Wheeling Park Ch. 03

"Jarid, this is Carrie, Carrie, Jarid."

"Hi, Jarid."

"Hello," I said politely, as our mom always taught us, adding a little wave.

"I thought you'd be blonde." Carrie said with a smile.

"Excuse me?"

"Barbie told me you two were twins."

I looked at 'Barbie' as she looked back at me with a congenial smile and a funny look in her eyes. "Bottle Barbie, I'm afraid."

"Oh, shut up you jerk!", Jen laughed, a little embarrassed, even though her colour change didn't bother her in the slightest when she first did it.

"Having a good time so far?" the other blonde asked, both of them with a bottle of beer in their hand.

"It's nice here." I answered with a polite smile, also just like Mom always taught us.

"Have a beer, Jarid." Jen encouraged. "Mom says it's okay, as long as we space them out to one every hour."

"She does?"

"Yeah, pretty crazy, huh? Better go grab one before she comes to her senses." she warned.

"Maybe later."

"Hey, guess what?" she continued.

"What?"

"Guess who's at Vicky?"

"Vicky?"

"Victoria Park, you can see it from the lake, guess who's there?"

"I don't know, who?"

"You'll never guess." she teased, a big smile on her face.

"Probably not, who's at Victoria Park?"

"The Magpie."

" ... The Magpie?"

"Yup."

" ... Mr. Lackey."

"Yup."

"How do you know?"

"I saw him with binoculars from the bar, it's a big sandbar a little ways out in the lake, and is it ever cool."

"Well,... what was he doing?"

"Camping," she stated.

"Okay," I laughed, noticing from the corner of my eye that this Carrie had been watching me while I conversed with Jen.

I was becoming agitated and I wanted out of there.

"Me, Carrie and Robbie are going for a swim tomorrow morning and you're welcome to come, if you like."

"I didn't bring a swimsuit." I said, flashing her a pointed expression I knew she'd catch.

" ... Well,..."

"I gotta go, sis. Gotta check in with Mom, maybe grab that beer. Carrie, nice meeting you."

"Likewise," she replied, looking at me just a bit strangely now, or was that my own paranoia?

Mom seemed a bit busy and I didn't want to talk to her anyway. I did grab a beer, but went inside the RV with it, standing to the side of the window when I got in and closing my eyes. Heaving a long and heavy sigh, I twisted the cap off and tossed it on the counter ahead of me as I drank, just glad to be the hell out of that situation. I had enough on my mind, after my recent adventure with Trixie, to have to worry about-

The door opened and Jen came in, alone at least. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against the 'kitchen' counter, opposite me, each of us looking blank faced at one another for a moment before she spoke.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Jarid, you know you can't lie to me. What's wrong?" she asked again, folding her arms.

She was mostly right about that, but mostly I don't lie to her anyway. She's my twin and we just get along better than that. But misdirection is a different thing. Still a truth, though just not the right one, a strategy that her 'Offensive Forward' mentality never considers and always falls for.

"I'm a little bit tired and I'm still not really happy about having my summer plans fucked up."

Jen nodded, taking a drink of her beer and looking down at the floor while I looked at a cupboard beside her head before she toned, "Yeah, I know. When I think of what I missed out on,... But, you know what? This place is pretty cool." she said, looking up at me again with that smile I knew.

"It's different, that's for sure."

"Yeah, the people are like, right different, but cool."

"I've noticed." I said, taking another deep drink of my beer.

"So, what were you up to all day?"

"Hanging out at Elmo's place."

"Really? What's that like? Big moose heads mounted on the walls and stuff?"

"Something like that, yeah. Actually, I was helping him out with some stuff and that's why I'm kinda tired and I really need a shower."

"Sounds like you had a fun day, anyway." she observed.

"Yeah, I'm gonna grab that shower, though."

"We're all going to Junior's place a little later, he was here a few hours ago."

"I'll see yas down there. Just a shower and maybe a little nap first."

"You're soft and weak. You should get into athletics, bro," she teased with her old joke as I finished the beer off and put the bottle on the counter beside her hip.

"Yeah, yeah, who cares?" I answered with my time honoured response after swallowing, making my way to the bathroom.

I took the shower and got myself off in there pretty quick, thinking about Trixie. After that I fell asleep right away, once I was inside my inset cubby beneath Jen's with the heavy curtain drawn. Despite the nap with the great and absolute goddess of Goth, I slept right through to the next morning.