Summer in the City by Rachael Sabotini (Earthside Challenge)
Title: Summer in the City
Author: Rachael Sabotini (wickedwords)
Summary: Slinging his guitar over his back, John dropped his skateboard onto the ground and pushed off the steps of building 'E', riding down the gentle slope to where everyone sat on the Sunset sign or leaned against one of the trees.
775 words, Gen. For the Earthside Challenge
Huge thanks to z_rayne for the beta on this
Summer in the City
An evening breeze stirred the dirt piles at the edge of the parking lot, pushing dust devils up against the speed bumps and crushed cigarette packs, coloring everything brown. During the day the place was quiet and still, shimmering waves rising off the asphalt to assault anyone out in the heat, sealed-off apartments hoarding the early morning chill.
But with the breeze, doors opened and people spilled out of their shuttered boxes onto the stairwells and landings of the Sunset Apartments. Laughter and song broke out at once as neighbor greeted neighbor and the windows were thrown wide open. Shrieks from the under-ten set filled the air as they begged for the sprinklers to be turned on, while over-tens headed for the few bits of shade near the complex entrance, where the only trees stood in a thatch of dried, brown grass.
Slinging his guitar over his back, John dropped his skateboard onto the ground and pushed off the steps of building 'E', riding down the gentle slope to where everyone sat on the Sunset sign or leaned against one of the trees.
One of the younger kids already had a lemonade stand set up, a staple as much as Mrs. Harper in her cherry-red housedress rocking and fanning herself on the 'D' building steps. He didn't recognize the kid though -- blonde hair done up tight, wisps plastered against her face from her sweat in the heat -- and mentally, John shrugged. She must be new; probably another army brat like most of the others, with their dads away at war. The kid next to her was older -- probably her brother, from the protective look in his eye as he watched her dump ice in a glass from a dark blue chest and fill it to the rim with liquid.
Ooooh. Ice.
John stopped his board, stepping on the back so he could pick it up easily, and walked over to the lemonade stand. The girl smiled brightly at him, greedy as all get out. "Twenty-five cents."
"That's a little steep, isn't it? Used to be a dime."
"Please," her brother said, rolling his eyes. "We're from Canada. Everything is more expensive here." He looked John over, his eyes lazily scrolling down, taking in John's bare chest and cut-offs, and the sandals on his feet. "Though I'm not sure you can afford it."
"Yeah, I can." John gave him a grin, digging into his pants to find his change. The brother had to be dying in the heat, dressed as he was in a long-sleeve white shirt, blue pants, and the goofiest hat John had ever seen. He caught a school logo on the front of the shirt, along with frayed cuffs and a mended collar: private school. Charity case.
He handed the coin to the sister. "John Sheppard."
"Jeannie McKay. That's my brother, Rodney."
"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you."
Rodney snorted as Jeanie mixed up his glass and handed it to him, smiling pleasantly all the while.
John could see the ice melting the moment she handed it to him, and took a huge swallow--only to gasp and choke a bit from the taste. "What the hell...?" He glared at the glass. "This isn't lemonade."
"No, it's not," Rodney spat out. "I'm allergic to lemons. Therefore, no lemonade."
John took another sip. It wasn't so bad, now that he was ready for it. Tasted a little like grape juice in fact. "So what is it?"
"My own special recipe." Jeannie folded her hands in front of her, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Good, isn't it?"
John finished off the rest and fished the ice out of the glass to suck on. "Actually, yeah."
"Cool." Jeannie beamed, and slapped Rodney on the shoulder. "Told ya."
"Ow." Rodney rubbed his shoulder. "Do that again, and you can sit here all by yourself."
"You know," John said slowly. He didn't usually warm up to people right away, but there was just something about Rodney.... "We usually hang out over there, where there's shade." He gestured toward the group under the largest tree. "You can watch her from there if you want. You'll be out of the sun."
"Why would I...." Rodney paused as he watched John fish another ice cube out of the glass and rub it across his neck. Damn, but that felt good. "Okay, yes. Good idea," he said, and swallowed.
"Come on." John tugged Rodney's hand and pulled him out from behind the stand and onto the asphalt. "There are people that you need to meet."
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Author: Rachael Sabotini (wickedwords)
Summary: Slinging his guitar over his back, John dropped his skateboard onto the ground and pushed off the steps of building 'E', riding down the gentle slope to where everyone sat on the Sunset sign or leaned against one of the trees.
775 words, Gen. For the Earthside Challenge
Huge thanks to z_rayne for the beta on this
Summer in the City
An evening breeze stirred the dirt piles at the edge of the parking lot, pushing dust devils up against the speed bumps and crushed cigarette packs, coloring everything brown. During the day the place was quiet and still, shimmering waves rising off the asphalt to assault anyone out in the heat, sealed-off apartments hoarding the early morning chill.
But with the breeze, doors opened and people spilled out of their shuttered boxes onto the stairwells and landings of the Sunset Apartments. Laughter and song broke out at once as neighbor greeted neighbor and the windows were thrown wide open. Shrieks from the under-ten set filled the air as they begged for the sprinklers to be turned on, while over-tens headed for the few bits of shade near the complex entrance, where the only trees stood in a thatch of dried, brown grass.
Slinging his guitar over his back, John dropped his skateboard onto the ground and pushed off the steps of building 'E', riding down the gentle slope to where everyone sat on the Sunset sign or leaned against one of the trees.
One of the younger kids already had a lemonade stand set up, a staple as much as Mrs. Harper in her cherry-red housedress rocking and fanning herself on the 'D' building steps. He didn't recognize the kid though -- blonde hair done up tight, wisps plastered against her face from her sweat in the heat -- and mentally, John shrugged. She must be new; probably another army brat like most of the others, with their dads away at war. The kid next to her was older -- probably her brother, from the protective look in his eye as he watched her dump ice in a glass from a dark blue chest and fill it to the rim with liquid.
Ooooh. Ice.
John stopped his board, stepping on the back so he could pick it up easily, and walked over to the lemonade stand. The girl smiled brightly at him, greedy as all get out. "Twenty-five cents."
"That's a little steep, isn't it? Used to be a dime."
"Please," her brother said, rolling his eyes. "We're from Canada. Everything is more expensive here." He looked John over, his eyes lazily scrolling down, taking in John's bare chest and cut-offs, and the sandals on his feet. "Though I'm not sure you can afford it."
"Yeah, I can." John gave him a grin, digging into his pants to find his change. The brother had to be dying in the heat, dressed as he was in a long-sleeve white shirt, blue pants, and the goofiest hat John had ever seen. He caught a school logo on the front of the shirt, along with frayed cuffs and a mended collar: private school. Charity case.
He handed the coin to the sister. "John Sheppard."
"Jeannie McKay. That's my brother, Rodney."
"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you."
Rodney snorted as Jeanie mixed up his glass and handed it to him, smiling pleasantly all the while.
John could see the ice melting the moment she handed it to him, and took a huge swallow--only to gasp and choke a bit from the taste. "What the hell...?" He glared at the glass. "This isn't lemonade."
"No, it's not," Rodney spat out. "I'm allergic to lemons. Therefore, no lemonade."
John took another sip. It wasn't so bad, now that he was ready for it. Tasted a little like grape juice in fact. "So what is it?"
"My own special recipe." Jeannie folded her hands in front of her, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Good, isn't it?"
John finished off the rest and fished the ice out of the glass to suck on. "Actually, yeah."
"Cool." Jeannie beamed, and slapped Rodney on the shoulder. "Told ya."
"Ow." Rodney rubbed his shoulder. "Do that again, and you can sit here all by yourself."
"You know," John said slowly. He didn't usually warm up to people right away, but there was just something about Rodney.... "We usually hang out over there, where there's shade." He gestured toward the group under the largest tree. "You can watch her from there if you want. You'll be out of the sun."
"Why would I...." Rodney paused as he watched John fish another ice cube out of the glass and rub it across his neck. Damn, but that felt good. "Okay, yes. Good idea," he said, and swallowed.
"Come on." John tugged Rodney's hand and pulled him out from behind the stand and onto the asphalt. "There are people that you need to meet."
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