flipped. charlie conway

27

that summer was eventful. the nine chickens in leah's backyard all began laying eggs - frequently at that. of course, the residents of north hennepin avenue, plus surrounding streets in edina, were delighted to purchase a baker's dozen of eggs from the girl each week. adam was even kind enough to help her disperse the eggs which were slowly, but surely, overtaking their refrigerator. if adam were honest, he was incredibly bored of devouring scrambled eggs - no matter how well his mother made them.

the banks twins also spent a fair amount of time at the edina outdoor pool, basking in the sweet, generous sun and diving into the rippling chlorinated waves of the blue pool. in fact, adam and leah might as well have bunker at the outdoor pool, considering they were there almost every day: begging their parents to dress into their bathers for just one more day at the pool since summer was coming to an end.

summer wouldn't be summer without adam and leah's adventures into minneapolis and its smoothies. the two had so many smoothies a day, they basically learned how to chug the sweet nectar of mangoes, passionfruit and strawberries in mere seconds.

and neither twin could forget their beloved raft that somehow still simmered upon the pond, even so many years after its construction. almost every evening, leah would convince adam to admire the delayed sunset with her. though adam used to find the activity rather boring, and only used to attend so he wouldn't be bored at home, he now possessed a newfound appreciation for the yellow and purple sky at dusk. it reminded adam of him and his sister - at opposite ends of the colour wheel, yet so complementary. adam wouldn't go anywhere without leah, and leah appreciated that more than adam would ever know. adam and leah were all each other really had.

without doubt, the two practised hockey in their backyard every chance they got. adorned with helmets, gloves, rollerblades, elbow-pads and knee-pads, the banks twins remained devoted to their hockey - even in the middle of summer.

adam wasn't shy of commentating his so-called 'epic' trick shots, especially when he expertly manoeuvred around his twin sister. yet, when leah was the one to frazzle adam's brain with her own manoeuvres, adam would commentate her shots as 'dirty' and 'cheap', much to leah's dismay.

whilst leah had spent less, though still a considerable amount, of time dreaming about the shaggy-haired charlie conway over the summer, the way her heart escaped her rib cage and pounded back in at the mere thought of the captain left the banks girl in a frenzy.

leah almost choked on her mango smoothie as she caught the sight of fluffy, spiked, soft, shaggy hair outside the window she stood behind. needless to say, charlie conway certainly had a growth spurt over the last month. though leah grew shy at his presence as she stood beside her brother, she immediately knew the boy was the same giddy, caring, lively charlie conway she loved to know when she caught a glance of the beaming smile on his face.

adam rolled his eyes, nudging his sister as she allowed a satisfied grin to creep into her face at the simple sight of charlie's joy alongside lester and jesse.

"you're gawking." adam sang, finishing the rest of his smoothie. leah's head snapped to her brother.

"gawking?" she huffed as her flung into her face, "that's- no. i was thinking of saying hi."

adam smirked, "to charlie? or to jesse and lester, too?"

a shameful blush spread over the banks girl's cheeks, blazing against her much-longer head of light hair. "all three, obviously!"

adam rose his eyebrows with a curt nod, gesturing for leah to finish her smoothie so they could greet their friendly teammates.

leah happily obliged, downing her smoothie in six seconds, before adam left leah behind as he left the door of their beloved smoothie shop.

"quack, quack!" adam greeted with a wide grin, strolling up to the three boys.

"adam!" the three greeted, embracing their friend in short hugs each.

"how's summer?" adam asked politely, glancing into the window to see his sister clumsily carrying their glasses back to the counter.

"awesome!" lester exclaimed, "gee, why'd you even ask? no school rules!"

"right, it does." jesse exclaimed.

"yeah, it's been so great. i get to stay up until half-ten, now. no school nights anymore!" charlie crossed his arms smugly.

"leah and i like school." adam shrugged mindlessly, unaware that he immediately dampened the conway boy's joy.

"speak for yourself. i bet you're both itching to go back." jesse scoffed playfully.

lester chuckled. "speaking of, where is leah?" he pondered, resting an arm on each charlie and adam's shoulders.

"who cares?" charlie groaned, "probably with her stupid chickens, right adam?"

jesse audibly gulped from beside charlie. "nope."

"and aren't i glad she's not." lester sang through a sigh, the two boys rendered speechless as leah banks exit through the door.

"that's my sister." adam warned lowly, almost growling at his teammates.

charlie's face contorted in disgust at his two friends, groaning at their behaviour. she was still the same boring, overly-happy, dampening girl she'd always been. as he forced himself to look up, charlie resisted the urge to walk away in annoyance. her hair glimmered against the sun's beam, catching every ray of light, and her nose was still covered in so many freckles that she may as well have been a spotted egg. and most annoyingly, her eyes still openly smiled at every person she made eye contact with.

the conway boy rolled his eyes, elbowing jesse and lester in their stomachs, before averting his gaze as to avoid completely ruining his perfectly happy day.

"hi." she shyly waved, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her cargo shorts.

after an insufferable moment of silence, lester piped up. "well if it isn't my favourite banks!" he high-fived the girl, leaning onto charlie's shoulder once again.

adam narrowed his eyes. "what was that, averman?"

"you heard me." lester winked, turning to raise his eyebrows at the banks girl.

"yeah, i don't have a favourite. don't look at me." jesse held his hands up when adam looked pointedly at the tanned boy.

charlie huffed. "don't worry, adam. you're my favourite banks."

"thanks, charlie." adam grinned in approval.

leah's heart fluttered. typical charlie, always catering to the needs of his teammates. he was such a team player, leah found it admirable. leah was sure charlie could do no wrong, ever. charlie conway was golden - just like the rippling reflection of the sun on the pond's surface.

charlie was the fish in her pond, and her heart was the bait. with each tug on her heart, it became harder and harder for leah to reel her admiration back in.