’ll laugh at me.”

  “I won’t unless they’re funny stories, but then I’d be laughing at the story, not you.”

  “They aren’t funny.”

  “Okay, then no laughing.”

  Rylie narrowed her eyes as she looked him over. She wanted to trust him so badly, but he’d never wanted to be her friend before now. She just couldn’t trust him yet. Shaking her head, she repeated, “No.”

  Allowing his shoulders to sag with defeat, Maysen nodded in slow motion as he studied her face. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Okay. You’re going to let me read your stories one day, Rylie. I just have to prove I’m your friend first.”

  Not wanting to smile again she turned to look out the window. The excitement growing inside her felt so unnatural and she didn’t know how to act. No one had ever wanted to be her friend before and now the boy she’d always had a bit of a crush on wanted to be her first one. She wasn’t even sure how to be a friend, let alone friends with a boy.

  Rylie’s first day of fifth grade had her feeling as if she were walking through a dream. Maysen had not only picked a desk beside hers in Mr. Park’s class, but had also included her in recess and asked her to sit at his table with his friends at lunch. It felt a little robotic at first. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to act, but by the end of the day she’d let go of some of the unease and allowed herself to relax. Maysen’s friends seemed to tolerate her presence, but they didn’t talk to her unless pulled in by Maysen. Even then, they only gave short answers or grunts.

  Maysen rode the bus home with his friends, leaving Rylie the space she needed to try and make sense of the day. The only friend she had ever had was Del and even that was new to her. For the first time, she hadn’t had a moment to herself and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Maysen’s attempt at friendship had seemed exciting at first, but as the day progressed, she felt like he was pushing her on his friends who didn’t seem at all interested. The girls, Rebecca in particular, made sure Rylie knew they weren’t happy she’d joined their group. Rylie caught them glaring at her or rolling their eyes when Maysen wasn’t paying attention. Rebecca even passed a note to her during silent reading that said, still trailer trash with a poorly drawn picture of a trailer surrounded by dead trees and plants. Rylie crumpled it up and continued her reading as if it had no effect on her. It did of course, but she wasn’t going to let them see it.

  When the last of his friends were dropped at their bus stops and the two of them were the only ones left on the bus, Maysen joined Rylie. “Did you enjoy your first day?” he asked, a big smile plastered across his face.

  Rylie nodded, forcing a smile.

  “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be a little more excited.”

  “It was a good day. You were right about Mr. Park, he’s really nice.”

  The smile faded from Maysen’s face. “He’s the best. What was your favorite part?”

  “Reading of course,” she said with a shrug.

  “It was a good chapter, should be a good book.” Maysen was still looking at her as if she had something growing from her forehead. “Did you like making new friends?”

  “Friends? They aren’t my friends, Maysen. They’re yours.”

  “They’re yours now too.”

  Rylie shook her head. “They’re not my friends just because you want them to be.”

  “You don’t like them?”

  “They don’t like me. You were just too busy wanting them to, you didn’t notice. I’m still the gross, little poor girl who lives in a trailer to them.”

  The wind went out of Maysen’s sails as he sat back against the seat and stared down at his lap.

  Guilt filled Rylie’s stomach. “I’m sorry I’m not the person you want me to be to them.”

  “Don’t apologize for s
omething you can’t control,” he muttered.

  “I liked hanging out with you though. It was fun to be surrounded by other kids. Thank you for showing me what it feels like to have friends.” She leaned forward so she was in his line of sight. “We don’t have to hang out all the time to be friends, you know.”

  Maysen’s eyes shifted their focus to her. “I was just trying to include you.”

  “I know. I like being alone though. It’s what I’m used to. I don’t know how to act around all those kids. I’d like to still be friends with you though.”

  Nodding he said, “Me too. During recess, I play flag football and dodgeball, games the girls don’t play. You can hang out with them during recess and hang out with me during lunch. I’ll ride the bus to school with you and sit with you after the guys have all been dropped off in the afternoon and that’s not to hide our friendship. I just want to be friends with them too.”

  “I don’t want to hang out with the girls. I don’t mind spending recess by myself. I’m used to it and it gives me time for my stories.”

  “You write your stories at recess?”

  Rylie shook her head. “No. I don’t have anything to write them down on. I keep them in my head until I can get home and write them down.” She paused, then added, “I’d like to eat lunch with you and I’ll sit with you on the bus whenever you want.”

  “Deal. Friends?”

  “Friends,” she replied with a smile.

  October 1982

  Maysen kept his promise, sitting with her on the bus to school and spending lunches with her. Within a few weeks, Rylie trusted him enough to share some of her stories with him. He read what she gave him in less than a week. He was now reading her current story as she wrote it in the notebook he’d given her shortly after school started. She had almost filled the entire notebook. Maysen even contributed to the story. She loved that he was interested and he seemed just as excited as she was to add to it every day. She was impressed at how he figured out how to be a good friend to her and still hang out and enjoy doing things with his other friends. He made every minute of their time so special she never once felt left out.

  It was Friday and Rylie was more excited than usual to get home because she and Maysen had plans to build a treehouse together this weekend. The sooner the day ended, the sooner Saturday would be here and they could start building. It had been Maysen’s idea, saying Rylie needed a quiet space to write her stories. He picked a tree that was within sight of her home but close enough to Big Willow Creek, they could hear the water as it flowed between the banks. It had three strong branches to build a foundation and Maysen was confident he could build one that would last for years to come.

  She pulled the sketch of the plans he had drawn of the treehouse from the inner flap of her notebook to admire the pencil marks he so skillfully scratched across the paper. Maysen was good at everything. She tried to not be jealous, but the green monster crept inside her from time to time. Maysen easily made friends, was good at sports, a wiz at math and most other subjects, didn’t have to worry about food or clothes and was loved by his parents. Everything she didn’t have, he did.

  “Hey, are you excited?” Maysen flopped down next to her, causing her to jump.

  “Geez! You scared me!” she said, pushing against his shoulder. “I am. Are you?” She tucked the sketch back into her notebook.

  “Heck yeah I am! I get to add carpenter to my list of awesomeness! Plus, it’ll be cool to have a place that’s just ours.”

  Rylie’s heart leapt. “Just ours,” she repeated.

  At their bus stop, Maysen took her backpack, a gift from Del and Norm, and carried it for her on the opposite shoulder of his own as they made their way down the gravel road.

  “My dad said he’d have the wood down at the tree when we got home today. Did you want to start now or wait until tomorrow?” he asked looking at her with raised eyebrows.

  “You want to start now?”

  “Yeah, I’m excited.”

  “Won’t they expect you for dinner?” she asked, as her own stomach rumbled.

  “Nah. Dad will know where I am. We won’t get far today anyway, but we can at least start getting the boards and stuff sorted.”

  Rylie was used to stopping by Del’s after school to visit and enjoy an after-school snack. She was torn. Thinking fast she said, “Okay. I told Del I’d stop by after school though. Wanna stop in with me really quick?”

  Maysen puckered his lips sideways as he kicked at a rock on the road.

  Rylie could see the struggle on his face. “You don’t have to. I can meet you at the tree.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll stop in and say hi with you.” He jogged towards Del’s gate as they came around the concrete ditch and opened the gate for Rylie to walk through.

  “Thank you,” she said, blushing at the gesture.

  “No problem. Hey,” he said, latching the gate and running to catch up to her. “Let’s make this quick though. It’ll be dark quicker than you know it.”

  “I know.” Rylie knocked on the screen door and looked over at him. “I can carry that if you want,” she said, pointing at her backpack.

  “I’m good.”

  Del opened the door and peered through the screen door at them. “Well, hello there you two! Come on in! How was school?”

  “Good,” they answered simultaneously as they entered the house.

  “Well, put your bags down and sit. I made sandwich sliders for you and He-Man is just starting.”

  Maysen looked at Rylie and mouthed, “He-Man?” as he sat at the table and frowned at her.

  Heat spread across her cheeks as she stared at the television, ignoring him.

  “Um, Del. We can’t stay. We were just stopping to say hi real quick and…”

  Maysen was mid-sentence when Del put their plates in front of them and said, “You have time to eat. Rylie always has an after-school snack when she gets home from school and watches cartoons.”

  Maysen looked over at Rylie, open-mouthed. “Rylie, tell her.”

  Rylie was so embarrassed. If she had she known Del would make her look like such a baby, she wouldn’t have asked to stop, but she’d allowed her stomach to make the decision for her. Picking at her slider, she looked at Del and said, “Del, we’re starting the treehouse today. Do you mind if we take these with us? I’ll come see you tomorrow, I promise.”

  Del sighed as she wiped her hands off on her apron and she studied them. “Is your momma home?”

  Rylie frowned. “I don’t know. I haven’t been home yet.”

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll wrap these up for you, but I want you to come stay here tonight if your momma isn’t home, okay?” Del grabbed their plates and took them to the counter to wrap their sliders.

  “You want me to stay here?” Rylie had never stayed anywhere but her own home.

  “Yes. I don’t like that you are alone so often.”

  Rylie looked at Maysen, who shrugged and stood up impatiently.

  “Okay. We’re going to work until it’s dark. Is that okay?”

  Del handed them their sliders and some cookies. “That’s fine. I’ll make up the spare bed for you.”

  “Come on,” Maysen said, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.

  “I’m coming.” Rylie gave Del a hug and then ran after Maysen, who had already let the screen door slam behind him.

  Maysen’s dad kept his promise. There was a pile of lumber waiting for them beneath the big old oak tree, whose limbs and branches were stretched out wide, as if welcoming them home.

  Rylie breathed in the woody scent of the two by fours and smiled.

  Dropping his backpack next to the pile of wood, Maysen said, “Let’s get to work. We can get it all separated before it gets dark.”

  Rylie allowed her own backpack to fall to the ground beside Maysen’s and grabbed the other end of the large beam he had picked up and started dragging.

  “We need to lift the big ones together so we d
on’t hurt ourselves,” she said, grunting as she lifted her side.

  “Rylie, I bet by the end of tomorrow we have the bones finished.”

  “What bones?”

  “Of the treehouse!” he exclaimed. “Then all we’ll have to do is put the boards up and we’ll have our own spot where we can read, think and create new stories! Let’s put this one here,” he said, setting his end down at the base of the tree.

  Setting the beam down, Rylie stood in place, smiling at Maysen as he ran to grab another beam. She still couldn’t believe she had a real friend who wanted to build a treehouse with her.

  Picking up his end he looked over his shoulder at her and asked, “You helping or you just gonna stand there daydreaming?”

  Snapping to attention, she ran to help him place the beams and boards in different piles around the great oak. Maysen decided to have “the bones” closest to the tree to start, with the boards a few feet away from those. Once the piles were organized, they sat back and admired the place that would soon be their refuge. Maysen pointed out where they’d put the thicker beams and where he thought the door and windows should go. Rylie just sat back and listened, imagining where she’d put the throw pillows they’d decided they would need. She hoped they’d be able to put one of those large rugs down on the floor, one with the soft looking fur she had seen at the store. It’d make laying or sitting while she wrote so much more comfortable. Maybe she could get Del to help her sew some curtains too.

  “Rylie? Earth to Rylie.”

  Jerking her head in Maysen’s direction she smiled. “Sorry. I was daydreaming again. Hey, what do you think about those fur rugs? The big ones, maybe a green one, or blue if you like it better.”

  Maysen’s nose wrinkled. “Sure, it could work, I guess. We better get going. There’s not much light left and my mom wanted me home before dinner.” He stood up and grabbed her hand to pull her to her feet. “I’ll bring nails and hammers tomorrow. What time do you want to start?”