Anchor-Out 

1. Bernie opened the hatch and looked across the sparkling San Francisco bay. A harbour seal swam by, its sleek head making a V in the water. Those guys always made him smile. He pulled on his hoodie and slung his backpack into the rowing boat. ‘Bye, Ma!’ he yelled, although his mother wasn’t up. She’d worked the night shift again
2. The old rowing boat lurched as he stepped in and set his oars. He pulled away from Lunacy, the once-seaworthy sailing boat he and his mother called home. Rowing past the elaborate floating homes along the dock, Bernie savoured the fresh, salty air. He landed on a muddy patch of shoreline, tied up and waited for the school bus. His hair felt grimy, but that was okay. Today was a PE day, so he’d get a hot shower. 
3. Hopping onto the bus, Bernie passed rows of his schoolmates, dressed in designer clothes. Their hillside homes boasted swimming pools and milliondollar views. But nobody’s view equals mine, he assured himself. 
4. He settled in with the backseat crew. Looking forwards, he noticed the sunlight streaming through Amanda’s window, making her hair shine like gold. Amanda. He sighed. If only he could talk to her—he imagined sitting next to her. Her eyes would sparkle as she listened to the poetic way he talked about the rhythms of the tides, salty life on the bay. Who else but Bernie could tell her stories about the cast of characters that he called his neighbours? There was Bruce, the violinist; Sheila, the comic artist; Michel, the French sailor. And then she’d ask to visit him, and the rest would be history.
5.  Bernie had never actually spoken to Amanda. But that day after school he took the late bus home, and as he neared his rowing boat, he once again saw her golden hair. She was standing near the water’s edge along with a young boy. Her brother? Bernie approached, straining to hear their conversation.
6.  ‘What are those boats doing there?’ he heard the boy ask. Amanda shrugged. 
7. Bernie saw his moment. ‘They’re anchored out there. People live on them,’ he explained. Amanda gasped and grabbed hold of the boy’s hand. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,’ Bernie said. ‘I’m just on my way home.’ He pointed. ‘That one’s mine—she’s Lunacy.’ 
8. ‘Seriously? That’s awesome!’ the boy cried, hopping up and down. ‘Can I see it?’ 
9. Bernie gazed at Amanda. It wasn’t the scenario he imagined, but now he was picturing rowing all three of them out to Lunacy. The boy would say that Bernie was awesome, and Amanda would fall for him instantly. 
10. ‘Ew,’ Amanda said, shattering his fantasy like a hammer on glass. ‘Anchorouts are unsanitary, Jeremy.’ The look of genuine disgust on Amanda’s face was one Bernie wouldn’t soon forget. She continued, ‘Besides, Mom’s meeting us for dinner soon.
11. ‘ Bernie recoiled as if Amanda had slapped him. Was he unsanitary, too? He turned and walked away from Amanda, away from his rowing boat, away from more potential humiliation.
12. He was still fuming when he heard a distant shriek: ‘Hey!’ It was Amanda’s voice. He ran back.
13.  Amanda was ankle deep in the water when she spotted Bernie. She screeched, ‘You! You’ve done enough! Why did you put that stupid idea in his head? Look what you’ve done!’
14.  Bernie looked. His rowing boat was several metres offshore, and Jeremy was in it. Apparently Amanda wasn’t much of a babysitter—or a swimmer, since she wasn’t venturing any further. And Jeremy wasn’t much of a boatman— he’d lost an oar and couldn’t steer.
15. Time to be a hero, Bernie thought. He waded past Amanda. ‘Don’t worry, I got you,’ he told the boy. He grabbed the boat’s line, then scooped up the wayward oar. ‘Right-o, young sir,’ he said in his best mock-English accent, towing Jeremy towards shore. 
16. ‘Jeremy!’ cried a woman standing by the water.
17.  The boy waved from the boat. ‘Hi, Mom!’ Jeremy said. ‘Mom, he lives out there! Can we see his sailing boat? Can we, Mom?’ 
18.  Bernie moved to help Jeremy out of the boat, but the kid scrambled out on his own. Bernie stood in his soggy trousers and muddy shoes, feeling foolish. Amanda started to shrink back, a guilty expression on her face. Guilty and gorgeous. ‘I’m sorry, ma’am,’ Bernie told Jeremy’s mother, eyeing Amanda. ‘It was my fault.’
19.  The woman shook her head. ‘I know my son,’ she said, ‘and my daughter.’ She raised an eyebrow at Amanda. ‘I’m sure he got into trouble without your help.’ She wore a long, silky skirt and sandals, and her hair was curly and loose. She was smiling. 
20. The woman looked at Jeremy and said, ‘A visit out there sounds exciting.’ Then, turning to Bernie, she said, ‘Thank you for helping my son. We’d love to visit you sometime, if you’ll have us. All of us.’ Bernie saw Amanda roll her eyes. 
21. Bernie nodded at Jeremy’s mother. ‘Sure! You know where I live.’ He winked. And then he pictured it: Jeremy and his mother laughing at Bernie’s jokes on the boat, and Amanda sulking in the background. 
22. Bernie looked at Amanda again. The world shifted, righted itself. Her hair was just yellow.