Chapter 1
"Must warn Chris." Were the only words that kept me going. After everything that I had been through that morning the last thing I needed was for something bad to happen to him.
"Nearly there." I pant to myself, putting as much pressure on my back as I could muster. There was only one place that he could be and if he wasn't I was screwed. And honestly I'd need to be the freakin' Incredible Hulk to go on.
My eyes had suddenly caught attention to broad figure running up to the tree house.
It was well built and I did the whole roof. Every one of the boys jeered at me saying a sissy girl like me could never do a man's job like this. So just to show them all, I hammered in all the in sheets perfectly, even if I do say so myself, in under thirty minutes. Throwing the hammer in the tool box I somersault off the roof and land like a cat on all fours. Pretty ironic seeing as my names Cat.
At this present moment in time none of this was going through my head. There was a lot of other stuff though.
Panting, I realize that I wasn't gonna be able to speak. Heck, I couldn't even breathe. Looking around the ground I pick up a small stone and fire it up at the tree house.
It makes a loud clanking noise against the tin roof but I don't reckon I got their attention.
Shakily, I pick up another stone and fire that up as well. It goes right through the window and by the loud cussing from inside I may or may not have hit someone. Oops.
Suddenly Chris is leaning out the window and I'm so relieved to see him I could have cried.
"What's up?" Chris says looking really irritated.
Now wait a minute! I have just ran three miles in pain and agony to save his ass and he was treating me like a bothersome little fly that wouldn't leave him alone. Oh I had a couple of things to say to him!
"Hey, I came here to save your skin so lay off." I pant out but I was still gasping so I sounded more like a fish out of water. Dang it!
"What's wrong?" Chris asked suddenly concerned.
And that's when it becomes too much. Falling to my knees I begin to howl. I hear the trap door open and four people come down. I see Chris, Chris' best mate Gordie, Vern and Teddy, Chris' wacko friends.
Okay, now seems a good time to tell you about myself and Chris and all his pals.
First thing to say is that me and Chris are brother and sister. We don't look much a like though. With me having crazy, curly, black hair and him having light brown. I have bright green eyes and him having crystal blue. In my eyes Chris is amazing, but it's a bit different in other peoples.
Then there was Gordie LaChance. He's been Chris' best friend for as long as I can remember, and yeah he was nice, also quiet which I loved. He has one of the saddest stories ever. His big brother Denny, the one person Gordie could lean on other than us guys was killed in a Jeep accident three months ago. Now his mom and dad are sort of broken and they basically ignore and neglect them. Poor guy.
Then there was Teddy Duchamp. There was only one word to describe him and that was crazy. Case close. Well there's also the fact that his dad gets into uncontrollable fits of rage and held it to a burning hot stove. Aah! Jesus Christ!
There's really not much to say about Vern. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, built like an ox but about as threatening as a daisy.
Then there's me. What to say. I've got two big brothers, Chris and a big idiot called Eyeball who has a lame eye so he got a stupid nickname. He's also in this idiotic gang called "The Cobras." Personally I think they should be called "The Kittens" but that may just be me.
Another thing was Eyeball sucked at the big brother role. When I was about two years old he used to hide me in like, the nook of a tree, or in a tight spaced corner and send Chris (who was four) to go and find me.
So yeah, he seriously sucked.
One more thing… my dad beats me. Ever since I was around four he'd smack me around and before you say anything I mean he'd bruise me and sometimes bleed me. Now I love Chris as you can tell but that idiot takes beatings for me. And that's really bad but more on that later.
Getting back to the point I was sitting, huddled in a little ball with tears streaming and I'm still fighting for breath. Wow, I need to start doing press ups or something. I've tucked my head between my knees trying to block them out.
This wasn't the Cat they knew. Usually I'd be wrestling them or climbing trees or beating the hell out of them at poker.
Soon I felt a warm, strong hand on my shoulder trying to coax me out of my position. No more than five seconds later I feel him freeze. "Crap. He's seen it. He's definitely seen it." They weren't looking at me, They were looking at the big oval shape burn on my back, bleeding in the sunlight.