It was the first day of a hot summer in June as a family of three was waiting in line for the raft water slide on a really high watchtower looking building.
Liza was about 10 years old as she was waiting in line behind her brother who was 12 at the time as he was getting bored waiting in the line. The person in front of them was their father as he was on his phone on a business call even though they were supposed to be on vacation. Liza was staring off into space for a minute as her light dirty blonde hair was in a bun and her bangs were blowing in her face from a short breeze as all of a sudden she felt someone push her as she snapped out of her thoughts quickly getting scared as she held onto the bars for dear life. "Papa!" She screamed thinking she was in danger as her heart races more.
Her father stopped the call as he looked over immediately too see her nearly on the edge while her brother was pulling her up trying not to laugh. "Did you push your sister Liam?" He asked sternly and serious as her brother looked at him and said, "I was only trying to scare her a little bit, I didn't think she was going to try and jump off herself." Their father looked furious at him while Liza looked at Liam as if she couldn't believe him not thinking he would actually push her off the ledge.
Their father went over and slapped Liam across the face hard as a few people look more over to see what happened. "You ever fucking do that again I will toss you into the basement, got it?" He asked to Liam quietly as Liam nodded as he had a red mark on his cheek. "Good" their father went back to their call as Liza looked at Liam.
"Liam are you ok?" She asked as Liam just gave her a dark look and said "Yeah I'm fine, just shut up for the rest of the time." Liza felt bad after he said that and saw that the line was moving up as she went over to her father and nudged him a little. Their father looked at her calmly as he asked "what is it Liza?"
"The line is moving up Papa."
Their father looked up ahead and nodded as he took his daughter hand happily as Liam glared more and followed behind. "Today is a big day for you isn't Liza?" Their father started speaking too her as they stopped a little more above almost at the waterslide. "As it is your graduation celebration"
Liza smiled at their father as she nods. "Yeah it is, and I finally am finished with elementary school and can now relax."
"Until you get stuck with the expectations of middle school and the ultimate disappointment when you don't meet those expectations." Her brother added as Liza looked back at him and gave a worried look while their father had given him a not so nice one that Liza didn't catch as Liam gave him one right back.
Liza saw the look on her brothers face and didn't know if it was towards her or not as she got a little scared and turned away as the line moved up more and she jumped up and down and started heading up dragging her father away before him and Liam can have another show down.
As they made it up there only two people can go on a float. "I want to take Liza" Liam said out of nowhere as Liza blinked at him. "I'm sorry she can't go without an adult" their dad tried to argue but Liam persisted on it and bit back, "She's tall enough to go on without one, and from how you act you sure seem the least likely to be on one." Liam said as their father glared at him.
"Lamb..." Liza said to Liam quietly calling him the nicname she gave him when she was a baby to get his attention, which always worked since he looked at her right after then sighed as he took her hand and dragged her to the floaty sitting in the front one making her sit in the back. "If I see any foot crust on me, I really am going to kill you." He said kind of joking as Liza looked at him disgusted.
"My feet are actually smooth and nice, unlike your gross and unwashed feet." She said sticking her tongue out as Liam laughed slightly. "Says the one with the unbrushed hair." He spoke back with another look from Liza that he couldn't see but knew was there.
The life guard then looked at them and gave a thumbs up as they pushed them down the waterslide and splashed them a little bit and set them off.
Liza screamed a little bit as they were going a bit fast, while Liam wasn't really showing much of a reaction but was smiling a little bit.
"You think Dad is going on the next one?" Liza asked as Liam's smile immediately went away and was replaced with a annoyed look. "Most likely since he doesn't have a choice." He said with a hint of bored in his voice. Liza noticed it and gave him with a questionable look, "why don't you and dad not get along Liam?"
"I don't know, why do you care if unicorns are real or not?" He asked being a smart ass as she said. "Because I like to think the world isn't as bad as my supposed to be good older brother says it is." She remarked back.
Liam felt a pain of hurt after she said that last part but tried to ignore as he says "Maybe I'm just trying to prepare you for what your in for, your going to be in middle school soon and maybe I'm trying to teach you more then our father does, that sometimes good things don't always exist unless you make it up." He said as they all of a sudden feel a rush of water hit them in the face as the float stops.
Liza tried to get out without falling in but failed as Liam quickly caught her and helped her up. "And for the record I am a good brother" he said as he gently placed her down on her feet and started walking away as he drags the floaty out of the pool. Liza was silently for a minute until she followed him out as they then kept walking. "Shouldn't we wait for Papa?" She asked as she tried to keep up with Liam. "No, he'll catch up to us later, I thought that we could use a break from him." Liam said as Liza was a little behind him with her green flipflops flopping on her feet.
"You know, I'm not upset at you for scaring me right? It would have been a good scare if it wasn't on the really high railing." Liza implied trying to make her brother in a less upset mood as Liam got some of his brown hair out of his face not looking at her.
"Yeah I guess, sorry for almost scaring you into jumping off the railing." He finally looked at her as she smiled and went to take his hand. "Your forgiven, though where are we going now?" She asked as Liam held her hand and continued to walk.
"To get something too eat, since I'm starving." He said as Liza nodded in agreement."Since we have the wrist bands we're able to get food without Papa." She said excitedly they walk together with Liam holding her hand.
'Though I'm probably going to get killed at home for this.' Liam thought walking to the shop up ahead.
