Out of Place
By Shane Scollins
Out of Place
Copyright © 2013 by Shane Scollins. All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: January 2014
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1494447311
ISBN-10: 1494447312
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the fighters out there who refuse to give up in the face of adversity.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 1
Stubbornly persist, and you will find that the limits of your stubbornness go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits. ~Robert Brault
It was finally over. It had all boiled down to the memories and the moments. All the friends she’d made, and the time she’d spent. She looked out over the crowd of friends and family and waited for that moment when Principal Gerristen would give her the introduction.
She’d worked hard for this opportunity and wanted to be the Valedictorian but fell just short. But being the Salutatorian wasn’t a horrible thing, the need to be the best at everything wasn’t what drove her onward. A good effort was all it took to reach an acceptable level of satisfaction, and she gave it a good ride.
Her speech wouldn’t be as long or well constructed as the one Jason Mathis would give. He bested her for the number one rank overall in the class. Actually, she should’ve been fourth overall. But the Fein twins, Adam and Andrea, transferred across the country to California a month before graduation. Emily was still going to jump on the opportunity to get up and give her speech. Unlike some people, she didn’t fear public speaking.
Nevertheless, nerves suddenly tickled in her belly as Principal Gerristen pointed her narrow face towards Emily and said, “Giving a speech titled, Building Memories, please, give a warm welcome to our Salutatorian, Emily Bontrager.”
Emily stood as the applause washed over the stage. She fixed her blue cap, moved a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, adjusted her gold tassel into the right place, smoothed her blue gown, and went to the podium. She took a few deep breaths while the soft claps and a few screams from her friends quieted. Glancing down for a second at the three-by-five index cards containing her notes, she raised her chin. “Thank you. I won’t take up too much of our time.”
She took one last calming breath. “I heard a saying once: “life is a house we build as we grow.” I can’t tell you who said it, but it always seemed to make sense in a simplistic way. Brick-by-brick and board-by-board, we put the pieces where they need to go in order to rise. As I look out on this crowd of family and friends, I see so much more than just people. I see the builders and the construction workers of the houses we’ve built in our time here. In all of your smiling faces, I see the moments and memories I used to build my house. I see friends who will live forever in my heart. I see teachers who’ve shaped my life and taught me the value of learning in order to grow. I see so much more than families, I see heroes who’ve picked us up when we were down and guided us through the field of landmines that mapped our high school existence. We’ve designed and labored, we’ve built our houses. I look back at the kid I was four years ago, and I see an awkward, skinny freshman, who felt inadequate coming into the hallowed halls of North Ridge High School. But moment by moment I built my house. I poured a strong foundation of confidence. And it was through my family, my friends and my teachers, that I added bricks of integrity to the foundation, strong walls of leadership, an unyielding infrastructure of drive, determination, understanding and acceptance. Then I put on a roof, resilient enough to withstand any weather.” She paused and looked at her family.
“It was a formula we all followed in some capacity. Maybe we used different materials and alternative configurations, but we all built the house. Whether your goal was just to get by and graduate, or to be the best, we had the workers at our disposal to get the job done. We used every moment to shape our very own structures. And today as we nail that last shingle in place, we prepare to move forward into the next chapter of our lives. We may have built the houses here, but we spend the rest of our lives buying furniture and décor, tending to gardens and filling our houses with beautiful people. No matter where we go from here, we can always look inside the house, inside ourselves, and find what we need to guide us through anything we face in life because the foundation and walls are strong. It is with great sadness and overwhelming excitement that we step out of this station in life and into our new worlds. Some of us are going to college, some are going to work, and a select few of us will be going off to defend our country. But every moment we put into our life as a house, will carry with us. Every time I see a football game, I’ll think of Jerome Rogers and that amazing touchdown run at the homecoming game. Every time I see a breathtaking photograph, I’ll think of the imaginative artistry of Denise Santini. Every time I see a beautifully acted moment on a stage, I’ll think of Samantha Barrows and her stunning portrayal of Juliet. And every moment I feel that competitive drive to win, I’ll think of my teammates, the girls I spent countless hours with pulling together towards a common goal.” She picked out a few members of her hockey team for a moment of eye contact.
“This is it, we’ve done it. We’ve had our ups and our downs, but in the end I think we’re all better people. But most of all, the kids we were have made us the adults we are, and the people we will become. So hold your head high, graduates. Reach your hands up into the world, and wrap your fingers around your future. And be prepared to pull, fight and sweat for the things you want because nothing in this world comes easy. And remember to take each moment you get from here on out and own it. We create our own realities. Each and every one of us has the power to dream it. And if you can dream it, you can do it. Congratulations, graduates, and good luck.”
Emily raised her arms up and let the applause wash over her for a few long seconds, then she headed back to her chair. She heard the principal say something and introduced the Valedictorian for his speech, but she didn’t hear another
word after that.
Chapter 2
Emily sat back in the fluffy white chair and watched people milling about the party. Several people had come up to her and said how much they loved her speech. She kept playing it back in her head. It seemed so grand while writing it, but so insignificant now. It was amazing how quick the importance of high school faded away. Just a few hours after the final moments of standing in those long halls, it was all about the future.
The juice in her cup wasn’t spiked, but pretty much everyone else was drinking some form of alcohol. Underage drinking wasn’t very responsible, but that’s not why she wasn’t drinking. It had more to do with the fact these people just didn’t really excite her into wanting to have fun. They were just so uninteresting. It wasn’t that she was so much more grown up and mature than they were, but it really was. Outside of her small group of close friends, the rest of these people were just not that interesting anymore.
She looked up as her best friend Renner walked into view. Her jet-black hair fell softly over her white short-cut T-shirt, and her tight white shorts were probably a little too revealing.
“Hey, Ren.”
Ren flopped down on the plush loveseat next to her. “Is it just me, or is this party kinda lame?”
Emily glanced around the room. “It’s just different.”
“You can say that again.” She took hold of a strand of Emily’s hair. “Your hair looks delicious in this light. It looks like pineapple. I just want to eat it.”
Emily shook her head. “You’re not eating my hair.”
Ren let go. “You’re no fun.”
Emily sniffed the air next to Ren. “You reek.”
Ren nodded. “I know.”
“Oh, you were with Dugger, weren’t you?” Jimmy Dugger was Ren’s on-again off-again boyfriend for the last two years. “You smell like an ashtray.”
“It’s not what you think.”
Emily sipped her juice. “Mmm-hmm.”
“No, I told him once and for all we were done.”
Emily studied her face as the music at the party took a momentary break. “Really? As in, for real this time?”
“This is the last weeks we have here. I don’t want to spend it with drama and stupidity. You’re leaving for school so early. I want to spend every moment we can together.”
“Aw, you’re the sweetest besty ever. And good for you, Ren.” Emily reached over and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you. You’re way too good to be treated like that.”
Ren kissed her on the cheek. “I love you. You’re seriously the best friend anyone could ever have. You have to promise me you won’t find a better friend in college.”
“Never!” Emily replied. “How could anyone be better than my Renner-girl? We’re two peas from the same pod, baby. You’re more than my friend, you’re my sister forever.”
“Aw, I wish we were going to school closer.” Ren stuck out her bottom lip.
“You should just blow off Rutgers and go to U-Conn or something. It’s not that far from Yale.”
“Yeah, I should. But my dad would flip. He’s a Rutgers man and all that. You know how he is.”
“I know. But at some point, Ren, you have to start doing what you want to do. It’s your life. And I know you don’t really want to stay home and go to Rutgers.”
Ren twisted her ruby lips. “You’re right. I just don’t have the balls to disappoint him. He’s such a mush, he’d probably cry. If he were more like your dad, maybe.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Emily elbowed her playfully.
“Just that your dad is tough.”
“My dad’s a computer geek who’s afraid of a garden snake.”
“Yeah, but compared to my dad he’s kinda manly. My dad can’t even take out the garbage without spraining his shoulder.”
Emily laughed. “True story.”
“You wanna get out of here?” Ren said. “’Cuz I kinda do.”
Emily nodded. “Yeah, I think I’m done with this scene.” She didn’t mean just for tonight, she meant forever. She placed her juice on the table and they headed for the door.
Jason Fisher, best described as your typical popular jock, stepped in front of Emily. “Hey, Ems, where’re you going?”
“We’re leaving Jay, have a good night.”
“Whoa—whoa, why so early? This party is just getting started.”
“We’ve had quite enough.”
“C’mon, Em…” He touched her shoulder. “You broke up with Bobby months ago, how about you give me a chance?”
He smelled like a drunk. “G’night, Jay.” She stepped past him, but he grabbed the back of her shirt and spun her around.
“Emily, why you gotta be like that?”
She stepped closer to him, met his eyes. “Jay, get your hands off me or I’m going to embarrass you in front of all these underclassmen who look up to you by making you cry like a little girl.”
His eyes grew wide and he stepped back. She turned and Ren followed.
Ren said, “Oh, I so wanted you to kick his ass.”
Emily smiled, shrugged. “It’s not worth it. Besides, I believe in fair warning.”
“Yeah, but you could’ve just made him cry a little.”
“Next time, I promise I’ll hurt him just for you.”
Emily had a bit of a reputation for being tough. It wasn’t something she flaunted, but people didn’t mess with her. Mostly that was because she was nice to everyone and got along with everyone, so there wasn’t often a need to be confrontational. But also because she was a take-no-shit hockey player that everyone in the school had seen deck her fair share of opposing players.
Emily glanced back once at the party as they left. She didn’t even want to go in the first place, but Ren did. There were quite a few underclassmen at this shindig and it was annoying. She just wanted a nice quiet gathering with her close friends before she went off to college, but that would be tomorrow.
Several of the girls were planning a graduation weekend at the shore. That was going to be the real party: just five friends at the beach soaking in the salt water, sand, and sun down in Wildwood. The one final get together of friends before they all headed out to start their new lives.
***
They got back to Emily’s house. It was dark and quiet, but that was typical. Her father woke up at five o’clock every morning even on the weekends, so her parents were usually in bed by ten.
Ren got out of Emily’s white Honda Accord and stretched. “I can’t believe how tired I am.”
“It’s been a long day.” Emily headed up to the steps but didn’t go inside right away. “I guess this is our last ever high school sleepover.”
Ren sat on the top of the brick steps and looked out over the suburban New Jersey neighborhood. “Yup, tomorrow morning, it’s all different. We wake up and no one really has anything to say about what we do.”
Emily sat. “The freedom just kinda hit me.”
“No doubt.”
“Think about it. From this moment on, we don’t have to do anything we don’t want to.”
Ren lowered her brow. “Well, we kinda do—we have to go to college and get a job.”
Emily leaned back onto her hands. “Not really. We want to go to college, we don’t have to. We could leave tomorrow and backpack across Europe. We could take a job at a hotel in Hawaii and live in a hut on the beaches of paradise. The point is that the choices we make from here on out are all our own. We’re no longer forced to be somewhere by parents and law. Whether we choose to make the right ones or wrong ones, it’s totally up to us. We pass and fail all on our own now, we have the freedom to do what we want, when we want to do it.”
Ren nodded. “I guess so.”
Emily took a deep breath. “Smell that freedom, suck it in.”
Ren copied her. “I do smell it. And it just gave me an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s mix it up.”
Emily smirked. “R
enner, are you hitting on me again?”
Ren slapped her arm. “Perv, no, you wish. But I was thinking. We always go to Wildwood. The last two summers we’ve gone down there, we’re not going to find anything new.”
“Isn’t that kinda the point? It’s our last girls’ weekend at Wildwood. We’ve been looking forward to this.”
Ren nodded. “I know…but wouldn’t it be cool to drive another few hours farther south and go to a bigger beach like Ocean City or Virginia Beach?”
Emily bit her lip in thought. “You might be onto something there.”
“Right? I mean, we might have to add a couple days to the trip, but I think all the girls would be down for that.”
“What about Rachel? She has to work on Tuesday.”
“I think we can convince her to take another day off.”
Emily shook her head slowly. “I dunno, Ren. She’s hardcore about that job. It’s like she’s married to it.”
“Where there’s a will.”
“What’s your angle?”
Ren flashed a smile. “We explain to her about the freedom.”
“Ah, the freedom.”
“No one can deny the freedom.”
Emily shrugged. “It’s just too free.”
“Unbridled.”
“Can’t stop it.”
“No control.”
Chapter 3
The chirping birds in the large oak outside her bedroom window was the perfect backdrop to wake up to. That was something she would miss about waking up in this house every day.
Emily rolled over and realized Ren was already out of bed. The clanking of silverware on dishes announced breakfast was underway. She took a deep breath and savored her first day of freedom. Not a moment of sadness hit her as she thought it might on that first day she didn’t have to think about going to school. The end of high school couldn’t have come soon enough for her. After the novelty of senior year wore off, she just wanted it to be over and done.
Out of Place Page 1
