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Alden walks up to us, wading through the water with his hand wrapped around a frog. “Look girls, I found a prince. You just have to kiss him.”
He shoves it toward Tori. “Hey baby, how about a smooch?”
“Ew!” Tori leaps up and steps backward.
“Aw you hurt his feelings.” Alden turns the frog around and talks to it. “Poor little guy just wants a kiss.” He thrusts it toward my face. “Ella? It might turn into Sawyeeeer.”
I like frogs. He’s not going to get a reaction out of me. “You kiss him. He seems to like you.”
He purses his lips, pretending like he’s going to kiss it. The frog isn’t having it and chooses that moment to jump from his hand. It lands on his head, right near his temple, and holds on for dear life while it pees down the side of his face.
“Dude, that’s not water,” Oliver hoots, pointing at his brother.
“Oh gross!” Alden snatches up the frog and shakes a finger at it. “Not cool! Not cool!”
Whatever is said after that, while Alden stalks over to the deepest part of the creek to wash the frog pee off him, I don’t hear. I’m laughing too hard. Tori and Oliver are cracking up too. He’ll never live this one down.
“It’s lunch time,” Tori says, after we catch our breath. “I have to go.”
“Don’t forget to ask about staying tonight,” I remind her.
Oliver gathers up the jars and slings his backpack on. “We’d better get to lunch too.”
Alden waves at him, then sits beside me. “Go ahead. I’m not hungry.”
“Getting peed on kill your appetite?” Oliver dodges the clump of mud Alden throws at him, then he and Tori start for home.
Once they’re gone, I lean back on my hands, watching the water flow by. “You don’t want to eat?”
“Mom’s on a cleaning rampage today. If I go back there, she’ll put me to work. Are you going home?”
“Not yet.” It’s nice here and I’m not that hungry. I’m thinking about what Tori was saying about her mom not being allowed to spend money. I’ve never heard my parents discuss how they divide things up. Does Mom have to get permission? I doubt that. “Does your mom have to ask your dad for money?” I ask. “Like Tori’s mom?”
“Probably. I don’t know.”
With a sigh, I lie back and look up through the canopy of the trees. I love the way they let you get peeks of the sky without the sun blinding you. “I’m never getting married. No one is going to tell me what to do.”
Tucking his arms behind his head, Alden lies back next to me. “You’re going to marry me. I won’t tell you what to do.”
“You just did.” We turn to look at each other and fall into giggles. “Besides, the frog already marked you as her property. Isn’t that how it works?”
“Are you saying I need to pee on you before you’ll marry me? Because that’s gross, El.”
“Ew! No!”
We lie there in silence for a few more minutes until my stomach growls. “Want to eat at my house? My mom left ham sandwiches,” I offer.
“Sure, thanks.”
Neither of us says much during our walk back through the woods and to my house, but all I can think about is what he said about marrying me. I’ve never thought about it before, but Alden is cute and funny. He’d be a good boyfriend. You know, if Sawyer doesn’t happen.
CHAPTER2
Warm rain falls in soft intermittent showers, as it has all day. After spending most of the day at the treehouse, I’ve spent the last hour curled up on the porch swing with a book. Mom and Dad are out and won’t be home until very late. Garrett is supposed to be keeping an eye on me. Ha. As soon as he knew we were on our own, he told me not to do anything stupid and headed to his girlfriend’s house.
It’s fine. I’m twelve. I don’t need a babysitter anymore. He does more stupid things than I do. I’m trying to decide if I want to invite Tori over to watch a movie when the Stokes’ front door bursts open and shouting fills the air.
It’s not out of the ordinary for Alden and Oliver’s parents to argue out in the yard. Mom says it’s low class, but hey, when you’re mad, you’re mad. I don’t always think about who can hear me when I’m yelling at my brother.
