Ghost Towns

She was teaching him to bounce stones on water.

“So you throw the stone like you want to slit water, okay?” She threw a stone and it bounced thrice before sinking.

“See?” She looked around. He was not next to her.

He was sitting a little farther leaning on a rock, reading.

She went and sat next to him. “I was teaching you how to bounce stones, remember?” She frowned.

“Yes, but then after you did it yourself 6 times, I kinda lost interest.”

She frowned again.

She slept on the banks of the river and stared at the sun. And smiled.

“The sun just washes me with happiness and the sounds of water make me happy too.”

“Lots of chocolate makes you happy, too. Doesn’t mean you eat all you want!” He mocked her.

Ignoring him, she went on, “Then why do we live away from this? Why build stupid buildings?” She asked, more to the sky than him.

“I don’t think buildings are stupid. Have you ever visited the old police station? I went there with my father. It has these old pictures of criminals and bravery awards on a mantle. Really interesting.”

“Hm. So buildings are nice when they are old, eh?”

“No, idiot. Buildings are nice if they have memories in them. The older they are, the more memories. The more the walls have seen, the more stories they tell.” He said, sounding like a wise poet.

She looked at him as if she was examining his wisdom.

“So old buildings with lots of sun and a river nearby and some trees too. Sounds perfect, no?”

“No. You just described a ghost town. You need people always.”

“I don’t particularly like people.” She said sitting up.

“Me neither.” He smiled.

Stomachs

The bell rang.

He stared at her as she passed. Oh god, she was beautiful.

“Ahem.”

“What took you so long?” He frowned. She had seen him stare at Anya.

“Anya is nice. And pretty.” She smiled wide.

They started walking home.

“So?” He shrugged.

“So nothing. She would gracefully accept if someone liked her.” She continued beaming.

“She is nice. Isn't she?” He finally gave in. “And so intelligent.” He continued.

“So tell her.” She said.

“But, she is Anya. I mean, I am not even friends with her. I am friends with no girl but you.”

“Hm.” She was deep in thought.

“I cannot just ask her out. How do I tell her she is brilliant?”

“Beat her at a test.” She said. She bought an ice cream candy, sat down on the bench near the street and started licking it.

“What? But she is smart. She tops them all.”

“Exactly. Beat her at a test. She will notice you. Maybe even talk to you. Then you can offer to teach or something. I don’t know.”

“Shit. This is so hard.” He sighed and sat down next to her. “I feel like my stomach is a churning machine when she passes. She is just so fabulous, you know. I want to talk to her all day.”

“Kids and love is charming to watch.” She laughed.

“You are 14, too.”

“And not in love.” She beamed.

“The ones who resist the most, are the ones that fall the hardest. My dad said.” He said giving her a smirk.

“We will see about that.”

“We indeed will.”

And as he ran past her stealing her candy, she realized what he meant. Sigh, her stomach churned.

Treasures

She plopped down on the rock.

“It’s pointless. What if there is no hidden treasure?” She said.

He was dragging her again to the top of the hill to search for that elusive treasure, he said he believed in.

They had been searching for it since they were 7.

He would drag her here, everyday of their summer holidays and make her search for hours before they could finally go and have ice-cream.

It was like a tradition. They had stopped one year when they weren’t talking to each other. He scored the highest marks, she almost failed that year. Her mother decided whose doing it was. She didn’t see him one whole summer.

But after that year, he ensured she never did badly. He’d teach her. Everyday. He almost killed her once when she wouldn’t get why equations were important. But she survived. And so did their friendship.

“There is lazy butt. Move it. We can’t spend so much time getting up there. We have to search. I will seriously not get you along next time.”

“Thank god for small mercies. Can I go back now?” She glared.

“No. Think of this as payback for all the times I choose you for my football team so that you aren’t the only one left.”

She got up, dusted her butt and walked on like a zombie.

“You know it is pointless, right? It has been 6 years. We have never found anything. Who gave you all this bullshit about treasure, anyway?”

“Shut up, will you? You are just lazy. Thank me I do this to you. Otherwise every summer you would have grown very very fat.”

“Thank you.” She scowled and kicked him on the back of his knee.

He fell and winced in pain. Oh god, she thought.

When she gave him her hand, he pulled her down hard. They laughed.

“My father told me there is something up there. That he went there every day and searched till he didn’t have summer holidays to do that anymore.”

“Yes, so you should do it. Keep your family tradition of ‘being pointless’ up. I do not mind.”

He punched her.

“So there is no treasure then.” He sighed.

“No, there isn’t. I am sure he is trying to tell you ‘Son, do not waste your life like I did.’”

He punched her, again. Harder.

And as they sat there beating each other up, he suddenly realized the treasure his father was talking about.

A secret

"This is a secret" , she mumbled. "You cannot tell this to anybody."

He gave her his typical "I know I shouldn't be friends with you" look.

"But why be so secretive? It is not national treasure."
"It is my treasure. Who knows? Maybe nations want it", she said.
"Okay so we dig this hole and then what?"
"Nothing, we wait for me to die."
"What?"
"And then you take it and bury it here."
"If I have to bury it after you die, why are we digging now?" He said as he let the shovel drop and sat down with an angry look.
"Because it is ceremonial. I should be able to dig the grave. I won't be able to do it after I die, right?"
"I swear, I will push you in. You are 12. Where do you get these stupid ideas from?"

He gave her his typical "I know I shouldn't be friends with you" look, again.

"From my head. Isn't it where everyone gets their ideas from? I just preserve them. Or try to."
"Trust me. Your ideas are not worth preserving." He laughed.
"Says the guy who doesn't know the spelling of weird?"

He gave her a mock smile and continued, "What will we do with the grave till you die? Someone may fall in."
"We'll put a sign up. 'Look where you are going, lest you go down.' Sounds nice?"
"Ya, I guess. I'll paint it."

"But why is the grave so big?" He inquired as they walked away. "Isn't it just a tiny book?"
"It is a tiny book of ideas. It will need room to breathe. Maybe, someday some kid like myself will find it. I shall be very happy then."

"You shall be dead, then." He laughed and broke into a sprint.

She was a girl but she hit like a boy, nonetheless.