Coming Home

Chapter 1 Forgotten Faces

"Matty! That's not fair; you cheated!" I yelled to the butthead.

"Well you're just too slow then. Maybe if your legs weren't so short you'd be able to keep up with me," Matt said as he smiled triumphantly.

"It's not my fault I have little legs," I sighed as I crossed my arms over my chest, forming my lips into a pout. It really wasn't fair.

Matt's smile disappeared when he saw how mad I was, and his eyes shone with sadness.

"Bailey, don't cry. I'm sorry, I really am," he said lifting his arms in the air in defeat.

"I am not crying, 'specially over you, butthead."

"I didn't mean to make you sad though, I just wanted to win," Matt sighed, looking toward the ground.

"Fine, but next time I get a ten second head start. It only makes sense," I smiled to him.

"That only makes sense to you," he whined. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he shouted, "Wait, ten seconds! That's like, forever! You can't have ten!"

"Well, you cheated anyway. So, it's fair."

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Ugh, okay. You can have ten, can we stop now? You sound like you're five," Matt said annoyed.

"I am seven, not five, Matthew. Get it right," I said stomping my foot then turning my back to him.

"You're so weird, Bail."

I kept quiet, not acknowledging him. He was being unreasonable after all.

"Bailey, don't make me do it," he said with a smile in his voice.

I didn't believe that he was serious so I didn't respond again. I pretended to examine my nails, flipping my hand over every so often.

I burst into a fit of laughter and screams. Matt had started tickling me, and I knew he wouldn't stop until I agreed to whatever he wanted me to.

"Matt! I, can't, breathe!" I yelled in between spurts of giggles.

At this point I was rolling on the ground, kicking and flailing my arms trying to escape his reach. But because he was taller and stronger than me, I laid hopelessly on the ground laughing until my sides hurt and he finally stopped tickling me.

"Why do you always have to do that? You know I hate it," I seethed at him.

"'Cause it's funny. And your laugh sounds like a walrus and an elephant combined," Matt chuckled. "How weird would it be if an elephant and a walrus had a baby? Would it have a long trunk and tusks, but a flappy tail? That would be so funny! Oh, and then you would become friends with him 'cause you sound alike."

"That would never happen, stupid," I said staring at him with a confused look and my head tilted to the side. "But if it did I would replace you with him as my best friend, 'cause he'll probably be nicer to me."

"Okay, yeah, I don't want that to happen then. I'm your best friend, not some dumb walphant."

"Wal-what?"