ElevenSeventeen (eBook)

Middle School, A Storm is Gathering

Philip J. Mack (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
280 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-1041-4 (ISBN)

Infos

Seven teenagers become a group of friends who wouldn't normally hang out together but found common ground and loved each other for it. These 'Mysfits' must learn to depend on each other though their teenage years in the 1980s while battling the politics of high-school, race issues, and a mystery that literally threatens their lives. Relationships are built and bonds are formed and broken, while the faith of all is tested throughout the story.

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Seven teenagers become a group of friends who wouldn't normally hang out together but found common ground and loved each other for it. These "e;Mysfits"e; must learn to depend on each other though their teenage years in the 1980s while battling the politics of high-school, race issues, and a mystery that literally threatens their lives. Relationships are built and bonds are formed and broken, while the faith of all is tested throughout the story. Some would say the ages between 11 and 17 are the most formative of a person's life. This would be true even if a guy didn't have to deal with bullies, bigots, and girls. Navigating high school in the 1980s wasn't easy for Phil, but with God's help and the support of his rather eclectic group of friends, the unbelievable became survivable and triumphant. Life can be hard, but there aren't many things that can stop the overwhelmingly persistent naivete of a teenager or two. Book one of this two-book series focuses on the senselessly complex world of middle school. The relationships, emotions, music, and malls of the eighties provide the wonderfully rich, vibrantly blank canvas onto which the teenage years of Phil and his friends are painted. A kid who thought he had it all together learns he didn't. A kid who thought he had it all together learns he didn't have to.

Textauszug

Chapter 1:
Muse

The sun was sitting just above the treetops to the west. Its warm rays were spread out in lines across the large porch as they strained through the banister poles onto the grayish weather-resistant paint floor. It had been a perfect day, a wonderful Friday afternoon at home with my family. It had been an unusual day in that for November in Maryland, 83 degrees is an anomaly. Promise, my five-year-old was playing on the porch, an afro-puff on either side of her head. Her hair was parted perfectly down the middle which spoke to her mother’s meticulous care in making sure our child was always presentable. I couldn’t help but get lost in the moment, thinking of what it was like to be five, and thinking of what it meant to be a father.

Promise, dressed rather smartly in a dark blue denim suit of sorts and tennis shoes, hopped up into my lap and smiled. We shared a special understanding, she and I. With a smile or a wink, we could communicate a simple, uncomplicated love. A love so basic yet so profound; the paradox that is the parent’s heart. I knew she felt safe. Her eyes examined my face, softly moving back and forth as if examining some painting of a grand landscape. Soft giggles as I made faces at her. Let’s face it, this little manipulator had me wrapped around her little finger and even at 5 years she knew it all too well. I was doomed… and I wanted to be.

Promise glanced about. She followed a bird until it landed on the banister. She smiled at it and if I could see through her eyes, I would surely be able to see it smile back at her. My right arm was wrapped around her and she fixed her gaze on my high school class ring just as a ray of sunshine shown through the faux ruby set atop the large silver and black Towson Christian Academy ring. She paused for a moment and ran her fingers across the stone. “Pretty.” she said with that sense of wonder only a child can supply. My wife, Tempest, emerged from the house with a pitcher of southern sweet tea and cups. She sat next to us on the swinging white bench from which we’d seen many good times since building the house a year ago. “What’s pretty, baby?” she asked with that softness mothers reserve for their children. “This diamond.” she replied. “Ruby, baby, it’s a ruby.” Tempest said. “Your daddy and his friends met each other in high school and that means a lot to them. Except for them, you didn’t really like that school too much, did you dear?”

“Not really but… you know, they were some of the best days of my life… and the worst.”

“I know, that’s what you keep saying. You’ll tell me the whole story one of these days I guess.”

We’d been waiting for my best friend Gene Tucker and his wife to arrive. They and their son were coming over for dinner, something we make a point of doing at least once a month. Out of the corner of my eye I caught his black SUV as it turned onto my driveway. I watched with anticipation as it slowly crept up the long driveway and came to a stop in front of the garage. This feeling… This feeling takes me back to when we used to hang out when we were teenagers – the anticipation of good times and cherished memories.

Gene stepped out wearing his usual black t-shirt, showing off his obvious athleticism. Khaki slacks and black Nikes rounded out his outfit. For as long as I’ve known him, Gene has always dressed well. He let his son, Ethan, out of the back and approached the house. “Uncle Gene! Ethan!” my daughter exclaimed as she dropped from my lap, bounded down the steps, and wrapped her arms around the six-year-old who was equally happy to see her.

I crossed the porch to the top of the steps to assume a position of judgmental dominance as I said condemningly, “Late, I see…”

“Oh, come on, you know it takes a few extra minutes now that you guys moved out here to Daniels.”

“Yeah, I guess. Come here!”

I put out my hand and we went through our special handshake that ends in an embrace. I loved this man like he was my own brother.

“Just us tonight, short-staffed at the hospital.”

“I understand. No problem, we’ll see her next time.” Gene’s wife is a head-nurse and when they get short-staffed, which happens all too often if you ask me, she has to go to work.

“Aww, I was hoping to get some girl time.” Tempest said as she gave Gene a hug.

“She wanted that too, believe me.”

“Daddy’s ring… Daddy’s ring!” the five-year old blurted when she saw Gene’s class ring.

“This one’s mine but you know…”

“Mommy said it means something.” she interrupted.

Just then Ethan tagged Promise and the two kids were running around in the front yard. Without a word, the three of us got lost in the show that was our children carelessly and effortlessly enjoying themselves. Their laughter comprised a melody the likes of which sets men to dream, to dare to become better men if only to keep the laughter going.

Leave it to my stomach to break the mood. “Was that your stomach?” Tempest asked. “Yeah, I guess it wants some of that mac and cheese you made.”

“Well, let’s go to the deck, I’ve already set the table.” Tempest suggested.

Gene agreed and we called the kids and started into the house. We’d just received the last bits of furniture that finally made this house feel like a home rather than an empty shell devoid of any sense of life or relationship.

“I love it!” Gene commented. “This place has really come along!”

“Yeah, we couldn’t make up our minds on furniture until this month. Things just fell into place.” Tempest replied.

“I’m so glad writing is working out for you, Joe. That book deal was a real blessing.” Gene said.

“Thank you. You know I’m not quitting my day job. I’m still a geek at heart.”

“Me too. Once a geek always a geek I guess.” Gene opined.

The picnic table on the deck was adorned with the clichéic red and white checker pattern tablecloth. A spread of food ranging from fried chicken to macaroni and cheese to salad was laid out on the table. The back of the house overlooks a wooded preserve and the full orb of the setting sun was visible through the screens that kept the deck bug-free in the Summer. A couple of large plants, products of my wife’s gardening hobby sat in the corners. The children found their places and giggled among themselves over some secret amusement they shared. “Let’s ask the blessing.” I said. I gave thanks to God for all present and absent and for all that He’d done and continues to do. After that we dug in.

During the feast Tempest commented on the weather and how unusual it was for a November day in Maryland to be so mild and that she had to take advantage of it and have dinner outside. “It’s supposed to be nice all weekend and Promise and I were talking about going to the Inner Harbor. You guys could come too, Gene, it would be fun. Thought we could sit on Federal Hill and have a picnic or something.” she said as she continued to eat. Gene and I both grunted in agreement as we stared into our respective plates. For a moment, our eyes met and then we looked down again. Both of us displayed a little nervous fidgeting.

“I know you so well Mr. Mack, spill it…” Tempest said sternly, the gentle hint of her southern accent becoming more pronounced.

I glanced at Gene who surreptitiously shook his head to say, “No.” “Um, it’s just that the Harbor you know, been there, done that, touristy and all...” My words trailed off as I glanced back at Gene hoping to get some nod of approval – I got none.

“After all this group has been through, you two keep your secrets?” Tempest, annoyed, asked.

Shrugging at Gene as if to say, “What do you want me to do?” I said, “You know Gene and I have known each other for a long time, over thirty years now. We’ve been through some stuff and some of it we just don’t talk about.”

Gene gave me an incredulous look and interjected, “We’ve just got history is all… and history should stay in the past.” He was looking at me as he said that last part and I knew it was a polite “shut up!”

“I see, well if it’s that important I guess I should back off.” Tempest said.

“Exactly!” Gene exclaimed. “Oh, I didn’t mean… I mean, could you? Um please?”

“Don’t worry, I get it.” Tempest flatly replied.

“Can we have dessert, Mommy?” the little girl with the manipulative look asked.

“Sure, baby.” said the adult with the sarcastic glances at Gene and me.

“None for me please, I’ve got to save up for Thanksgiving.” Gene said.

“None for you, you need to eat better.” my food warden decreed, looking at me.

“May Gene and I be excused to the office?” I asked.

“Sure, leave the wife in the dark and keep secrets.” Tempest said with a wry smile on her face denoting the return of the playful nature on the list of things about her...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 26.9.2023
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-1041-4 / 9798350910414