Under The Surface [Editing]

Chapter Nine Bee's and Honey

I sat down on the back porch taking a break from the outdoor chores I had been working on all morning so far. I was making progress in my ‘punishment’ but it was hot and I was getting tired and drained. I wish fall would hurry up and cool down the air.

It was Saturday and all morning I had been trimming and sprucing up the back yard. I hadn’t realized how much labor went into gardening at least that is what it felt like I was doing.

As I drank from my water bottle I saw on one of the plants over the fence one of those praying mantis bugs hanging off of a leaf. It was a creamy white instead of their typical green. I leaned in closer to get a look at the thing. His head swiveled quickly in my direction.

“Ew.” I jumped back slightly speaking out loud. The bug just seemed to stare at me, I stared back, and we were having a standoff.

“At least you don’t have to do all the chores, I won’t take away too much of your habitat.” I told the bug, its tiny little triangular head and big eyes tilted oddly as if it were listening.

“You are a creepy alien looking mother fucker you know that right.” I said defiantly to the bug again.

Great, I was having a conversation with a bug. So this is what happens when you start to go crazy. The mantis’s head swiveled back to the leaf it swayed from, as if it was dancing in the wind.

“Yeah that’s right, what I thought, I win.” I was losing it, having a staring contest with a bug.

“Who are you talking to?” I jumped hearing an actual human voice as the praying mantis slowly walked away further into the bushes.

“No one.” I said quickly getting up and grabbing the bush shears again, ignoring Nathan’s confused stare. He sauntered over to the patio table and sat down with a sweet tea and put on his sunglasses leaning back with a book in his hand enjoying the sun. I gave him a dirty look from behind and snapped viciously at the next batch of overgrown bushes I was working on.

As I hacked away at the shrubbery I wished it was him having to do these chores. What he had been doing to me was what got me in trouble in the first place. Luckily, I had Friday all to myself so I just lounged around the house all day. Nathan was at school and my dad was at work so I figured I would start on the chores on Saturday, today.

I would have to double my efforts to get all of them done by Monday as my dad had ordered me to do so. So this weekend I would not be having any fun. I was halfway through the back yard and Saturday was halfway over.

I did text Lily all day about what had happened since she was at school and I was not yesterday. She and Debra of course thought it was awesome. She also told me the school story was that I had kicked Penny’s ass it made me smile, there was still rumors spreading that I did so because I was into Nathan, great. She had apologized for all the chores I had to do as my punishment, but at least it kept my mind off of other things.

I felt eyes on me and turned around just in time to see Nathan’s head obviously turning back to staring at the book in front of him instead of behind him. I shook my head and turned back to what I was doing.

As I trimmed away at one of the shrubs a big yellow and black bee flew out right into my face and I shrieked. My arms flailing about as I took off not wanting to get stung. I was very allergic to bee stings like hospitalized allergic so they terrified me. I threw the shears dropping them onto the grass and ran in the opposite direction back towards the porch.

As I barreled through the yard, Nathan jumped up at my sudden scream alarmed. Not even thinking about him I tried to take the back porch steps two at a time and my foot slipped, yelping again as I fell backwards thinking great now I am going to break an arm or something.