A Summer with Pleasant


Valkyrie sprinted, knowing that her life depended on her reaching her destination with haste. The young mage glanced over her shoulder and realized with a gut wrenching feeling that her opponent was gaining on her.

Valkyrie Cain pushed herself to the maximum, for she knew that her efforts would be rewarded in the long run.

Letting out an ear splitting screech, she jumped forward, flipping over the large dive board and into the freezing cold swimming pool.

Tanith Low laughed as the younger mage resurfaced from the water, sputtering.

"How's the water, love?" Tanith asked grinning at her young friend deviously.

When Valkyrie caught her breath, she glared at he. "You cheated! You said you'd race me into the pool!"

The older woman chuckled, "When I said race, I didn't mean jump in head first, you know."

Valkyrie continued to glare daggers at her and Tanith winked in response. "You know you love me."

Valkyrie splashed Tanith with a great wave of water she pushed out with her fingertips. As the water washed over the older of the two, she began to laugh. After a moment, Valkyrie joined her, and they were both lost in gales of laughter.

As they continued to giggle, Tanith jumped off the diving board and did a perfect dive into the water. Valkyrie rolled her eyes, "Show off."

Tanith Low nodded, "You know it!"

The two swam laps in the pool and slashed each other for what seemed like hours. And they didn't show any signs of stopping.


Skulduggery sighed, trying to calm himself as he faced the task at hand.

"Come on Skulduggery" He thought sternly. "You can do it. Honestly, how hard can it be?"

The Great Skeleton Detective looked at what he had to do with trepidation, knowing full well the consequences if he should fail.

Skulduggery grabbed the jar in front of him and began to slather it onto the pieces of bread he had spread all over the kitchen counter. How had he gotten himself into this mess?

"You made a stupid bet, that you didn't have a prayer of winning". A voice inside his head chided obnoxiously. The mage immediately told it to shut up, and continued his grueling work.

As Skulduggery put the pieces of bread together into a sticky mess, he began to hum a song that had been stuck in his head for several days.

"Someone's enjoying himself," Tanith called as she strolled into the kitchen, toweling off.

Skulduggery frowned, "That's just a bold faced lie. You know I hate to cook."

"So what did you make for lunch then?" Tanith inquired, just as Valkyrie walked through the kitchen door and joined them.

Skulduggery studied them both for several long seconds before he held up one of his masterpieces in his skeletal hand, "Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches."

Tanith guffawed loudly, while Valkyrie looked at him in horror. "Skulduggery it's summer."

Skulduggery nodded. "Yes it is."

Valkyrie stared at him, "If you know that, then why did you make PP and J sandwiches?"

Skulduggery looked confused. "I'm not sure I follow your logic, Valkyrie. You asked me to make lunch and I did."

Valkyrie sighed while Tanith face palmed, a whole new surge of laughter racking from her lithe form.

"In the summer, you barbeque food Skulduggery! You get all kinds of meat and junk food and drinks and you pig out. It's a tradition!"

Skulduggery stared long and hard at her, "I don't know how to barbeque."

Valkyrie shook her head and walked over to her best friend and partner. "Alright, I'll eat the Peanut Butter and Jelly today, but tomorrow I get barbequed steak, Skulduggery. Or else there will be trouble."

Skulduggery slowly nodded, "It's a bargain."

As Valkyrie smiled with satisfaction as she took the first bite of her sandwich, knowing she had won. And Skulduggery tried to figure out, how on earth he was going to learn how to BBQ in just one night.


Author's Note:

I found this story very ironic, because of the fact that I am deathly allergic to Peanut Butter, so I have never had it without going to the hospital to get a jump start on my heart. XD But it seems like a lot of people love it, so it was perfect to use.

Also, I used a stereotype, that people BBQ in the summer. Or at least for my family. ^^

~Lyn Harkeran