The hills that bordered the city were perfect for launching a rocket. The country was beautiful, no matter the time of day. Light green grass curved over the hills, blanketing the dense earth. In the distance, the sky and the earth met to embrace in an infinite meeting. Tall, ripe apple trees grew firmly out of the ground. A gentle wind picked up, swaying the limbs of a tree in a playful dance. You could hear the wind whispering secrets to the trees, fluttering through the delicate boughs, causing several emerald leaves to start their premature flight towards the ground.
Jacob set up the equipment. I don’t know where he gets all of the supplies needed to build a rocket-from scratch-and launch it successfully. Frankly, I don’t want to know.
I set out a blanket, using heavy river stones to hold down the four corners. My mom unloaded the picnic basket, revealing even more cookies and some fresh peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I started the bets; going around seeing what people thought the outcome would be. We placed bets on how far up it would go-using the tallest trees as markers. We also bet on the outcome, like if it would fail or not. I made a pretty risky bet with Taylor, estimating how long it would be until gravity took over after it launched. I made some questionable bets, but I had confidence in Jacob.
“Five…four…three…two…one. Blastoff!” We all yelled. It shot upwards, clearing the first two trees we had used as beginning markers. A wind made it veer slightly to the left. I inhaled sharply, because I had made a bet stating that the same thing would happen. I must be psychic. That’s ten more dollars in my pocket.
I must have done something amazing to deserve such good karma, because I won every single bet. Jacobs’s rocket had surpassed the tallest tree. I think I collected about forty dollars.
Elizabeth and Lili won about fifteen dollars each. They had basically just traded money since they had bet with each other, on different things, with the same amount of money.
We trooped home, preparing for dinner. All we did everyday was eat, eat, and eat. Xaeren was practically begged by my mom to stay for dinner. Why did she have to embarrass me so much? He graciously agreed.
“What are we having for dinner?” I asked, feeling my stomach rumble.
“Stir fry.” My mom said, knowing that everyone loved her even more whenever she cooked stir fry.
It was, plain and simple, delicious. The bushels of fresh vegetables went perfectly with the dewy meat encased in a rich sauce.
I was following my mom around the kitchen, trying all of the sliced or roasted vegetables.
After ten minutes of me following her, she ordered me out of her kitchen to an indefinite banishment.
I sat around, watching the light make rainbows as they shone through the prisms dangling in the windows. Lili flipped through the TV channels, finally settling on one of those ‘twenty days of Halloween movie specials. I was bored and so was everyone else.
I headed upstairs and changed into my two piece swimsuit. I grabbed one of those huge beach towels and headed downstairs. When everyone saw me they jumped up and hurried about, searching for their swim stuff.
In less than five minutes, we stood on the beach spreading out a beach towel and strapping ourselves to our boogie boards.
I plunged into the waves, straddling the board as I paddled farther from the shore. The moisture in the air slowed me down, the heat making me lazy.
Morris sat under a big umbrella, dozing off. Where did he get the umbrella? I was struck by a sudden idea, but I would need someone with a lot of upper arm strength. I nodded at Xaeren, motioning towards the shore. I swam to the beach, trying to rally everyone onto the beach.
I stared at Xaeren as he rose from the waves. He looked like a god, rising once again from the crisp waves to avenge some old spirit. As everyone gathered around me, all I could do was stare as the water ran in rivulets down Xaeren’s pale, well defined chest. He was staring at me, as if saying ‘see something you like?’ I looked away, blushing.
“Morris is asleep on the beach. Give you any ideas? First, we need to dig a hole, and then we could lower Morris into it. We could bury him in the sand. Well, except for his head, of course. We should probably pick up the towel he’s lying on and lower him into the hole.” I said. Everyone except for Taylor looked excited at the prospect of a prank.
“Do I have to dig a hole? I just got a manicure. Could I carry the umbrella over him, so he doesn’t notice the change in light and wake up?” She asked, studying her expertly filed nails. It was actually a good idea, one I should have had.
“Yeah, sure. But you have to be very careful.” I warned her. She threw me a scathing look. She may be pretentious and image conscious, but she was smart.
Xaeren held two of the corners effortlessly. Whereas it took me, Lili, and Elizabeth to manage two corners. Taylor followed us, adjusting herself every so often as we slowly moved down the beach.
Digging the hole was easy; it took us five minutes to dig a two feet deep hole. Lowering Morris into it, on the other hand, proved difficult. We finally had him in the hole, and we started filling it in. We slowly and methodically covered him in sand. We were giggling like schoolgirls, Xaeren included.
I put perfect clam shaped shells on his chest, like a shell bra. I pushed my luck and put seaweed onto his chest, as if they were bra straps. Shells, seaweed, and drift wood was placed around Morris’ head like hair. I took several pictures of him with my camera, laughing quietly as I moved around him. Whenever I laugh too hard, I start snorting. It was an embarrassing-and startling-experience for me. I usually try to withhold my inner pig, but it was just too funny. Xaeren’s eyes widened, and then he started laughing harder, pointing at me and Morris.
I clutched my stomach, eyes bulging, my stomach and throat was burning. I had tears rolling down my face. I fell to the ground, rolling around until I hit the water, the sudden lukewarm water surprising me. I sat up and stared around me in confusion for a moment. I stared open mouthed at everyone, then burst out laughing.
“I can’t see my body! Is my head just a head? Do I have no body? Not nobody, but do I have a body? Help!” Screamed Morris. His voice shook in bewilderment and confusion. He sounded like a little girl. I crawled towards him, laughing as I tried to dig him out and explain things. I ended up getting sand all over me and on Morris’s face. He spluttered, trying to get the sand off of his face without the use of his hands. Once he realized that he hadn’t been dismembered in his sleep, he quieted down.
When I freed his hands and feet, Taylor sat beside me, asking what we should tell him happened. Morris was to engrossed in the uncovering of his body to listen to us properly.
We ended up telling him the truth, and he promised to get each of us back. It was hard to keep from laughing as he walked off, laughing his version of an evil laugh.
