I confess. I killed him.
Dane and I almost won the crazy horseshoe game, dominated the bean bag game, and now we were showing off stunts on the tramp. I tried to act thoroughly amused yet my attention drained until it was completely dry. My mind whizzed off in twenty directions like peanut butter between two saltines.
My peripheral vision caught my attention and I turned my head. Although Dane’s physique didn’t keep him from jumping longer, something was bothering him. I could see it on his brow. It was furrowed and there was a slight cliff dive in his lips. He didn’t say anything when I questioned him about it and I decided to drop the subject all together. We were soon ready for the dance, but our friends wouldn’t be there for another hour.
“How about we play red rover?” a girl asked as she edged away from her date.
“I don’t really like that game.” Dane said.
Being the great date I was, I told him that we didn’t have anything else to play and he reluctantly agreed to a couple of rounds before we went to the dance.
Kids were sent to and fro, back and forth, each account ending on the ground with laughter and some funny comment until it was Dane’s turn.
“RED ROVER! RED ROVER! SEND DANE RIGHT OVER!” we all chimed together, the other team bracing for the impact. It came swift and he was on the ground. Laughter filled the back yard. My laugh croaked at the end.
Laughter was replaced with pounding feet. Everyone crowded Dane, although not a single hand moved. He was locked in the fetal position clutching his knee. We all remained frozen until a girl spoke up. I didn’t turn to see her.
“I’ll get my mom, she’ll know what to do.” She said rationally, as I heard her footsteps grow faint. Moments later her mom was outside with a bottle of ibuprofen and peering down at Dane. Oh Dane. He still hadn’t made a single noise. I didn’t either. The girl’s mom asked Dane a bunch of questions and I stayed completely silent until she asked someone to call Dane’s parents. I held still, now looking at the ground, but no one spoke up. Of course I was the only one who had his number. His mother’s calm, protected voice danced into the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Hey…is this Mrs. Ostergaard?”
“Yes it is.”
“This is Alexa.” I was in hysterics.
“What’s going on?” It sounded like she dropped something. I had lost all my nerve and now my voice was in shambles.
“Uh…Dane…we were playing…red rover you see…and he…” the rest was lost in a minute of blubbering. I handed the phone off to the girl’s mom and took a step back. She directed Dane’s parents to the house and asked them to pull around back to load him into their van. After she hung up the air around us began to feel hot, and uncomfortable. I knew what needed to be done. I couldn’t tell our group with Dane in earshot, so I told everyone to head to the house. As we walked away from Dane, I begged them to go to the dance without me. After a few vigorous moments of pleads back and forth, they gave in and left me with Dane and the adults.
Dane’s parents arrived and I thought the dam behind my eyelids would be stronger. I was wrong: the dam was going to break down soon. Just before the adults lifted Dane into the van, Dane scowls at me and said through gritted teeth, “Alexa. Leave. Now.” My head was stunned, but my body moved mechanically. I felt light-headed. Taking smaller and smaller steps as I drew closer to the door to the house, I could feel a bead of sweat make an exodus down my back. I bit my lip and spread out my fist. I had turned the knob when I heard it.
His scream could be considered blood curdling, but I would say it was closer to a person getting mauled by a bear. I turned the knob, took one step into the house and melted into the wood floor. The adults found me on the floor, running-nosed and blotchy-faced. I didn’t need to explain nor did I want to. One of the adults drove me home and I bit my lip the entire time.
Sliding down the back of the front door and onto the floor, I began to sob just as my mother turned the corner to see me.
“What happened honey? Is everything alright?” she sounded frightened.
“I…KILLED…DANE!” I wasn’t sure what words really came out of mouth, because I wasn’t really sure what my brain was thinking either.
“You…WHAT?”
“I KILLED HIM!” After the second time my brain comprehended what had been said.
“Not really Mom!”
