Upside Down

(28) Kriss, Get Out Of The Watermelon!

Chapter 28

Fish Sticks : Good :: Wolves Jumping Out Of The Woods And Scaring The Piss Out Of You .... : Not So Good 

Ah, the smell of burning hamburgers in the late afternoon, little girls running around screaming as their little brothers chased them around with dead worms on sticks, some middle school boys checking out the high school girls, old ladies sitting at a picnic table and gossiping, and oh, look at that, Uncle Greg accidently set his picnic blanket on fire and Mr. Greyson (the high school principal, remember?) trying to help him put it out. That's what these get-togethers are all about. My crazy, wacko pack, you just gotta love them.

"Come on, Greg, stop running so I can put the fire out!"

"AHHHHHHH! AH! AH! AH! AH! AHHHHH! AHHHHH! AHHHHH! Fire! Fire! Fire! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Oh, Uncle Greg ...

"Come on, everyone! Time to eat! And damn it, Greg, put the fire out already!" I turned and heard Gammy (my grandma) shout at Uncle Greg.

"Ah! Ah! Ah, fire! Help me! Help! Help me! AHHHHHHHH!"

My pack is crazy.

I turned around back to the truck and smiled at Kriss who smiled back timidly. "Come on, Kriss, let's go." Instead of just taking the hand I held out, she leaped out and into my arms making me stumble back. "Oomph, well hello to you too."

She giggled and looked up at me to say, "Hi."

"Come on, I'll show you around," I told her then picked her up and put her on my shoulders, leading her towards the picnic tables. Her face was one of contemptment and I have to admit I wasn't feeling too bad either. When I looked up at her I could tell she was sniffing the food because her nostrils flared every once in a while and she got this dreamy look on her face.

"Food!" She exclaimed and I laughed.

"Yeah, lots of food. You want to go get some?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" She bounced up and down on my shoulders with excitement and I couldn't help but laugh. She was too adorable, not that I'd ever admit that.

"Come on, Emerson, time to eat!" Gammy called out to me. I could feel the stares of some pack mates and hear some whispers most likely about the girl on my shoulders but I didn't really care and as Kriss bounced on my shoulders I don't think she did either so I walked forward to the table with a white tablecloth and piles and piles of food.

"FISH STICKS!" Kriss shouted excitedly into my ear and what do you know, there's a big plate of fish sticks on the table for the younger kids.

"Come on, let's get you some fish sticks," I said as I pulled her off my shoulders and set her on the ground. "Hand me two plates from beside you." She did as I asked and we went through the line getting two giant plates full of food then went to sit at a table for ourselves.

"Ahooooo!" I turned to the howl and saw my father and Zach come out of the forest in wolf form and everyone cheered as they went off to the bathroom to change.