Between Candies And Strawberries

Chapter 1: The Ninja Stance

A/N: This is based on a real-life experience. Some of the details are tweaked and the identities of the people involved are hidden for their privacy. Enjoy!

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Old-fashioned street lamps threw feeble light on the pavement, the breeze caressing my face calmly and a hint of my neighbour’s cooking wafting up our noses. “So Bre, what do you want for your birthday tomorrow?” I inquired, wagging my dark eyebrows at the the walking figure beside me.

Her straight caramel-coloured hair that went down her shoulders was flapping in harmony with the wind as her head whirled to face me, her amethyst irises and pixie features glinting under the dim lighting. “I don’t need anything, silly!” She chirped.

Tucking back a stray lock of my wavy auburn hair, I retorted, my sea foam green eyes piercing into hers, “That’s what everyone says, but they secretly want something!”

Bre shot me her signature baleful look of contempt and I grimaced. We traipsed along the familiar path home, her house just beside mine. “Fine, I’m sorry you little bimbo.” I whined jokingly and tugged on her arm.

At first she displayed her usual mulish obstinacy but then the act crumbled as a smile crept up to her face, “Yeah, whatever. There’s no need for you to get me anything, really.” She muttered and flipped her hair, almost slapping my face in the process.

Finally, we could see our houses among the street lined with lively two-storey suburban houses and I shot Bre a knowing look.

She rolled her eyes, and I pouted. Confused? Well, Bre and I would always race each other home, but… Scratch that. I was the only one who’d run, so I had to change that fact.

Glancing down, my eyes twinkled with mischief at the cup of unfinished Belgian chocolate ice-cream that Bre was holding onto. Like a ninja, I swiped it off her and took off for my yard with her hot on my heels shrieking repeatedly, “Swiper, no swiping!”

Fortunately, it was only around six in the evening or the cranky neighbours would have been throwing sticks at us because of Bre’s high-pitched, querulous voice. I laughed heartily and took a scoop of that delicious ice-cream. Yep, I finished mine ages ago while Bre was ranting on about how unhealthy ice-cream was.

“Why you little fart-head,” Bre snarled and pounced on me, both of us rolling on my well-kept front yard, giggling like little girls with food. The ice-cream was safe in my grip but it was snatched away by her. I was always jealous of her athletic abilities and she could outrun me all the time even though we were of the same slim build.

Both of us got up and I dusted myself before waving to Bre and stepping into my house while Bre made her way to hers. To my surprise, my parents were home. “Lya dear, you’re back just in time! Guess who’s here?” A familiar voice mused from the kitchen. My cheery mother waltzed into the living room where I was stripping out of my sweater.

 “Me!” An all too familiar voice emanated from the stairs. I whipped my head in that direction and crouched into my ninja-run stance, my eyes scrutinising the area near the stairs.

My father who was lying on the couch watching his favourite show, ‘The Dog Whisperer’, sighed indifferently, “There they go again.” But I ignored him, and anyway I didn’t get why he loved watching that show when we didn’t even owned a dog.

My rival finally showed himself, bounding down the stairs and headed straight for me.

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