C for Cheater

Definition: Cheater; someone who does not play by the rules

Word Count: 453


Gene was... bored. He leaned on his hand, blowing a lock of hair out of his face. "Are you done yet?"

"Have you even started yet?" Noll said, not pausing in his note-taking. He had three textbooks and a pristine notebook sprawled over the table in an attempt to finish all his homework in one go. Gene, evidently, didn't share in his brother's enthusiasm for learning.

They sat in the backyard, at the edge of the lake where they had found the old picnic table last summer. Noll had taken advantage of the cold cloudy day and decided it was the perfect excuse to get away from his brother's usual distractions. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on the twin following him out there.

A few moments passed in blissful silence - then Gene drummed his fingers on the wood. He looked about the lake. "Let's race."

Noll glanced up at his brother in mild interest. "Sure,"

"Wait," Gene jerked to attention, "really?"

"On one condition."

"What?"

Noll finished his sentence and slid the pencil down the spine of his notebook. "If I win, you have to be my slave for the rest of the week."

Gene shrugged noncommittally and let a smile slide over his face. "Fine. Then, if I win, you have to write my essay."

"Fine."

The twins rose from the table simultaneously, Gene rolling up his jacket sleeves, "First one to the stick wins." Noll followed his brother's vaguely pointed finger the small branch sticking out of the ground at the other end of the lake and nodded.

"Ready."

"Set."

"Go!"

Gene tore off, arms pumping at his side and hair blowing around his vision. He kept his breathing even as he rounded the corner of the lake. Almost there-

Something whooshed by him, nearly clipping him in the head as it passed. He ducked, reaching out for the stick... but it was no longer there. Gene made a noise, skidding to a stop and suddenly very aware that Noll was not right behind him.

In fact, Noll hadn't moved at all. He was still leaning casually against that old picnic table, ankles crossed and a coy smile on his face. The stick that had previously been wedged into the ground beside the lake was lying at the boy's feet as if it had been there the whole time. Gene watched as his younger brother picked up the stick, turned it over in his hands, and then lobbed it back into the lake.

Gene let out a cry of frustration at his brothers blatant use of PK and fell unceremoniously onto his back in the soft grass. "Cheater!"

Noll sat back down, turning the page of his textbook. "Gene, tea."


A/N: And so the origins of Naru's tea demands! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Avatar Rikki because your reviews just make me giggle.

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ELV