The Cherry Trees

Chapter Twenty-One: 2013

"Are you sure that this is okay for him?" I asked.

Luke waved off the question and pulled his arms back again, ready to throw the poor thing into the chlorinated water.

"Luke stop!" I screamed as the turtle took flight. Luke stumbled, and tried to regain control of the turtle, but failed. Rickybob landed in the water, and Luke, unbalanced, followed soon after. I laughed as he sunk to the bottom, swimming around, looking for the turtle, who would probably be poisoned from the chlorine. I sat on the edge of his pool, waiting for him to come up, but he just kept swimming around. How long could he possibly stay under? After another few seconds, he resurfaced, and he shook his head like a dog, splashing water all over me. Then, he handed me Rickybob, and pulled himself out of the water.

Stroking Rickybob's shell, I cooed, "Aww, you poor thing! Your mean owner just threw you in thinking it would be funny. But you know what was funny? When he fell in!" I said giggling.

"And you know what is really funny?" I heard Luke say behind me.

I turned around to look at him.

"This!" he said, shoving me into the pool.

"Ahh!" I screamed before I went under.

I let myself drift to the bottom, and I sat down, looking at how peaceful it was underneath the water, away from the world. The sunlight bent with each ripple, and it danced along the bottom of the pool. My thin, long hair swished above me, and my lungs began to burn for air. I pushed against the bottom, and reached the surface, finally seeing Luke's mischevious grin.

I sighed, observing my drenched clothes, and I reached up for his hand.

"Help me out," I said, acting upset. I braced my feet against the wall of the pool, and when his fingers closed around my wrist, I yanked with all my might. Luke toppled over me, into the pool, and I struggled, trying to get out before he could pull me down with him.

When I got onto the patio, water dripping from my hair and shirt, I watched as he swam to the side, and climbed the ladder out.

"You bad child," he said, pouting.

I laughed, knowing Lexi would approve of my actions.

-

"Aww, that's so cute!" Lexi said, after I told her how my day was.

"No it isn't," I said sternly. I hated when people called me cute.

"Fine, it was friendly," Lexi said, rolling her bright green eyes.

I smiled at her and jumped down from the barstool, going to get some tropical kool- aid from the fridge.

"So," she said, flipping her hair back off her shoulders, "any news on when our golden years are going to end?"

I looked at her, confused.

Lexi sighed. "When your sibling is born. When is it coming?" she asked, obviously not too happy about my new brother or sister.

I shrugged.

"Anne, aren't you supposed to know these things?"

Actually I did know, but I just didn't really want to talk about it. My mom had gone non-stop about how the baby was kicking, and she made me feel for it. It was acutally really cool. But it still didn't change the fact that it might ruin my life.

Might.

But yes, I did know when it was coming, and I also knew it was a girl. She was going to be born in August, right around the time that we would go back to school.

I already had my names, Vanessa or Christina, but I was going to wait to see what she looked like before I chose one. I decided that I wasn't going to curse my new sister with an awful name, and that I would pick something pretty for her, so maybe she would appreciate me later in life.

"Earth to Anne?" Lexi called.

"What?"

"Nevermind. So, do you think Luke... you know... likes you?" Lexi asked, smirking.

I scrunched up my face. "Ew, cooties!" I said, jokingly.

Lexi laughed, "No really, does he?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. I don't really care," I lied.

"Don't even."

"What?" I asked. Lexi could be so confusing sometimes.

"You are so blonde, Anne. Don't even act like oyu don't care," she replied.

I looked at my feet, not wanting to answer the comment she had just made.

Lexi giggled. "I think he does," she teased.

I shrugged.

Lexi sighed, finally picking up on the fact that I didn't really want to talk about it. "Oh! Did the turtle live?" she asked.

I honestly wasn't sure. I tried to think back to after we got out of the pool, but I don't remember seeing Rickybob. I'm sure he was fine. I shrugged, and Lexi sighed, irritated.

"You are just off today, aren't you? Well, I am going home, talk to me if you need me," she said, hinting to use the walkie- talkies.

After she was gone, I threw myself onto my bed, and thought about my day with Luke. I smiled to myself, hoping that we could play again.