Bethany kept running despite the sounds of her brother calling out for her. The woods was a safe haven, a place of unknown hopes and dreams. Somewhere she could be free and alone. Away from him. Away from his merciless teasing and superior looks. She just wanted to get away from him. Away as far and fast as she could. That's why her face clouded with disappointment when her dark brown eyes caught sight of the river rushing past the path in front of her.
James, or Jamie as everyone called him, caught sight of his sister. "Sis Ho! Ahoy you scallywafe! I'l toss you a line and you can help me pull this in!" Jamie called, backing water in the old red plastic canoe he'd commandeered when he'd seen his sister running for the woods. Sitting in the stern he sent his river ride to the bank nearest his sibling.
'Scallywafe?' She cast him a scowl. She would do no such thing. She didn't want to get into the water with her brother, into the confined space of a canoe. She wanted to get AWAY from him. She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and turned on her heel away from the bank. Guess home was her only choice now.
"Wha? Wait! Oh come on, Bethy! What'd I do?" Jamie cried from the canoe as he carefully scampered from stern to where the prow was hung up on the bank. With a quick heave he pulled it half out of the water before running after his sister. "Come on, tell me what's wrong? Is it your period?"
Bethany shook her head and spun back around. Boys. "What is with you? No, it's not my period. Why is it everytime I'm upset I'm PMSing? As if it can't be YOUR fault?" She gave him a glare, her brown eyes fiery. "And who says I want to canoe? You never even asked."
"Well forgive me if you seem moody!" Jamie sallied on, undeterred by the ferocious display. "I just don't see that I've done anything to make you run into the woods faster than a rocket on rails."
Bethany shook her head and hooked her thumbs in her pockets rather aggresively. He never knew what he did. Was he that oblivious or did he just not care. "If you're so much better than me, why do you even want me to go canoeing with you?"
Jamie shrugged. "Amusement, it gets boring being a superior being, so I like to associate with the mere mortals, ya know?" he replied flippantly, struggling to keep a grin from ruining his straight face.
Bethany shook her head at her brother, heaved a sigh, and decided she might as well laugh it off. How did people live with brothers? But she knew she would never be happy if she dwelled on it and he'd never quit picking on her. "Sure, whatever," she huffed slightly with a roll of her brown eyes. Her eyes fell to the canoe. She really did want to go canoeing, she just didn't want to go with him.
Jamie frowned. Females. Going ballistic one moment, then the next blown off with, "whatever." Maybe he wasn't that far off in his joke! Wait, was she eyeing the canoe? If she was, he had to beat her to it!
Bethany couldn't fight the sudden urge that came over her as her brother eyed the canoe. And with a sudden leap and the full force of her smaller frame, she shoved him into the water.
Jamie yelped as he fell backwards into the river. Water closed over his vision, briefly igniting fear of depth until his head broke surface again. "You brat! How dare you!" He spluttered as he waded/lunged for the steep bank to haul himself out.
Bethany gave him her sweetest smile. "Sure, I'll go canoeing with you."
Jamie, finally gaining the level ground, soaking wet, pulled a dripping river weed off his head and gave his sister a glower. "Fuf!" and he stamped off down the path towards the house, muttering about females.
Bethany giggled at her brother wrestling with the weed. She hummed a soft tune as she took her sweet time going back home.
~G.G. Marshall & J. Lindsey Marshall
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