Jamieson — The Past
“What’s taking you so long? Come on. Don’t make me do it all alone, Maimy.”
“Pet, wait up. The last thing we should be doing is...What are we doing again?”
“Funny, har har, Maimy. We’re doing something sneaky. You know what sneaky is, right?” Traipsing across the room, tiptoeing like she’s some ninja, Petra makes more noise than an elephant. There’s no way no one heard us. Thanking our lucky stars that Dad’s off at a race, because he hears everything, we walk across the living room. As Petra pops the door, her smile is so bright, the moonlight makes her look evil.
Catching up to her, closing the door quietly, we sneak out of the house. Passing the pool, Petra runs far ahead. “Wait up, Pet! Why are you running?”
“Maimy, it only happens this late at night. Come on.” Running across the yard, I move as quick as I can to catch her. She’s always been faster than me. Quickest feet in the eighth grade. She beat Jon last week, and he’s one of the fastest guys of our age. I’ve never seen a guy cry so hard.
Cresting the ridge, stopping by the edge of the cliff, all I see is Petra’s outline. Stepping beside her, looking out at the ocean, I don’t see anything. “What are we doing out here, Petra?”
She sits down on the edge of the grass. “I saw this once before, but only when it was this bright out. Just wait, Maimy.” I used to hate her nickname for me, but I’ve had it so long, I don’t even think about it anymore. My sister—my twin sister—means everything to me. Yeah, we have Wyatt, and Mom is pregnant, but Petra is mine. And if she says there’s something I need to see, well, I’ll damn well follow.
She pats the grass beside her. “Sit, you dolt.”
Fine.
“What are we looking for, Pet?”
“Whales.”
“Whales?” On the California coast, whales aren’t special. “I see them all the time. Why are we looking late at night? It’s almost three in the morning, Pet.” Sometimes she’s exasperating, but I do what she wants because she’s Petra. Her way of dragging me toward danger is innate. Even on a motorcycle, I’m not as fearless as her. I swear she’ll be Dad’s new race partner in no time. The girl can drive a car like nobody’s business. Well, it’s a Go Cart, but she drives it like she was born to.
“Jamieson, you never see what I do, until I show you. So tonight, let me show you.” Tapping me on the leg, I relent.
Anything, and I relent. We get in trouble, and I take the fall. She fails a math test, and I say it was because I kept her up late talking about snowboards. I take the brunt of everything, because she’s mine to protect.
“Look. If you watch the waves just off the coast you’ll see them. No, you’ll hear them. Just listen, Maimy.” Her smile is wide, bright, and infectious, as usual.
“Okay, Pet.”
Rubbing her hands together, gleeful and full of excitement, she points. “See right there? That’s where they come around. Every full moon, every time. If it’s not raining, there are five of them. Just watch.”
Looking where she points, I don’t see a thing. Eventually, there’s sea spray. Whales. “Well shit.”
“Told you.” She shoulder bumps me. “Now listen, you’ll hear them sing.”
Staying quiet, listening intently, there’s nothing at first. “Petra,” I say, annoyed that we’re waiting to see whales at night, in the ocean, because she thinks they…
Suddenly, there’s a low howl, moan, and crooning sound. Then another, and another, until there are a dozen whales singing to the moon.
“Wow.”
“Told you.”
“Yeah, you—”
Without warning, the ground around us gives way. I try to grab Petra any way I can, but I can’t get her. She’s falling too far, too fast. Grabbing purchase on a tree root, I’m able to hold myself up the cliff partway. Looking down, it’s so dark I can’t see her. “Petra!” I scream, but she doesn’t answer me.
I call her name over and over again until my voice is hoarse. I need to get up the wrecked sea wall to reach the top. Using the root to climb, I start to make my way up. I don’t have on shoes, and my feet cut on the jagged rocks. Slipping every so often, I finally reach the grass at the top and look down, screaming, hoping for an answer. “Petra!”
Running across the ground as fast as I can, making it to the house, I tear through the house, looking to wake Cicerro, our caregiver. By the time he appears, the tears are streaming down my face. My body is shaking from the fear of what Dad will do to us, and I’m hoping that Petra is okay.
.