Suddenly something grabbed her arm and she felt water rushing against her
body. She couldn't fight it but she didn't care. Finally, she broke the
surface, and she inhaled the oxygen deeply, sputtering out salty water.
She was coughing so hard she couldn't speak, couldn't think. It felt like
her head was filled with cotton balls, soggy, salty cotton balls. There
was someone holding her arm, panting heavily. "Erin.Erin.I.Erin," the
person gasped between breaths. Erin looked to her side. It was Winston,
his wet hair plastered against his forehead. "I.I just couldn't.just let
you die.because.because.I just couldn't." He choked with every breath.
Erin just looked at him. "But.but.why would you do that for me? You heard what they were saying, didn't you? I'm a traitor. A girl. Which is worse? I don't know. To you, the words 'traitor' and 'girl' seem to mean the same thing." "Erin, you know I..."
The boat was far away from the sandy beach where they were sprawled. Erin looked up at the cliff where Winston had been keeping watch. "Winston, did you jump off that cliff.for me?" Winston nodded slightly and looked away from her, at the boat. Even though the boat was far away, Erin could hear the boys yelling. "Winston! What did you think you were doing? Are you a traitor too, or just stupid?" "Hey, Winston, go and give her to the Indians! While your there, you might as well just give yourself up, too. It will be better than what's gonna happen to you two when we catch up with you." "Just like last time.Winston always takes the girls' side." "Why did Winston do that, anyway?" "Because he's got dung beetles for brains." "Because he's in it together with Erin." "I think he has a crush on her." Erin blushed, and she could hear boys and pirates alike murmuring, "Ooooooooo!" Winston looked down at the sand, his ears bright red. "Come on, Erin, let's go." He stood up, brushing sand off of his clothes. Erin stood up and shook out her hair. Winston headed into the trees, going towards the other side of the island. "Winston? Where are we going?" "There's a clearing up here. Sometimes I go there all by myself to just.think. It's not too far." Winston's voice was tired and resolute, Erin followed close behind. It did not take long to reach the tiny clearing. Winston and Erin sprawled onto the moss. She was suddenly very tired. Winston lay on his back beside her, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. After a long while, she broke the silence. "So. what are we going to do now? We .we can't go back, all the boys will kill us. They still think.they still think that I did it." Winston took a deep gulp of air. "I don't know. They all must hate me now." "Hate you?" Erin gargled, choking on some seawater that was rising in her throat, "Hey, they almost killed me." Erin assumed Winston had no reply to this, because he changed the subject. "We can't go back with the lost boys. We can't stay with the Indians because I suppose they'll think we took Tiger Lily. We can't stay with the pirates - well, you know, we wouldn't have done that anyway. We can't even stay with the mermaids...because they think we stole Margaret and Juliana. So...we have nowhere to go." Winston paused for a moment, looking up at the sky filling with stars. "Nowhere to go," he repeated. Erin was back where she started. "You know...that's exactly why I didn't try to swim back up and let myself sink, because I knew no one wanted me anymore." "Erin, you know that's not what I meant.." Erin sighed and rolled over. The stars were different here than in New York. New York.Erin closed her eyes and dreamed of it. Outside of Sharon's apartment, it hadn't been so bad. She remembered everything about it: the way it smelled in the morning before people and traffic had clogged the air with their smell and noise, the polar bear who did the backstroke in the Central Park Zoo, the musical instrument exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum where hardly anyone ever went so she could sit and dream, the taste of Mr. Winda's hot dogs slathered with mustard and sauerkraut.Erin's stomach rumbled. As she opened her eyes, her mouth opened at the same time and words spilled out. "Winston. You said there's nowhere to go. But you're wrong." She turned to him, leaning on her elbow in the moss. The moonlight was shining on her face and she was smiling a secret, excited, beautiful smile. Erin heard Winston catch his breath. "Winston, have you ever been to New York?"
Erin just looked at him. "But.but.why would you do that for me? You heard what they were saying, didn't you? I'm a traitor. A girl. Which is worse? I don't know. To you, the words 'traitor' and 'girl' seem to mean the same thing." "Erin, you know I..."
The boat was far away from the sandy beach where they were sprawled. Erin looked up at the cliff where Winston had been keeping watch. "Winston, did you jump off that cliff.for me?" Winston nodded slightly and looked away from her, at the boat. Even though the boat was far away, Erin could hear the boys yelling. "Winston! What did you think you were doing? Are you a traitor too, or just stupid?" "Hey, Winston, go and give her to the Indians! While your there, you might as well just give yourself up, too. It will be better than what's gonna happen to you two when we catch up with you." "Just like last time.Winston always takes the girls' side." "Why did Winston do that, anyway?" "Because he's got dung beetles for brains." "Because he's in it together with Erin." "I think he has a crush on her." Erin blushed, and she could hear boys and pirates alike murmuring, "Ooooooooo!" Winston looked down at the sand, his ears bright red. "Come on, Erin, let's go." He stood up, brushing sand off of his clothes. Erin stood up and shook out her hair. Winston headed into the trees, going towards the other side of the island. "Winston? Where are we going?" "There's a clearing up here. Sometimes I go there all by myself to just.think. It's not too far." Winston's voice was tired and resolute, Erin followed close behind. It did not take long to reach the tiny clearing. Winston and Erin sprawled onto the moss. She was suddenly very tired. Winston lay on his back beside her, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. After a long while, she broke the silence. "So. what are we going to do now? We .we can't go back, all the boys will kill us. They still think.they still think that I did it." Winston took a deep gulp of air. "I don't know. They all must hate me now." "Hate you?" Erin gargled, choking on some seawater that was rising in her throat, "Hey, they almost killed me." Erin assumed Winston had no reply to this, because he changed the subject. "We can't go back with the lost boys. We can't stay with the Indians because I suppose they'll think we took Tiger Lily. We can't stay with the pirates - well, you know, we wouldn't have done that anyway. We can't even stay with the mermaids...because they think we stole Margaret and Juliana. So...we have nowhere to go." Winston paused for a moment, looking up at the sky filling with stars. "Nowhere to go," he repeated. Erin was back where she started. "You know...that's exactly why I didn't try to swim back up and let myself sink, because I knew no one wanted me anymore." "Erin, you know that's not what I meant.." Erin sighed and rolled over. The stars were different here than in New York. New York.Erin closed her eyes and dreamed of it. Outside of Sharon's apartment, it hadn't been so bad. She remembered everything about it: the way it smelled in the morning before people and traffic had clogged the air with their smell and noise, the polar bear who did the backstroke in the Central Park Zoo, the musical instrument exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum where hardly anyone ever went so she could sit and dream, the taste of Mr. Winda's hot dogs slathered with mustard and sauerkraut.Erin's stomach rumbled. As she opened her eyes, her mouth opened at the same time and words spilled out. "Winston. You said there's nowhere to go. But you're wrong." She turned to him, leaning on her elbow in the moss. The moonlight was shining on her face and she was smiling a secret, excited, beautiful smile. Erin heard Winston catch his breath. "Winston, have you ever been to New York?"