A Familiar Piece
Fan Fiction for A Separate Peace by John Knowles
They stood about twenty feet above the pond on the limb of a tree. Few daring students had made the jump in previous years, but something heldGene and Finny back. Something about getting caught and sent home more than falling to their deaths.
"I'm gonna do it," said Finny, stepping out on the limb.Gene took one step back to hold onto the trunk, and Finny frowned. "Trust me," he reassured him.
"No," said Gene. "You can have your victory at school, with the girls, playing football. But now, this is not your time."
"What are you whining about? You're brilliant."
"Yeah, well, I just have a bad feeling about this, that's all."
Finny stopped for a moment, dangling his left ankle like jewelry. "Wow, you really care about me." He tight-roped back to the trunk, he andGene shuffling around a bit so they could both balance.
Gene touched his hair, void of trimming for months. It hung by his ears like Jewish curls, evidence of his genetics.
"Don't be so insecure about it," Finny commented, noticing Gene's awkward fingering. "Don't worry about it. We'll come back in a few days. After exams."
"No way. C'mon, let's go, you first. You can be perfect again on the ground.
"Right," said Finny. "And you can be my right hand man."
He let himself down onto a lower branch, then dropped and rolled a little on the ground. The late autumn leaves crunched under his body, still clothed in tie and jacket. The jump seemed a lot higher toGene for Finny to have made it so perfectly. Finny always seemed to do everything effortlessly.
Genemade his way down then as well. Finny laughed asGene stood up and one dried leaf stuck in his curl. Finny stepped in to pick it out, then stuck it in his own pocket like a handkerchief. "M'lady," he joked, motioning forGene to walk before him.
Genesmiled. "Shut up. I saved your life."