AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Because you're tiny," he said, grinning.
I couldn't help but smile. "Does that make you my Peter Pan?"
Maverick's eyes sparkled with amusement. "If you want me to be, I will."
TWO
THE PAST
MAVERICK, AGE 11
"Come on, man, that's cheating!" Seth, my best friend, let out a frustrated cry as we played a motocross game.
Our heads were bent over our controllers, our eyes glued to the TV screen as we weaved our virtual bikes through a tricky obstacle course. Despite our intense concentration, I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. There was something about competing against Seth that always brought out the fun in me.
When I first moved next door three months ago, we bonded quickly over our shared interests. We both loved video games and spent many afternoons trying to beat each other's high scores. We were also avid bikers and would often race each other around the neighborhood.
"I’m not cheating." I laughed, avoiding getting hit in the head with the controller, like what happened yesterday.
"Whatever. I’m hungry." He jumped off the gaming chair and I followed him to his kitchen.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked as he opened the fridge.
"Whatever you have." I sat on the stool and turned my head when I heard the front door open.
"We 're home!" Scar yelled out and came to a halt when she saw me in her kitchen.
"What are you doing here?" Her bottom lip pouted out, and she rested her hands on her hips.
"Scar. Be nice. He's your brother’s friend. Now, move out of the way and help me put the groceries away," Mrs. Pierce scolded as she walked around Scar.
"Hi, Maverick. Are you staying for lunch?" Mrs. Pierce asked, putting the bags on the counter.
"Sure," I said, keeping my eyes on Scar.
Scar rolled her eyes at me.
She was cute for a little thing when she was mad.
Seth walked over to Scar and gave her one of his famous hugs that seemed to calm her down.
"Come on, Skittles. Let’s make sandwiches. And then we can go to the treehouse, okay?"
"Really?" Her mouth widened, giving us a perfect view of her bright smile. Poor Seth, he didn’t seem to trust his little sis around the treehouse because of her size. The thought of her having a nasty fall sent shivers down my spine. He was like a hawk when it came to Scar, watching her every move
"Yeah. Right, Mav?" Seth pleaded with his eyes as he waited for my response.
"Yeah, it’s cool."
His eyes softened. Seth turned to his sister and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the counter. He lifted her by the waist and sat her on the stool across from me. "Thank you, Ricky," Scar said innocently. She was the only person who called me Ricky, and I liked it, just like I was the only person allowed to call her Tink or Tinkerbelle.
"You're welcome, Tinkerbelle."
Once our bellies were full of sandwiches and chips, we dashed outside and scurried toward the backyard, where our treehouse awaited. Seth and Scar led the way while I trailed behind. My eagle eyes caught Seth's gentle grip on Scar's hand. He never batted an eye when Tinkerbelle tagged along. And, strangely enough, I didn’t mind either.
As we reached the base of the ladder leading up to the treehouse, Seth suddenly turned around and gazed back at Scar.
"Scar, let me lead and you can follow," Seth offered.
