Row Row Your Boat

Silver Lake, September 7, 2015

Narrator: The school year in Azure Rock High always started on the first Thursday of the month and the first Monday after that was always a field trip, the idea being to ease in the new school year for the students coming back from vacation and make it a fun start for the kids. This year it was a trip to Silver Lake.

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Half of the sophomore group walk down the pier following Mr. Ward down to the rowboats and started to get in while trying to fall off and into the lake.

"Do we really have to get in those... things?" Lux Chaumont asked with complete disgust.

"Today we are going to have some fun, so pick a boat and grab an oar. We're going to practice first and then race to the other shore and back, with the wining team getting a prize." Mr. Ward said hoping to get the kids interesting in the activity.

"We have to ROW! OMG!" Lux whined. "Don't we have... like... motorboats for these things?"

"If you want a motorboat you’re going to have to ask Chloe, she has them all." quipped Bianca Zuccaro and half the kids started laughing.

15 year old Chloe McRose crossed her arms across her chest and blushed. She was what you would call an early bloomer and had started to develop faster and earlier than most of the girls in school. Puberty had hit her hard.

"Don't listen to them." 16 year old Zackary Bishop said to Chloe, who along with Gavin Westher, were his best friend since forever. "Let's take that boat at the end." he added and started to lead Chloe and Gavin to the end of the pier. Zack and Gavin were both late bloomers, only just recently had they started to get their growth spurt and their voices had started to change. Zack and Gavin were about the same height and Zack was actually a full head shorter than Chloe even though he was just a few months older that her and Gavin.

"Watch this." Dylan Bennet whispered to his friend Brandon Cole. "This'll teach those upstarts to stay back where they belong with their kind."

"Hey Chloe!" Dylan yelled, "Are those pimples you got on your face or did you come to spawn in the lake?!" More laughter from the kids, while Bianca high-fived Dylan. Brandon also laughed, thinking Chloe looked really weird with freckles and pimples all over her face and those shinny brackets in her mouth.

"All right kids Knock it off!" Mr. Ward said in a load and annoyed voice trying to get things under control. "Now come over here we got to go over a few safety tips before we all get in the boats." He pulled up a life vest to show everyone. "This is a life vest. This will keep you afloat in case you fall off the boat. I want every one of you to put your vest on before you get into the boats."

"Chloe doesn't need one, she's got her own on built in!" Dylan yelled from behind the group holding his hands out in front has if holding up a pair of melons.

"Cut it out Dylan!" Zack called back at Dylan.

"WHOA, the garden gnome can talk, shouldn't you be still in **** garden shorty!" Dylan laughed at him.

"Shut up Dylan!" Zack snapped back.

"Shut up Dylan!" Dylan mocked Zack and made a funny face at him.

"QUIET!" yelled Mr. Ward, trying to get things under control before it all blew up in his face.

Dylan and Bianca shared a wink before they started to sing

"ZACK AND CHLOE SITTING IN A TREE!"

"K - I - S - S - I - N - G!"

"Shut up!" Zack almost screamed.

"FIRST COMES LOVE - " almost all the kids now chimed in.

"-Shut up!" Zack screamed again.

-THEN COMES MARRIAGE-"

Chloe turned around and started running to the forest crying all the way.

"ZACK! ZACK!" Gavin called to his friend. "She running!" and both of them bolted after Chloe.

'-THEN COMES BABY IN THE BABY CARRIAGE! -' They sang.

"Get back here!" Mr. Ward ordered them, he tried to get in their way to stop them but only managed to get tangled up with Gavin while Zack buzzed by them.

Zack pounded up the path after Chloe slowly gaining on her. He saw her miss a turn and dive straight into the middle of the forest. "Chloe! Wait! Stop!" he called out to her.

Chloe finally reached a clearing and stumbled over to a fallen trunk where she sat down and buried her face in her hands and sobbed hard. Zack sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder and tried to sooth her. "Don't pay attention to them, don't let them get to you." he said.

"But they're right" she sobbed and leaned into him. "I'm a monster."

"No, you're not." he said.

"Yes I am." she cried "Just look at me! I got giant... stuff on my face, I look like I got some monster parasite from outer space on my face, and these fucking braces make me look some freakish... cyborg... zombie... parasite... space monster!" and she started to cry again.

"C'mon Chloe, you're not a monster. Those pimples will go away and, in a few months, they take off your brackets and it will be fine."

"Yea but look at these... these... things!" she said pointing to her chest.

Zack just smiled and laughed "Don't make fun of me Zachary Bishop or I swear to god I'll beat you up!" Chloe yelled at him.

"Bianca's just jealous of you because she's flatter than pancake, front and back!" he laughed and managed to get Chloe to smile at his description of Bianca.

"It will be alright." Zack said trying to sooth her again.

After a few moments Chloe calmed down enough to lift her face up. "Where's Gavin?"

"Mr. Ward tried to stop us and Gavin ran interference." Zack answer.

"He's going to get in trouble for that." Chloe said.

"Not has much has we are when we get back." Zack said. "C'mon, it will be alright." Zack said trying to sooth her again.

"You really think so?" She asked. "You don't think I look like a monster?"

"You look pretty and you're going to be beautiful." he said.

"Now you're just saying that because you’re my friend." she accused him and pushed him away.

"Of course I'm your friend!" Zack laughed. "C'mon let go back before they send the Rangers after us. I don't want Ranger Roger to get mad at me or he’ll kick me out of the next camping trip with the boy scouts."

Has they walked back they came to two different conclusions.

'I really am ugly... He only said that because he's my friend.... , He only said it to make me feel better but, I'm ugly. I'm an ugly monster' Chloe though sadly.

'I hope she realizes that they are just being mean and stop taking it so serious. Most girls would kill to have a rack like that. Shit, I can't think of her that way, I can’t, I can't, if she finds out it will only make it worse for her, she'll kill me. I can't think of her like that.' Zack rambled on and on in his mind until they made it back to the pier.