Mia in Hot Water
Jenna, Sheba and Mia were sitting in Garet's kitchen mixing egg yolk into Piers' boots. "Why he went out for a walk without his boots I do not know," Jenna commented. Sheba shrugged. "Thank Sol that he did," She grinned. "I wouldn't have had this idea otherwise."
Felix came in, clutching a bundle of wood. "Are you messing about with somebody's boots?" He queried. "I can see them!" Jenna hid the boots behind her back. She winked at the other two, and turned to her brother. "Felix, let's play dares! Can I dare you first?" Felix put down the wood. He sat down. " I suppose so."
Jenna's eyes gleamed wickedly. "Okay then, I dare you to put on these –" Before she could condemn her brother to an eggy doom, Garet and Isaac appeared. "Playing something?" Asked Isaac. "Can we join in?" Mia and Sheba nudged each other as Jenna put on one of her most enticing smiles. "Of course you can join in, Isaac," she said, patting the floor next to her. "And Garet, too." They seated themselves, Isaac next to Jenna and Garet beside Mia. "As I was saying," Jenna continued, "We're playing dares. Felix, I dare you to put on these boots!"
"No way!" Yelled Felix, backing away. "I saw you pour something into them!"
"Then you have to pay the price, I'm afraid," Mia giggled. "You have to…dance around naked outside!" Felix's face paled. "Okay, I'll wear the boots! I'll wear the boots!"
"What a shame," Jenna sniggered. "Sheba was dying to-" Sheba looked up. "What was that, Jenna?"
Felix took advantage of the argument to slip the eggy boots on and off without anyone seeing. "I did it!" He cried triumphantly. "Now I dare Mia to go down to the river, and steal Piers' clothes; he's bathing!" The girls all shrieked.
"That was why he left the boots!" Gasped Sheba, rolling on the floor. "Mia, don't do it if you don't want to," Garet said solemnly, putting his great ham of a hand on Mia's shoulder. "What do you think I am, a wimp?" Mia growled. "I'll do it."
The six friends all sneaked down to the river, and hid behind the trees to watch. Mia crept away, muttering dire threats under her breath, and threaded her way through the bushes towards the water's edge. She could hear Piers splashing around quite close, but she couldn't see him. There were the clothes, piled neatly on a large rock in the shallows. Stealthily, she crawled towards them, stretched out a hand, and grabbed the corner of the shorts. She tugged – and the pile of clothes all fell into the water! Mia scooped them up quickly and prepared to make a run for it. "Mia, what are you doing with my clothes?" An ice-cool voice behind Mia made her freeze in mid-stride. Oh Sol – Piers! Mia turned. There was Piers, waist deep in water, with a bemused look on his face. "Mia…what are you doing?" He asked again. How stupid I must look, Mia thought, covered in mud and twigs, clutching a pile of sopping wet clothes. His clothes! Piers looked at the clothes. "They're mine!" He cried, stepping out of the river. "And they're wet! Mia, were you spying on me?" Mortified, Mia covered her eyes and ran, vowing that next time she would do something safe, like setting alight to Kraden's excessive facial hair.