Just Friends

April 26th

     Just before midday, I dragged myself out of bed, forcing myself to do something productive with my Saturday.
     "What are you two doing?" I asked as I entered the living room to find Ethan and Madeline sat on the floor with a couple of arts and craft boxes out.
     "We're making friendship bracelets." Madeline replied, adding a couple of beads to the tiny tube in her tiny hands.
     "Aw how cute." I replied, crouching beside her and brushing her beautifully long ginger hair aside to kiss her freckled cheek.
     "Good morning dear." Ethan said, pushing his cheek in my direction.
     I squinted at him for a moment. "Fine you can have one as well, morning." I crouched over and kissed his cheek.
     He was still wearing the new tie I had bought him for his birthday. He always has a couple of weeks after his birthday where he doesn't take off his new tie.
     "So are you making me one?" I asked, feeling left out.
     "If you wasn't nocturnal maybe you could have made one with us." Ethan replied, nudging me with his elbow.
     "I'm one step ahead of you, I've nearly finished yours now, August." He added, awkwardly flapping with a bracelet in his hands.
     "Need a hand there?" I asked sarcastically.
He looked me dead in the eye, "I got it."
     I noticed Mum and Dad weren't around and since it was a Saturday they shouldn't be working. "Where are Mum and dad?"
     She tied the friendship bracelet together with her teeth. "They asked Ethan to babysit while they went shopping or something."
     I frowned, "Well why didn't they ask me? I can babysit you. I always do."
     Her cute eyes flicked up and glanced over at Ethan. "He's not here to babysit me."
     I rolled my eyes at them. "How long have you been waiting to say that?"
     She grinned, "Like an hour."
     She giggled, then Ethan laughed. I sulked at them both.
     "I get yours, he gets mine, and you get his. See," She slid the bracelet along her wrist and raised it to my face. It was miles to big for her, but I'm sure that won't bother her. She'll grow into it as my Dad would say. The well-arranged multicoloured bracelet was spectacular. She twizzled it around to show me the side that had AUGUST spelt out. A different coloured plastic bead seperated each letter. Ethan lifted his wrist to show me his. It was white and black, spelling out MADDIE. Only Ethan is allowed to call Madeline, Maddie. She demanded everyone else call her Madeline.
     "Finished!" Ethan shouted, holding the bracelet in front of me.
     Mine was pink, hot pink. It fit perfectly, obviously spelling out ETHAN. It's sweet now that we have our own friendship bracelets.