The Missing Irene | Bk.1

The Fight

AJ lets out a groan "Are we there yet?" the neko questions.

"We actually just left, like 5 minutes ago AJ. Besides aren't you supposed to be the runner, why are you complaining." Jee replies to her friend

Bella sighs and rolls her eyes at her friends. She looks back at her two neko friends. Jee walked besides AJ, gently pushing her forward. None of them had any idea of where they were going. They had been walking for 5 minutes. Bella had talked to everyone the night before saying that they all needed to meet at the meeting place at noon. The hike could take a while but was so worth it, especially at sun set.

The cool autumn breeze lifts once more making a couple brightly colored leaves fall to the ground. Everyone was chatting away except for Bella. She was walking ahead of everyone else, leading the way to their desired destination. "Hey Belly." AJ finally spoke to the girl. Bella let out a soft hum and swiveled her furry ears so that she could hear her friend better.

"Where are we going?"

"I can't tell you that, it would ruin the whole surprise and adventure, now wouldn't it." She replies.

"Awww come on Belly Button don't you think we should know where we are going." Koda asks with slight confusion lacing his voice.

"Fine. I'll tell you. I'm going crazy and you all are along for the ride." She says as she turns her head and gives the group a smile.

"Well I could have told you that." Jee snorts, trying to hold back laughter.

The group all breaks into laughter at her terrible comment. Bella suddenly get a look on her face. "Is that so Jee?" a wicked smile spreads across her face. Jee sticks her tongue out at Bella and keeps laughing with her friends. Bella bends down and picks up a handful of mud and packs it like a snowball. She quickly takes aim for the back of the nekos' head.

SMACK!

Time stood still. Everyone had fallen silent. No more laughing. No more chatting. No more breathing. Jee slowly turns to look at her fox friend. Mud running down her face like a river of tears. "Did you throw that?"

Bella gives her friend a cheesy grin that pleaded 'innocent'.

"What is it with you and throwing things at people's heads?!" River asked, trying to hold back laughter at the mud covered neko. Or that is until another mud ball smacked him right across the face, sending him flying backwards onto the ground.

Bella turned around and saw that Wind stood behind her, hands covered in mud and her face showing a triumphant smirk.

At that point it was every man for himself.

AJ quickly scooted behind Bella with her arm slung awkwardly around her shoulders. She could feel her friends body shaking with laughter or fear. The girl wasn't quite sure. She looked very 'on edge' as her and her beloved Ryder seemed to be in some sort of staring contest.

Ryder's mud caked face spoke for itself, his brown eyes wishing death upon everyone that double-crossed him. It was bad enough when someone got mud on his brand-new shirt, but AJ thought otherwise smearing a ball of mud across her beloved boyfriends face. She laughed hysterically for a good minuet, before releasing the terror she had unleashed. Unfortunately, AJ used Bella as the human shield. She constantly shouted, "Protect the Irene!" As if it would actually stop him.

The tension in the air was so dense that even the slightest of movement might shatter it. The only thing that loomed more than Ryder's angry presence was the giggly of AJ.

Bella sighed, emphasizing her nonchalant tone. "Can you please let me go?" she questioned her friend that was still giggling behind her.

"I can't!" AJ laughed as Ryder began his march towards them. His movements were almost tense and serious as he approached.

Bella raised an eyebrow at Max, who was also caked in mud, as if to say 'is this really happening?' The corner of his lips twitched upward and his moved his hand in front of his muddy face in a terrible attempt to conceal his laughter at the ridiculous scene in front of us.

Ryder was getting closer and he tried to dive around Bella (the human shield) to get to AJ.

But AJ was quicker. She moved her friend in front of herself. "Oh come on boy," she called to her boyfriend as if her was a dog, "Lighten up a bit."

Bella saw something spark in his eyes. She managed to wriggle out of her friends grasp just in time to dodge and incoming lunge from Ryder. The impact made the two fall to the ground wrestling around like 3 year old's.

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Word count: 781