A Better Life
Chapter 6 The Fun
I woke up early that morning. Eager to go out and explore more. But alas it was not to be. Right after I was finished breakfast Camellia gave me a basket and told me to go out in the field and pick some blueberries. I complained, but she said that since I was living here I had to do regular chores like everybody else. Apparently Tori was at home picking roses in the Boggy-Hillocks garden. Well I suppose it was only fair.
So I went out, down the road and into the field. I searched around for a bit trying to find a good bush. Finally I found one full of ripe blueberries and started picking. I had picked for about half an hour and my basket was nearly full. So I decided to take a break. I went and found a comfy spot in the grass and nibbled on a few blueberries. Suddenly I felt something hit my shoulder. I looked around, but saw nothing. Then I noticed that my shoulder had blueberry juice on it and there in the grass beside me was a slightly squashed blueberry.
So somebody was throwing blueberries at me huh? Well we'll see about that I thought. So I carefully got up and pretended to go down the road, then I cut back through the bushes until I was in a bush that gave me a view of where I had been sitting a few minutes ago and waited. Sure enough I heard a rustle from the bushes and then out came the Merry Brandybuck. I couldn't breath for a moment. He was actually here! I was actually seeing him for real! I soon got over that and watched him closely.
He looked around confused. I noticed in his hand he held a couple squashed blueberries. It was obvious they were squashed because the juice was leaking out between his fingers. So it was him who threw the blueberries! I pondered for a few moments what to do, but stopped abruptly because he started speaking quietly to himself. I listened closely.
"Damn, where did she go?" he said puzzled. "Just wanted to have a little fun on the new girl and she leaves, typical hobbit lass, can't take a joke," he said to himself.
He thought I would just walk away? Ha! I'll show him that I'm no ordinary hobbit lass! He then went and sat down against a tree and started humming to himself and eating a few of the smashed blueberries in his hand. Yuck, I thought. Anyway slowly I crept around behind the bushes until I was positioned directly behind the tree where he was sitting, and picked a few blueberries from the bush nearby. Then with a deep breath reached my hand around it and stuffed the blueberries right down his shirt collar! He yelped and jumped up waving his arms around then reaching in his shirt drew out nothing but blueberry skins and a lot of juice.
I collapsed on the ground giggling and thats when he suddenly noticed me. He gave me a weird look at first as if he was impressed, but soon came around and grinned. Uh oh. He started jogging towards me, but I had sensed it coming so I started running a minute before him, giving me a head start. All the way down the hill I ran with him throwing blueberries at me all the way. All of a sudden I tripped on a hole in the ground and rolled the rest of the way down. I finally stopped and he came rushing up to me.
"Are you okay miss?" He asked.
"Yes yes I'm fine," I replied, but honestly my pride was a little hurt.
He grinned and said "Good that means I can do this."
Before I could get up properly he tackled me to the ground and started tickling me. He continued tickling me until we were both out of breath. With a smile he turned his head and looked down at me.
"Merry Brandybuck at your service," he said proudly extending his hand.
"Autumn Hardbottle here to make your life miserable," I said innocently while shaking his hand.
His smile spread wider and he extended a hand to help me up. After I brushed myself off my eyes spotted a rather large mud puddle a few paces behind him. I got a clever idea.
"So I guess we're even now," he said smirking.
"Not quite," I said and without hesitation I gave him a mighty shove and waving his arms he landed right into the mud puddle. I quickly took off hearing shouts of payback coming from him as I ran up the road back towards my new home.