Page 38 of Class Clown

I taught them the second verse and we all sang that before moving along to Baby Bumblebee, and On Top of Spaghetti. By the time we broke from the trees into a large, high meadow near a pond, I wasn’t sure my vocalcords would make it. Yet, I hadn’t felt so free and relaxed in a while. As we’d hiked through the gorgeous scenery, singing at the top of our lungs, with lots of giggling in between, my burdens had lightened.

Sure, life could be lonely for a romance-obsessed thirty-something, but it was definitely not empty. There were happy moments all the time.

The kids scampered away toward the pond, dropping their packs here and there, with so much energy you’d never guess we’d spent the past hour hiking. Nico set down his pack and followed after them. Probably smart to head off any water incidents. Gina and I fell into step side-by-side and she watched it all with a big smile.

“The singing was fun,” she said. “If you’re not careful you’re going to get asked to come on all the hikes.”

“I’m afraid that this was a one-time performance. I don’t think I have the stamina to do that repeatedly,” I replied, whipping off my backpack and moving my shoulders in satisfaction as a breeze blew over the sweaty patches. “This, right here,” I said to Gina, pointing to the damp bandana on my forehead, “is the only way I keep all the guys from knocking on my cabin door day and night. Without my sweat issues I’d be a straight 10.”

We laughed together as we began gathering up the little backpacks the kids had flung in all directions and moved them toward a flat spot near the edge of the pond. Gina opened one of the packs and pulled out a lunch, and I followed suit, until all the lunches were laid out and ready for a picnic.

As we did it, I drilled her with questions. If she thought it was strange, she didn’t ask. I’d had a lot of time with Kristy, but hardly any with Gina and I needed to know about her. All her answers were good enough for me. She had parents, she was an only child, she loved nature and was carefree but organized. Plus, cute babies would be made.

I wondered if I’d been thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe I should set Nico up with both Gina and Kristy. I’d arrange chance encounters, and talk them both up. Then, he’d pick the one he liked best, thus allowing him to think it was all his idea. Hmmm. There might be something to that.

“I honestly do not know how you get anything done while Nico is sharing your cabin,” Gina said under her breath as she took a seat on a rock. I sat too and watched with an inward smile as she once again stared longingly at the man in question. “I would be so self-consciousall the time, making sure my hair was brushed and my breath was fresh, wondering if I snored or not.”

“It really helps that I don’t like Nico that way, so no biggie. The other day I had to use the bathroom while he was shaving and I ran in there doing the potty dance and basically shoved him out the door.”

Gina laughed and Nico looked back toward us as I joined in. I took the opportunity to wave at him. He lifted his chin in greeting and went back to watching the campers as they tried to skip rocks.

“So, Gina, what are you looking for in a guy?” I asked, not even attempting to be subtle.

She tilted her head toward Nico. “Whatever he’s got, I’ll take it.”

I smiled. “The quiet, strong type, huh?”

She nodded. “His silence makes him more mysterious.”

Mystery Man himself blew a whistle that got everyone’s attention and the kids started heading back our way for lunch. They got settled in a semi-circle and Gina launched into her talk about nature and the plants and animals we saw on the hike. She was a natural with the kids, and as they watched her I watched Nico. He seemed interested in what she was saying, and his expression was relaxed. I could build on that.

One of the kids shot her hand in the air. “Do you think animals have meetings like this where they learn about people?”

I bit my lips together to keep from laughing out loud. When I looked away from the kid, my eyes caught Nico as he glanced my way. He offered me a small, amused smile. My smile grew, until I realized we were sharing a moment. I blinked and hurried to look back at Gina, wondering when we’d formed that type of comradery.

Chapter 11

Ruby’s Truth: If a well-formed shoulder presents itself, there’s nothing wrong with giving it a little squeeze.

It was raining. It had started out as a drizzle, and I’d willingly turned my sweat-drenched face to the sky, but now it was a deluge. Nice prank, Arizona. Desert my foot.

“My mom said it wasn’t supposed to rain,” one of the little hikers grumped.

Yeah. My internet searches had said monsoon season came in August or September and other than that I could expect very little rain in the Flagstaff area. Too bad this was now the second time it had rained. Proof that Mother Nature will not be locked down by the internet’s predictions.

The trail had turned to mud, and the kids weren’t even interested in singing Boom Chicka Boom with me. The world might as well have tipped on its axis. Boom Chicka Boom was a classic enjoyed by all ages, in all circumstances, as far as I was concerned.

I wiped at my eyes and looked ahead to where Nico was marching along as though it were another balmy day in paradise. He had shortened his steps, at least, to accommodate the slippery spots and little legs following him, but he seemed totally unbothered. How would it be to walk through life that way? I’d never know. I experienced all of it.

Gina was in the middle of the line with her head down and shoulders ed as she plodded ahead. She had been dimmed by the challenges of hikingfor an hour in the rain with eight kids, and I couldn’t blame her. I felt like I was about to become a fairytale villain myself.

A cracking sound from the trees behind me had me spinning around, startled, knees clenching together in protest. I made a surprised noise and waited to see how my life was going to end. Spoiler alert, it did not end.

I squinted into the darkened forest, but couldn’t see anything. Figuring the rain had made a branch extra heavy and it had broken – it seemed scientific - I unclenched my knees and took a small step backwards, then another. Safety first means not turning your back until you’re completely sure that the cracking noise wasn’t a rabid bear on the hunt. On my fourth step backwards two things happened.

First: several people called my name in warning. Second: I slipped off a small ledge – small, people, not worth all the commotion it caused – and tumbled first onto my rear, and then straight back onto my pack. The pack formed a sled and I skidded downhill for a few yards on the wet ground until a rock bonked me on the back of the head and stopped my momentum. From this viewpoint, with my chin slightly tipped backwards, the rain had the opportunity to go up my nose. All-in-all, I’d call the experiencedelightful.

From up on the trail the weeping and wailing had begun, as the kiddos cried out that I had plunged to my death. Their caterwauling made me chuckle. I was for sure going to have a few bumps and bruises, but I was okay and wanted to hurry to reassure those poor littles. I tried to sit up, but my feet were uphill and my back was arched over my pack, so I was in an awkward position – think turtle flipped onto its shell. I rolled toward my side at the same time that Gina called my name. I was able to lift my head enough to see her coming toward me.

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