Mama

New Kids

“I can’t believe you did that!”

“Seriously?” my eyebrow rises in disbelief.

“… You’re right. That was totally you.” Jay guffaws at my earlier stunt of an all out food fight during lunch and innocently blaming it upon our ‘lovesick for Jade’ classmate, Henrik. Like always.

I shove the merry-go-round to the right, making him lose his balance and fall.

“Brett! My hair!” Jade shrieks as she’s been caught in the spinning contraption too, ruining her brunette hair that is now blowing into her face in perfect waves. Her being especially vain since she just got it to settle down from the chilling air that has mussed it up just moments before.

Rolling my eyes, I tease her “Oh yeah, it looks terrible Jade.”

“Exactly what I’m saying!” her obliviousness makes me giggle.

“Why’re you blaming her? It’s all Jay’s fault, like always.” My brother, Broden, smirks at the expense of the boy who aggravated me just moments before.

“Me?! She’s the annoying one!” He complains, earning him another well rounded push. Shriveled leaves whirled around my feet, caught in the circular movement.

“My hair!” Jade shrieks again.                                           

“Get over it and be a man!” Jay yells at her.

“You have no experience with girls whatsoever.” I laugh at him when Jade sends him scrambling around the round playground toy with a murderous glare.

“Stay away from me, you crazy woman!” he shields himself with his arms.

“You shouldn’t have said that!” I say with a light tone.

“Brett! Help me!”

“No!”

“Aww, come on!”

“You’re such a baby.”

“You’re such a baby.” He mocks me.

“Jamie…”

“Gah! Shut up! That’s not my name!”

“That’s such a girly name.” I snort.

“My name’s Jay!”

“Whatever you say, Jamie.”

My best friend rolls her exotic jade green eyes at us and shares a knowing look with my brother.

“… What?”

“Nothing little sis.” Broden smirks.

“You guys are so weird.” Jay mutters. His eyes wander aimlessly, as if avoiding something.

Broden peers around my head and directs his gaze towards the elementary school bleachers just beyond the baseball field.

“Who’s that?” he asks.

I turn around to see a long-legged guy about our age. He looks like a runner, considering the pace he’s taking across the field. Dark chocolate brown hair is swept across his forehead, stringing with beads of perspiration. But something extremely similar strikes me as I see his protective gaze towards a young girl upon his back.

 The small girl trembles on the guy’s back, soft blond hair cascading down in high pigtails on the top of her head. Even from our distance, I can see that her eyes, identical of the boy’s gooey caramel goodness, lock with mine with an unexpected cry of joy.