It was an unusually hot Monday on this summer’s June day. The heat hugged every fabric tightly to his body. Leaning his head out over the picnic table, he noticed the line of guys that looked far bigger than Mark - clear skin, straight teeth, muscles that bulged out from underneath their t-shirts. He could feel his anxiety, along with his acne, becoming more prevalent.

Peering back down at rich, double crusted blueberry pie, he licked my chapped lips in anticipation. Truthfully, he didn’t like blueberry pie. But this wasn’t just about him.

Brad Thurston, The announcer, was a bald-headed gentleman, who reminded him of of one of his uncles.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome! I am pleased to announce the celebration of this year’s pie eating contest!” Clearing his throat, Brad extended his arm in the direction of the picnic tables. “The thirteen of you have been selectively chosen to participate in this yearly competition. The rules are simple.”

Running his hand over my the patriotic checkered tablecloth, Mark watched the classmate siting to his left keep his hands firmly on each side of his pie platter. It reminded him of how a caveman might protect his latest kill. Sweat trickled down his neck, offering his freshly forming sunburn only one simple droplet of relief.

“…Now, on your marks….get set….EAT!” The announcer’s double chin jiggled as he laughed, watching all of the boys submerge their faces into the blueberry sauce.

Rushing in, his nose slammed up against the pie’s tin. There was too much on the line. All summer he’d begged his parents for an unlimited pass to this year’s county fair. The unlimited pass meant free rides all summer long. His parents refused, telling him it was far too foolish to spend such hard-earned money on something as frivolous as county fair rides that would only be here for three months. Seeing as how he didn’t have his driver’s license, or a job, this was his only lifeline, if he had any hope for at least a decent summer.

The winner of this contest would receive himself not only one premium unlimited passes, but two, for the entire summer. Remembering Sierra, he honed in on his inner teenage male appetite, swallowing mouthfuls of pie. Half of the blueberries went un-chewed, while some managed to get stuck in his nostrils. Snorting them down, he pressed onward. He’d puke up blueberries for the rest of the night if it meant it was his name being revealed as the ultimate winner.

“30 seconds folks! C’mon boys!” Cheers and screams erupted from the crowd! We were a small town, and it appeared that at least half of the folks all came out for this competition.

“C’mon Mark! You’re almost there!” The rest of the crowd’s screams faded, as Sierra’s became clearer. A final determination took over. He remembered why I’d volunteered himself as a contestant. The first summer with his first girlfriend. They may have only been freshman in high school, far too young to know if they’d ever see each other after their high school careers ended, but he was optimistic for what future they might cultivate together.

“Time’s up gentlemen! Heads up!” He could hardly see anything through the syrup that kept his eyelashes pressed into clumps. Glancing down, he noticed the gigantic circle of tin reflecting in the sunlight. That felt promising.

As the judge made his way down the length of the table, 2 boys leaned over the edge of the bench to throw up in the grass. Gradually, he reached the full length of the table, before making his way back up the three steps to his podium. His voice was thunderous.

“Alright, gents! We have a winner! Now, y’all know the rules! You keep your eyes on this week’s newspaper. The winner will be revealed then!” Reaching for a handkerchief from his back pocket, he wiped at his brow.

Wednesday morning, as he ate his cereal, he read through the newspaper, scanning as quickly as he could for the announcement of the winner, pausing momentarily when he saw the photo that’d been snapped of the group all while they were in mid-eating. Scanning the first paragraph,

“…though it was a very close competition this year, one gentlemen’s eating ability seemed to topple his competition….” his finger froze when he read the winner’s name.

Marcus Whitman.

Reaching for his phone, he saw a text from Sierra. “Did you see it yet?”

Texting back, he wrote, “Summer just got a million times better.”