Tricking Molly Jones

Chapter 2 (Flashback)

I cautiously extended my hand. 

"Um, hi."

She grinned and grabbed my hand, whipping my arm around so hard I thought it would fall off. Sheesh, what is it with this girl? I thought madly. I pulled my hand back, rubbing the sore spot where she had grabbed me. I turned and started walking the other way, when she popped up in front of me again.

"Agh! Could you stop doing that?!" I screamed. I was having enough of this girl.

"I'm just trying to be friendly, is all." 

"Well, go be friendly to someone else, because I am in the middle of something and would love to continue doing it. So, toodaloo."

Yeah, I know, very manly.

"Wait."  Molly ordered. I huffed, but stopped walking. "I know what you're up too! You sir are not going to hunt my cat! Don't you get it? I tackled you for a reason! Plus, by the look in your eyes, there would have been inhumane treatment Mr. Sniffles, like attaching cans to his tail, so it is my job to stop intruders like you from harmin' poor, innocent creatures!"

I burst out laughing, but her glare caused me to pretend to have a coughing fit. "Well, Park Ranger," I coughed, "I want to get that cat. And you can't stop me. So what are you going to do about it? Huh?"

Truthfully, I could not have cared less about that cat. I just wanted to mess with Miss Molly, show her who was boss. She had no right  to think she owned the world.

"Fine," Molly shrugged. "I challenge you. If you find the cat before I do, you get to torture it how you want. But if I find the cat first, you have to play with me the rest of the day."

There was not way out of this one. "Fine."

Molly smiled mischeviously. "You ready? On your marks, get set, GO!"

I raced in the direction I last saw the cat go. I was halfway across the giant clearing when I looked back. Ha! Molly was going the other way! That weirdo will never find the cat, I smirked. I turned back around and sped off after Mr. Sniffles.

15 minutes later

I sat on a tree stump, sucking air. It was hot and humid outside, and I had run for fifteen mintes straight, but there was no sign of Mr. Sniffles. I got up, and was preparing to check around the creek when I heard a singsong voice echo through the trees: "Oh boy-who-never-told-me-his-name! It's Molly and I have Mr. Sniffles! Come to the abandoned lot and let's work out a deal."

I stood, frozen. How on earth did she find that cat before I did? She went in the completely WRONG direction! I huffed, and made my way through the trees to the old lot. The lot had once been the location of a house that this old man lived in some twenty years ago. He died suddenly and left no will, so the house was mowed down. Nowadays, the lot is a dejected looking muddle of field and concrete where all the kids played. Rumor has it that his ghost still haunts the lot at night, so only the bravest neighbrhood kids had the guts to go there after the sun disappeared over the horizon. 

Anyway, I picked my way through the grass until I stood on the edge of the lot. Molly sat calmly in the middle on a gradd patch, stroking a disgruntled looking cat. Yep, it was the same cat I had tried to chase earlier today. I walked up cautiously to her. Molly looked up, and smiled. 

"I didn't know that you'd come!"

"Yeah, well here I am."

"What's your name?"

I sighed. "Eddy."

"Well nice to meet ya Eddy! Now that we are formally introduced, and I caught Mr. Sniffles, we can to play. I think we should play Indians!" She let go of Mr. Sniffles, who tore off into a bush, disappearing. 

"Wait a second, how did you find the cat?" I asked.

"Oh, Mr. Sniffles and me have a special connection. I knew where he was, and just asked him to find me." She looked up, and beamed at me.

I snorted. "Sure."

"I am serious! I'll prove it to you someday. But not now, 'cuz we have a game on our hands!"

I stared at her as she jumped up and ran past me. She stopped quickly and turned. "Oops,  almost forgot. Which Indian do you want to be? I call myself Four Eyes!"

I almost lost it. This girl was nuts. Indians, really? What did she think we were in, second grade? Well, we were, but I considered myself to have the intellectual capacity and maturity of someone in fourth grade, so ha. And what kind of person, especially one with glasses, names themselves 'Four Eyes' when they're playing Indians! 

Molly stared at me. "You do know how to play, right?"

I nodded, but she launched into an explanation anyways. "Well, what ya do is basically run around the forest pretending to be Indians and doin' Indian-like things! We build fires, swing from the trees, play in the creek, use bows and arrows, you name it! I play all the time, though mostly by myself, 'cuz I have no siblings, but Mr. Sniffles is company! But now that you're here, we can have battles, and sing songs around the campfire, and have just so much fun!!!!" She glowed with euphoria. Weirdo.

"Wait really!?! I had no idea how to play!" I said pointedly.

Sadly, she missed my sarcasm. Instead, she chirped, "Glad I could help!" 

I groaned. "Okay, let's get on with this game. I will be Little Chief (I just pulled that out of thin air). And how long do we have to play? My mom will wonder where I am."

Molly was already jogging away. "'Til sundown. Come on, though! Time won't stop for us!"

I sighed, and followed Four Eyes into the trees.