So, I have officially finished this story. I'm already working on the next one, tentatively called Little Red Whining Hood... or War of the Girls. Not sure entirely yet, but I'll decide once I've written more of it. Hope you keep enjoying.

VAN NULLIN HOUSE
BACKYARD
Friday, September 11th
5:15 p.m.

Pam struggled to push the lawn mower as she and Mini-Mel worked to tidy up the yard. It didn't look like it was in dire need of a mowing, but they had decided to 'show responsibility' that they should be trusted and were good girls, to hopefully get a little more freedom. Pam didn't especially need it as she had never come home after curfew, but Mel, being younger and 'less responsible' did, especially if she was going to keep up her guise as a twelve-year-old with her peers.

The fact that the lawn mower was a lot harder to move and steer than the people that mowed lawns made it look, combined with the fact that Mel was having a lot of trouble holding the edger at the same height as she moved along the end of the lawn and around trees wasn't helping. When Mel made a third gash in a tree, then dropped the edger which then circled toward her as if attacking, a loud barking laugh was the response to her scream.

Both girls looked to the back of the yard to see a boy standing at a break in the bushes. Pam reached to turn off the lawn mower, but it puckered and died, for the fourth time.

"What are you two doing?" the boy asked. He looked a little older than Pam, and definitely taller. His hair was really messy and a rusty color, his eyes were so dark brown that they were nearly black, and his clothes made him look athletic, though it couldn't be certain as they were a bit baggy.

"What are we doing?" Pam asked in offense. "We're mowing our lawn. What are you doing spying on us?"

"No," the boy said. "I'm wondering what two ten-year-old girl scouts are doing, stealing my job. I mow the lawns in this neighborhood, everyone knows that. This is my neighborhood, Patrick has the ritzy neighborhoods."

"First, we're twelve," Mel said harshly.

"I'm twelve," Pam said. "She pretends she's twelve but she actually is only eleven."

"And we're not girl scouts," Mel said, shooting a glare at her sister.

"So, that doesn't explain why you're mowing one of my lawns," the boy said.

"Your lawns?" Pam asked. "We live here."

The boy smirked. "Oh, so you're Paula and Melissa Van Allen. Mrs. Van Allen's grand daughters who just moved in."

"It's Pamela and Melanie," Pam said. "But we prefer Pam and Mel."

"I'm Arlen," the boy said. "And I live," he pointed to the house behind him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask Mrs. Van Allen if I can fix what you've done to her lawn."

"You mean mowing it?" Pam asked.

"If you want to call this job mowing..." Arlen said with a laugh. He entered the yard and walked up to the back door, and gave it a quick knock. It was opened a moment later by Grandma Van Allen.

"Oh, Mr. Fritz, how are you?"

"Better now, Ma'am," Arlen said. "You know it always makes my day when I get to talk to you." Mrs. Van Allen was easily flattered and she laughed with a smile on her lightly wrinkled face. "I was wondering if you needed a hand with anything?"

"Oh, I was wondering when you were going to show up," she said. She gestured outward. "How about you take over the lawn. These two are my grand daughters, well, two of them. But, you always mow it so evenly and straight. And, then, if you have time, there are some boxes that we need to move from the garage to different rooms in the house."

"If you insist, Ma'am," Arlen said. He jogged over to Pam and smirked "If I may."

She took a few steps from the machine and in a moment, Arlen had started it up again, easily, and it wasn't nearly as loud as it had been. Soft enough that they could even talk over it.

"Why are you doing this?" Pam asked.

"Because I need money to buy a shirt for a party this weekend," Arlen said.

"Whose party?" Mel asked as she sat on the steps to the porch. "It wouldn't happen to be Keelin O'Neil's, would it?"

Arlen smirked. "How did you two get an invite?"

"We go to her school," Pam said.

"You're Random Boy!" Mel said excitedly.

Arlen met her eyes. "Now, how did you figure that out?"

"She was talking about you in the car the other day," Mel said.

"And how did you two get into her carpool?" Arlen asked. "Seems a bit exclusive whenever I see it."

"Well, you see, Keelin's best friend is our cousin," Pam said. "So, we get a ride from her, which is Keelin's carpool."

"Oh, the short red-head, right?" Arlen said. He looked them over carefully. "There is absolutely no family resemblance."

"Gee, thanks," Mini-Mel said rolling her eyes. Everyone knew that Michelle was pretty.

"So, since you're going to this party, aren't you going to need a date or something?" Pam asked.

"Do you two have dates?" Arlen asked.

"Well, we have to make sure Mel can go before we get dates," Pam said. "Everyone expects Mel to be there, because everyone thinks she's a year older than she actually is."

"Hey, you want to shout that louder so Mom and Dad can hear?" Mel asked, frowning at her sister.

"Well, that was stupid," Arlen said. "Except, when they find out her actual age, she will be the coolest kid her actual age."

"Hey, I never thought of that," Mel said, her brown eyes lighting up. "But then everyone in the seventh grade will think me a total loser."

"Probably not," Arlen said. "After all, you fooled the school into thinking you are older than you are, that they got your transcripts wrong. I'd feel a little shamed, but I'd have to give you your props."

Mini-Mel smirked. "I'm cooler than her," she told Arlen, jabbing her thumb in Pam's direction. "How about you take me to the party as your date, you know, so neither of us has to show up alone."

Arlen laughed. "Maybe when you're legal," he said. "I don't plan on getting arrested. You're eleven, and I'm fourteen."

"Well, what about Pam then," Mel asked. "I mean, I know she needs a lot of help, but she's practically your age. She turns thirteen tomorrow."

"How about we all just walk together or something," he said. "That way, it looks like I have two dates, but I'm not bound to you so I can meet with Keelin."

"Sounds good," Mel said. Pam sighed. "Meet here tomorrow at, say, two or so?"

"Until then, can I finish the lawn?" Arlen asked. "Or would you like to know why they call me Arlen the Arson?"

"Oh," the girls both scurried inside as Arlen said.

I also know that people are looking for Ringo/Michelle to happen, but that will not happen in this story (which isn't to say that it will never happen...). Only four more chapters to go, though that doesn't rule out it ever happening.