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She sucked in a breath. “You can’t swear.”
“Jerk isn’t swearing.”
“Uh-huh, totally is. Kiesha told me so.”
“What is Kiesha doing swearing in front of you?” he asked.
Silly Lachie. Kiesha did whatever she wanted, didn’t he know that? Well, unless Ed caught her. Then he might try to wallop her butt. Ed was mean. And he wasn’t even Kiesha’s dad. No one ever walloped Isa’s butt, thank goodness.
Judy had threatened to a few times, though.
She was so mean.
“I don’t want to stay there anymore, Lachie.” She leaned into him. “They don’t want me.”
“Well, I don’t know why they wouldn’t,” he said fiercely. “You’re awesome.”
She smiled up at him. Lachie wasn’t like most nine-year-olds. He was nothing like that meanie, Ted. Although he didn’t really come after her anymore since he was scared of Lachie.
But he picked on the other little kids and she had to stick up for them. Even if that meant Teddy stared at her like he hated her.
“Teddy was being a super jerk today.”
“Don’t say the word jerk,” Lachie said.
“You said it!” she protested.
“I’m allowed. I’m nine. You’re only seven.”
“That seems like a silly rule,” she told him.
“I don’t make them. But you can’t say jerk. Think about what Judy would say. Or your dad.”
Yeah, they wouldn’t be happy.
“Okay, I won’t say it.”
“Was Teddy mean to you?” he asked. “Why didn’t you come get me?”
“It wasn’t at school. He came over to our house to swim. He told me that my bathing suit looked like a baby’s.”
“You shouldn’t listen to him.”
“But it is kind of babyish. I told Judy that I want a plain bathing suit next time. No unicorns or fairies.”
“But you love unicorns and fairies.”
“I know,” she wailed. That was the problem. “They’re so cute and fun and . . . and magic.”
“So keep your bathing suit. And stop listening to that jerk.”
She really wished she could call him a jerk. But sometimes Lachie had very set ideas when it came to her and what she was or wasn’t allowed to do. And he was only nine!
“Tink? What do you say?”
“Yes, Lachie.”
He squeezed her tight. “Good girl. So, you ready to go home?”
