Chapter 1: Mixed Emotions
Bear could feel herself plunging underwater. The cool, clear water seeped through her nose, until she sucked it in. She could feel it rush to fill her head, like empty thoughts. Her eyelids went black. She clawed at nothing, reaching for air. Fearing to breathe, the girl held in her stale air.
Sarah was not one to normally swim, although she could well. After returning from Green Lake, splitting the treasure with Stanley, Zero had bought a pool, and invited friends over. She happened to be one of them. Twitch, Caveman and ZigZag, or Ziggy where there, too. One would think she'd feel awkward, being the only girl. But, she was cool with it. These guys where like her brothers.
She clawed at the bottom, one final time, and clambered up the side of the wall. The sunlight hit her like a bright beam. Warm and comforting. Gasping, Bear heaved herself out of the water and onto the deck. Coughing out water, she feel back, closing her hazel eyes to keep the sun out. Nice as it was, there was also a downside to the sun. It hurt bare eyes.
"Are you alright, Bear?" She grunted and rolled over, still to full of water to reply. It was Zero. Sitting by her, he let her lean on his strong shoulders as she coughed out more liquid. Nodding weakly, she leaned over, looking at her feet.
"Yeah. I just took in some water. That's all. Thanks, Hector." She replied, standing up over him.
Laughing, Zero also raised himself beside her; he was roughly the same height, if not a bit taller, "Please. Call me Zero. I'm sure you don't like being called Sarah." He cracked a small grin, brushing some hair from those dark, mysterious eyes. Looking back at her taunter, 'Sarah' gave a small growl and couldn't help but laugh with him.
"Hey! There you guys are!" Ziggy looked up from his uchure game with Twitch and Caveman. They were all in summer apparel, having finished their swim. T-shirts and swimming trunks, of course.
Slapping his cards onto the table, Caveman waved to Zero as Bear sat down beside Twitch. She peeked over at his deck and giggled, "Nice deck man. Too bad Ziggy's gonna beat cha."
Instinctively, Ziggy and Twitch looked at their cards at the same time. Just then, Bear grabbed both their decks, and lightly whacked their noses, "Now, let's go inside and eat. Zero's mum made lunch for us."
Caveman held back a small snicker, but stopped when Ziggy laughed at him. The two had gotten into a tussle at Green Lake, and became friends afterwards. Caveman looked himself over. There was nothing wrong. Perhaps he didn't see Zero behind him, mimicking him.
* ~ *
That, was a few hours ago. Now, Twitch, Zero and Bear where sitting on Zero's porch. They swung on the slow breeze, on the swinging couch. Bear was seated quite nicely between the boys. She seemed to..just..stare at the sky longingly. As though, wanting to run into to the stars, and throwing her troubles away. Twitch's soft voice brought her back.
"You really scared Zero, you know? I guess we should have come. Sorry Bear." He looked at her, grinning. It was goofy, when he grinned liked that. But it always made Bear smile.
"Yeah. Swimming isn't really my thing, either," Zero patted her hand. A warm chill ran down Bear's back. Zero's hand was warm, and it brought warmth to her body as the sun did, earlier. Shaking out of it, she reached over, planted a small kiss on Zero's cheek, then on Twitch's.
"Thanks Twitch, Zero. You guys are like my brothers, you know?" She laughed at the last part of her small speech. Standing up, she looked behind her at the two boys, "I better go now. My mother would likely be worried. I'll see you later Zero. And sure Twitch, I'll come with ya to the park. Call me tomorrow. Alright?"
Both boys nodded, Zero smiled warmly at Bear and Twitch almost blushed. Almost. Waving, Bear stalked down the steps. Her figure was eerie in the moonlight. She was an average height, but as most would be slim, she was the exact opposite. She was rather bulky' and muscular. With large bones, she gave the impression of a Russian, but was in fact Transylvanian. Seeing that her mother was Egyptian, she inherited tanned skin, curled brown hair down to her shoulder blades, and light hazel brown eyes. With a neat nose, and a small chin, her appearance was complete.
"C'mon Twitch. What's wrong?" Zero punched his shoulder lightly, and snapped his fingers in the boy's face. Twitch pulled back and turned around, "I'm going home. I'll see you later, Zero." He stalked to where the steps where, and gave a small, jokingly bow, "Farewell my companion. I shall see you tomorrow with the one called Bear. No?"
Zero gave a small chortle, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Get lost Twitch! I'll see you tomorrow," He watched his close friend walk down the steps, and onto the sidewalk. Sighing, he walked inside, into his own house.
Lying on his bed, Zero stared at his ceiling, then rolled over, touching his cheek where Bear kissed him, "Why'd she do that?" He shook his head and yawned, drifting back into sleep.
*~*
Caveman was sitting on the stump beside outside his house. He was in a thinking position, you know. Hand on chin, back arched. He was watching some girls talk in the park beside his house. The boy simply wondered if he should go over there and start talking with them.
"Mind if I sit with you?" Startled, he looked up and grinned, it was only Zero, "Please? I need to talk to you."
Caveman shifted over for Zero to sit and perked up, "What's up, Hector?"
He gave a small glare and sighed, "Yesterday, after you and ZigZag left. Sarah, Twitch and I were sitting on the swinging chair, right? And, well, Bear kissed me."
Caveman blinked a bit, then smirked. Taking back the grin from Zero's grumble, he sighed, "I'm sure it was a one time thing. It didn't mean anything. I'll talk to her if you want, though."
Zero shook his head and sat with Caveman. Looking at the girls, he sighed and put his head into his hands. He was confused. But, that was life. You win some, and loose some.
Bear could feel herself plunging underwater. The cool, clear water seeped through her nose, until she sucked it in. She could feel it rush to fill her head, like empty thoughts. Her eyelids went black. She clawed at nothing, reaching for air. Fearing to breathe, the girl held in her stale air.
Sarah was not one to normally swim, although she could well. After returning from Green Lake, splitting the treasure with Stanley, Zero had bought a pool, and invited friends over. She happened to be one of them. Twitch, Caveman and ZigZag, or Ziggy where there, too. One would think she'd feel awkward, being the only girl. But, she was cool with it. These guys where like her brothers.
She clawed at the bottom, one final time, and clambered up the side of the wall. The sunlight hit her like a bright beam. Warm and comforting. Gasping, Bear heaved herself out of the water and onto the deck. Coughing out water, she feel back, closing her hazel eyes to keep the sun out. Nice as it was, there was also a downside to the sun. It hurt bare eyes.
"Are you alright, Bear?" She grunted and rolled over, still to full of water to reply. It was Zero. Sitting by her, he let her lean on his strong shoulders as she coughed out more liquid. Nodding weakly, she leaned over, looking at her feet.
"Yeah. I just took in some water. That's all. Thanks, Hector." She replied, standing up over him.
Laughing, Zero also raised himself beside her; he was roughly the same height, if not a bit taller, "Please. Call me Zero. I'm sure you don't like being called Sarah." He cracked a small grin, brushing some hair from those dark, mysterious eyes. Looking back at her taunter, 'Sarah' gave a small growl and couldn't help but laugh with him.
"Hey! There you guys are!" Ziggy looked up from his uchure game with Twitch and Caveman. They were all in summer apparel, having finished their swim. T-shirts and swimming trunks, of course.
Slapping his cards onto the table, Caveman waved to Zero as Bear sat down beside Twitch. She peeked over at his deck and giggled, "Nice deck man. Too bad Ziggy's gonna beat cha."
Instinctively, Ziggy and Twitch looked at their cards at the same time. Just then, Bear grabbed both their decks, and lightly whacked their noses, "Now, let's go inside and eat. Zero's mum made lunch for us."
Caveman held back a small snicker, but stopped when Ziggy laughed at him. The two had gotten into a tussle at Green Lake, and became friends afterwards. Caveman looked himself over. There was nothing wrong. Perhaps he didn't see Zero behind him, mimicking him.
* ~ *
That, was a few hours ago. Now, Twitch, Zero and Bear where sitting on Zero's porch. They swung on the slow breeze, on the swinging couch. Bear was seated quite nicely between the boys. She seemed to..just..stare at the sky longingly. As though, wanting to run into to the stars, and throwing her troubles away. Twitch's soft voice brought her back.
"You really scared Zero, you know? I guess we should have come. Sorry Bear." He looked at her, grinning. It was goofy, when he grinned liked that. But it always made Bear smile.
"Yeah. Swimming isn't really my thing, either," Zero patted her hand. A warm chill ran down Bear's back. Zero's hand was warm, and it brought warmth to her body as the sun did, earlier. Shaking out of it, she reached over, planted a small kiss on Zero's cheek, then on Twitch's.
"Thanks Twitch, Zero. You guys are like my brothers, you know?" She laughed at the last part of her small speech. Standing up, she looked behind her at the two boys, "I better go now. My mother would likely be worried. I'll see you later Zero. And sure Twitch, I'll come with ya to the park. Call me tomorrow. Alright?"
Both boys nodded, Zero smiled warmly at Bear and Twitch almost blushed. Almost. Waving, Bear stalked down the steps. Her figure was eerie in the moonlight. She was an average height, but as most would be slim, she was the exact opposite. She was rather bulky' and muscular. With large bones, she gave the impression of a Russian, but was in fact Transylvanian. Seeing that her mother was Egyptian, she inherited tanned skin, curled brown hair down to her shoulder blades, and light hazel brown eyes. With a neat nose, and a small chin, her appearance was complete.
"C'mon Twitch. What's wrong?" Zero punched his shoulder lightly, and snapped his fingers in the boy's face. Twitch pulled back and turned around, "I'm going home. I'll see you later, Zero." He stalked to where the steps where, and gave a small, jokingly bow, "Farewell my companion. I shall see you tomorrow with the one called Bear. No?"
Zero gave a small chortle, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Get lost Twitch! I'll see you tomorrow," He watched his close friend walk down the steps, and onto the sidewalk. Sighing, he walked inside, into his own house.
Lying on his bed, Zero stared at his ceiling, then rolled over, touching his cheek where Bear kissed him, "Why'd she do that?" He shook his head and yawned, drifting back into sleep.
*~*
Caveman was sitting on the stump beside outside his house. He was in a thinking position, you know. Hand on chin, back arched. He was watching some girls talk in the park beside his house. The boy simply wondered if he should go over there and start talking with them.
"Mind if I sit with you?" Startled, he looked up and grinned, it was only Zero, "Please? I need to talk to you."
Caveman shifted over for Zero to sit and perked up, "What's up, Hector?"
He gave a small glare and sighed, "Yesterday, after you and ZigZag left. Sarah, Twitch and I were sitting on the swinging chair, right? And, well, Bear kissed me."
Caveman blinked a bit, then smirked. Taking back the grin from Zero's grumble, he sighed, "I'm sure it was a one time thing. It didn't mean anything. I'll talk to her if you want, though."
Zero shook his head and sat with Caveman. Looking at the girls, he sighed and put his head into his hands. He was confused. But, that was life. You win some, and loose some.
