Chapter Text
“Man, this is gonna be great! I can’t wait to get a game of volleyball going!” Gerald said with his towel slung over one shoulder, a duffel bag with poles and netting and a book bag hanging off the other.
“Yeah, I’m down for that,” Arnold said, adjusting his grip on a slightly scuffed boombox.
The one with the old sticker on the side 'Be Kind, Rewind' that was peeling, but it still worked.
“Mostly I just wanna relax, maybe listen to some music by the water.”
Sid trotted a few steps ahead, squinting at the sunlight bouncing off the hood of a parked car,“So who else is did you invite Gerald?”
“I called everybody, you got Harold, he’s bringing some food,” Gerald said, trying not to sound too worried about that part.
“Thank goodness,” Stinky drawled, fanning himself with his hat.
The air was already heavy and sticky with August heat,“’Cause I skipped breakfast.”
“Let's see if any of it will actually make it to the lake,” Sid joked,“Knowing Harold, he’ll eat half before he even gets there.”
They all cracked up at that, their laughter filling the nearly empty street.
Arnold smiled,“Alright, well Gerald, who else did you invite?”
Gerald grinned,“Okay, so: Harold, like I said-but he invited Patty. Then the usuals-Eugene, Iggy, Curly-and Curly then invited Rhonda into coming, which somehow means Nadine is, too, because those two are a package deal.”
“Dang, that’s pretty much the whole class,” Stinky said with his eyebrows raised beneath his hat brim.
Gerald shrugged,“Yeah, but it’s summer, man. It’s too hot to just sit around. Today’s got that perfect ‘lake day’ vibe, so I figured-why not throw together a little shindig?”
They nodded as their sneakers scuffed against cracked sidewalk.
That constant murmur of downtown life started to fade behind them as they spotted the trees that lined the old path toward the park up ahead in the distance.
Arnold shifted his boombox, feeling the strap of own back pack dig into his shoulder,“So, uh…did you invite anyone else?”
Gerald’s smirk spread slow, like he’d been waiting for that question, “Maybe a few more of the girls and random others.”
Sid groaned, dragging out the sound dramatically,“Why? It’s already bad enough with Patty and Rhonda-now you’re bringing more?”
“Because it’s a party, man,” Gerald said, easy as ever, “Girls can be fun. Just try not to act like a dork and you might even have a good time.”
Stinky chuckled,“I dunno, Sid. I think it’s nice havin’ the girls around. I kinda wish I’d invited Gloria.”
Sid made a face, “Gloria? Dude, she’s boring! And what’s with that all-pink outfit? She looks like a human highlighter.”
“She’s nice,” Stinky said defensively, “And she always shares her Mr. Nutty bar with me at lunch. Plus…I like the way she dresses.”
Sid blinked, then grinned, “Oh man, you like-like her! Don't you!”
Stinky shrugged with a sheepish grin,“Reckon I do. I ain’t ashamed of it. Pa says it’s normal to start noticin’ girls more at my age.”
Gerald laughed, shaking his head,“So what about you, Sid? You crushing on anybody?”
Sid kicked at a pebble, watching it skip ahead before bouncing into the gutter,“Nah, not really. I dunno. Haven’t thought about it much.”
His voice faltered just enough to sound like he had thought about it, he just wasn’t ready to say who.
Gerald tilted his head, that sly grin back,“Well, I not afraid to say, I totally got my eye on someone. I like her style.”
“Who?” Sid leaned in, instantly nosy.
The group slowed, drawn in by the mystery.
Gerald just smiled, that kind of knowing smile that said he wasn’t about to spill,“Won't you like to know.”
Sid threw an arm around Arnold’s shoulder, smirking, “At least Arnold’s normal. He’s not out here drooling over anyone.”
Arnold gave a weak laugh, but his eyes stayed on the sidewalk ahead.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple that wasn’t entirely from the heat.
Sid stopped mid-step, his jaw dropping,“Wait-no way. Arnold? Don’t tell me you caught feelings again! You said you were over Lila!”
Arnold’s cheeks flushed pink as he gripped the boombox tighter,“I am,” he said quickly,“Can we not make this weird? Let’s just talk about something else.”
The words hung there for a second.
The boys exchanged glances, half-smirking then but they let it drop.
Gerald clapped his hands once, breaking the tension,“Alright, alright. Arnold's right, let's forget the love talk. The lake’s only a few more blocks. Let’s move if we wanna snag the best spot before Harold and his crew show up. I want to be all set up by the time they get their, it's already late in the day.”
The group picked up the pace, the sun beating down on the backs of their necks.
Ahead, the faint shimmer of water caught the sunlight, promising escape from the heat.
Arnold looked toward the lake and exhaled with the small smile forming.
Part of him hoped the day would stretch out, because soon enough summer would end.
And everything would start getting complicated again.
But not yet. Not today. Today, they had the lake.