Chapter 11
A/N: Yes, I know I'm super unpredictable about posting but it's because I'm borrowing the book from the library and have to wait until it's returned to me. Also I own nothing.
On Sunday morning, Emily texted me about another item on the bucket list: apple picking. Well, specifically stealing an apple from a really old tree. I've never been apple picking before, but I'm excited to try it out. Especially with Emily. I guess this is what Huckabeens do for fun in the summer.
"I never knew why we didn't come apple picking when I was a kid, but I guess now I know," Emily tells me as we each grab an empty brown basket before strolling through the orchard, the afternoon sun beating down on us. "Take it in, Blake, we're about to get banned."
A thrill hums through me when Emily says my name and I look at the groves of apple trees ahead of us. Hawaii isn't really known for orchards. Even though I have no idea what makes this apple so valuable, I'm excited for Emily to check something off the list. I can't believe this is going to be my last time doing this particular activity.
"Banned? Over an apple? I mean there are thousands of them here," I say confused about this particular item on the list. Emily stops as I walk ahead, in awe of the sheer number of apple trees here. There's got to be almost fifty rows here, each with a different type of apple, indicated by a wooden plaque in the front.
"It's not just any apple, Blake," she says as she leads me over to the honeycrisps section. In addition to mischief, we're also here to get Emily apples for the bakery. "It's an apple from the first tree they planted here at Snyder's Orchard. Half the people employed here stand next to it all day, making sure no one picks an apple from it."
"They just stand there? Sounds like I pick the wrong summer job," I say, the two of us laughing as we head deep into the orchard around us, more and more apples clinging to the branches the further back we get. The more you walk, the more you're rewarded with a wider selection of apples. The closer we get the tree, the more employees I can see, guarding the tree by pacing back and forth. I turn my attention to the trees around us, finding the perfect apples to pick and put into my basket. I don't want to disappoint Nina…or Emily. I can't wait to taste the apple tarts that will come from these apples-Emily talked about them nonstop on the way over here. We're nearly to the tree when the sound of laughter filters over us from the row next to us. I can see Jake just beyond the tree I'm currently picking an apple from, his blonde hair dirty with pieces of brown, rotten apples. I feel like they're everywhere this summer. I turn to see Emily's reaction, but she's not next to me anymore. Scanning my eyes through the trees, I spot her as she catches sight of Jake, backs up, and runs straight into Matt. She starts babbling at him, speaking at a mile-a-minute and I have to resist the urge to laugh. I see the rest of the group notice her and move in a kind of formation around Matt and I know it's time to intervene.
"Hey guys," I say, smiling as I walk up next to Emily. She turns to her side to see me, relief evident in her face. Matt, Ryan, and especially Jake relax as they take me in. Jake smiles warmly at me, blinking rapidly and I fight down the urge to laugh. Olivia, who I know is Ryan's girlfriend but doesn't work at the pool so I don't really know, is still glowering at Emily with her icy blue eyes. Jake saunters closer to me, peering into my basket.
"What've you got there, honeycrisps?" he asks, poking at my apples. "I'm more of a gala fan."
"Yeah, I thought I'd pick them instead of wear them," I quip, pointing to Jake's head.
"Your loss," he says, reaching up to flick it out. "It's great for your hair. Right, Olivia?"
Olivia simply turns her glower to him. I already don't like this girl and it's not just because she's mean to Emily. "Yeah, but not if they're rotten," she says rolling her eyes and I swear she sounds like a Valley girl. Ryan laughs at that and Matt cracks a small smile with a furtive glance at Emily, like they are sharing some inside joke. An awkward silence follows.
"Well, we better get these back to Nina's," I say. "I'll see you guys at work tomorrow."
They all say goodbye to me as we walk further into the orchard towards our goal. Emily is watching Matt's retreating back as we walk together.
"So, clearly," I say, keeping my tone light, "things are not at all awkward between the two of you."
"Yeah," Emily says, looking away from me. "We still haven't spoken since the breakup. Honestly, none of them have spoken to me since the breakup. This one's definitely the worst."
They've broken up before? "This one?" I ask.
"Yeah, we're a bit like a faulty light switch. Most times, we're back on before you can tell it flickered. But this time's different. The other times had always been small, stupid incidents, moments I did things because I felt like we weren't clicking in the way I wanted to, the way my mom talked about with my dad. Moments I didn't feel butterflies in my chest. Moments when I felt like he was being too clingy. Or too distant. That time he said I kept myself in a little box the past three years. I always hoped when we got back together, it'd bring about a new result, would make things feel less off. Would they really this time? I mean, it's just my luck that we would see them here today."
It takes me a moment to process what she's saying, my brain making connections I can't see. A flash of my own memories crossing my mind. An eighth grade formal with a boy I'd thought I had a crush on until we went together and I felt nothing at all, holding my summer camp friend's hand and feeling my heart beat faster, the way my lips felt after Rachel kissed me for the first time. I'd felt that too, a long time ago. Like maybe I was just wired wrong and if I tried again, it wouldn't feel so wrong. I didn't even fully realize until Rachel kissed me that I didn't like boys.
She groans and turns towards me. "Why did she do this? Why am I doing this? What if I trip? Or we get caught? What will people say? What-"
But I can tell Emily is spiraling. "Don't overthink it," I interrupt her. "Who cares what other people think? Maybe that's why your mom did it. To get out of her head. To stop obsessing over what other people thought about her. To break the mold she was stuck in."
Emily closes her mouth, her brown eyes watching me as she chews on her bottom lip. "I'll admit it, blowing up Santa may have been my idea," I say, smiling, "But you were the one who planned it."
I grab her shoulders, ignoring my racing heart as I spin her around to face the clearing. "So, what's the plan this time?" I say in her ear over her shoulder as we both look at the apple tree in front of us. I look at her and see her face break out into a mischievous grin. She unloads the good apples from her basket into mine and loads hers with the grossest ones she can find. We look back at the tree as we get closer, the apples looking like they might have been the ones to tempt Eve. And then we see the three biggest high-schoolers I've ever seen standing under the tree, flexing their arms. They sport nearly identical fades as they pace around the trees, watching the large crowds. I take my place at the edge of the clearing, my weapon of revolting apples ready for Emily's direction. I can tell that she's hesitating even now, but if I've learned anything about this girl, it's that she will do it. Emily's chocolate eyes eventually find mine and she gives me a nod. The nod. I begin launching the apples at the bodyguards, distracting them while Emily makes a break for the lowest hanging branch. Two of them are hit pretty quick, before Emily even reaches the tree and they leave their post, looking for apples to throw back at me. The third one, however, stays put and grabs onto Emily, the moment she has the forbidden fruit in her hand. Knowing this one's important, I aim before chucking the apple as hard as I can and it pegs him square in the face, forcing him to let Emily go as he wipes apple chunks out of his eyes. Emily runs in my direction, clutching her victory in one hand.
"Go, go, go," she screams but I need no instruction as I sprint back the way we came with only the good apple basket in my hand, branches scratching my arms. We break through the orchard into the parking lot, hauling ass to the small hill where my truck is parked. We both launch ourselves into the truck and I'm speeding as soon as the truck roars to life, knowing this can't be good for my truck but not really caring at this moment. The truck creates a puff of smoke behind us and I can see Matt, Jake, Ryan and Olivia staring at us in a mixture of horror and admiration. Emily and I try and catch our breath as we get out of the parking lot, breaking out into laughter when we make eye contact. She holds up the perfect apple triumphantly.
"You've got to try it," I say.
"Try it?" Emily says, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Yeah. I mean what else are you going to do? Let it rot away on a shelf?"
She shrugs, conceding the point. A moment after she takes a huge bite of the apple, I see the piece fall into her lap.
"Oh my god," Emily says as I wheeze with laughter. "Oh my god, that is so bad. Like, raw sewage bad."
She grabs a honeycrisp to clear her palate. "No wonder they don't want anyone picking apples from it." She offers it to me, but I shake my head, wiping tears of laughter away.
"You've got to be kidding me. This tastes like ass. Here, try it," I mock and she opens the window and tosses the apple out before pulling out the list from her pocket.
#10 Steal an apple from the first tree at Snyder's Orchard
She puts a small green check next to it, that disgusting apple not being an entire waste.
"That reminds me," I say as we pull up to Nina's. "I talked to Jake yesterday at work about cliff jumping and he says there's a cool spot we could go to at Huckabee State Park. Biggest in the county. You want to go on Wednesday?"
I don't tell her that Jake also offered to take me there with the rest of his friend group, but I declined. As much as I'd like to go tomorrow, I work the next two days.
"I don't know if I'd trust Jake's judgment," she says hesitantly. "I mean the guy was just covered in rotten apples and happy about it.
I nod, laughing. I know she's just trying to come up with excuses not to do it, but Matt and Ryan were also enthusiastic about the spot (without knowing that I was asking for Emily, of course). After today, though, they may guess. Not that it really bothers me that they know I'm hanging out with her. "I confirmed it with two other people just to be sure."
"Yeah," she says finally, smiling at me. "Let's do it."