"Take that, you hooligan!" With a great yell, Marian let loose a pack of mud from her fist. The mud landed with a splat on a tall boy's face, making him sputter, and frantically trying to clear the mud from his eyes, and mouth. When his eyes had cleared, he saw the young girl standing before him, muddy hands on her hips. Her red curls framing her oval face lay limp and muddled, and her dress was soaked and dripping. Her green eyes flashed as she bent over to pick up more mud, but the boy didn't wait any longer. Rushing forward, the boy caught her by surprise as he launched himself at her. Flying backward with the boy on her chest, Marian struggled to sit up, to no use.
"Call me a hooligan and you'll pay for it, Marian Tivver! Look who's helpless now!" The boy leered at Marian, fully using his weight to press her more into the mud. He grabbed her wrists, and pushed them to the ground, so that she could not strike at him. Marian raised her head, and attempted to bite him, but he just laughed, and let go of one wrist to push her head down. With her free wrist, Marian attempted to shove the boy off of her, and was rewarded with a punch in the nose. Marian gasped as warm blood flowed from her nose, and instant tears came to her eyes. "Sissy! You even cry like a baby!" Taunted the boy.
"I don't cry because I am sissy, I cry because I am human, Paul!" Retorted Marian, more tears coming to her eyes. She wanted to wipe the blood away, but her wrists were again held captive.
"What do you think you are doing? Get off my sister--NOW!"
The speaker was a red haired, scowling boy. His light green eyes lit up with anger as his fists clenched, and he took a step forward. Paul did not even attempt to get off of Marian, and he just scowled back at Jakin.
"If you think I will just get off of your sister because you say so, you're dead wrong. I can do whatever I want to her, and no one is going to stop me. You're sissy just like she is, Jakin! And you know it!"
That was the last straw for Jakin as he grabbed Paul's arm, and pulled him off of Marian with a mighty jerk. Jakin was much stronger than Paul, and he was also taller. Both boys knew it, yet Paul would not give in. He threw a left hook at Jakin, who easily ducked the blow, and returned it with his own. This blow caught Paul right in his left eye, and he fell from the force of it. But soon he was back up on his feet, throwing another punch at Jakin. Jakin sideswiped the blow, and twisted his own leg around Paul's, swiping him off of his feet. Paul went down hard, and winced as his head smacked in the mud. Jakin knew Paul would not give in until he was unconscious, but Jakin didn't want to go that far. Instead, he left Paul lying there in the mud, and walked over to Marian, who was still lying there. Giving her his hand, he hauled her up, and the two quickly started walking away. Paul yelled angrily behind them, "This isn't the end, Tivver! You know I haven't given up!"
Jakin didn't bother to answer him, and instead turned to Marian, who hurried beside him. He started to ask if she was alright, when he saw her face. The blood coming from her nose had smeared all over her face, and was mingled with her tears. Her dress was torn, and her wrists were red from Paul's holding them down. Jakin halted his question upon seeing her and thought to himself, No, she isn't alright. Paul's going to pay for this. He stopped walking, and gave Marian what she really needed right then. A very big hug.
Elena viewed her daughter with expiration. "What am I to do with you, Marian? You're just as rough as some of those boys out there!"
Marian stood there, her eyes downcast. Her mother was right about that, though sometimes she wasn't so sure.
"If I were as rough as some of those boys, why couldn't I protect myself? I tried so hard, Mother!" and with that, she launched herself into her mother's arms. Jakin watched silently, wishing he had done more to Paul. Though he and Marian were both twins, Jakin was automatically the protector and leader, while Marian was the follower, and for most of the time the brains. She fallowed him undoubtedly, and he only wished he had been there sooner in turn. The two had always been close, and they had always been there for each other. Though Marian was the quietest of the two, she could be very fierce when challenged, as testimony to what had happened that day. Marian had told him the whole story on the walk home, and it had made Jakin only the angrier. It had all started when Marian had been walking home from a friend's house, and had come upon Paul playing in the mud. While she had passed him, he had scooped up a large handful of mud, and had launched it at her back. When it had hit her, she kept walking, not even turning around. She knew that if she hit back, Paul would only take it as encouragement, and it would soon start an all out war. So she kept walking, but was rewarded with yet another scoop of mud to her back. Marian just couldn't take it anymore, when a third handful of mud had splattered on her back, and Paul had begun jeering at her. That was when she had twirled around and yelled, "take that, you hooligan!" So it had started the fight. Marian wished she had had her bow and arrows, and then maybe Paul wouldn't have been so brave. Now changed and clean, she sat next to Jakin as the small family ate their meal. Tomorrow she and Jakin camping in the woods, to enjoy their freedom from school, and to have some fun. School had let out for the week, and the two had planned this outing for a long time. Marian was looking forward to this time with her brother.