"Higher next time! Go higher!" Archie and I were each holding one of Jellybean's hands swinging her high into the sky as we walked home.
Archie gave a low, gruff laugh as she squealed with delight. "Okay, that's enough Lil' Bean." I said stopping to pant over-dramatically.
"Weakling." Jellybean teased and pulled her hand out of mine. "Yeah, sorry Jug. Going to have to agree with Jellybean on that one." Archie gave me a sneaky grin.
"Gee, sorry I don't look like you Beefcake." I frowned at them before leaping forward to tickle my little sister. "No! Stop, stop!"
Jellybean squealed again running out of the way. I began to chase her, but Archie scooped her into a piggy-back and ran off.
"Faster Arch!" I heard Jellybean call out to Archie. As I ran after them I made sure to save these memories of freedom and fun and burn them into my mind.
It was moments like these that I was so damn happy that Jellybean was still a carefree kid. No worries about her terrible dad or broke mom and especially no worries about what her future was going to be.
I finally reached Archie's house to find Jellybean and Archie sitting on the steps licking ice-creams. "Where's mine?" I complained sitting next to Jellybean.
"You're were too slow, so none for you." Archie said, smiling. "We'll see about that." I muttered and grabbed Jellybean's ice-cream.
"Hey!" Jellybean reached for it, but I pulled it out of reach from her. I ate some of it before handing it back to her.
"You're such a pig." She elbowed me in the side before eating the ice-cream more quickly.
"Guys!" Archie's dad, Fred Andrews, yelled out. "Come pick pizza!"
We all scrambled for the door, our shoes squeaking and scraping against the floor.
YOU ARE READING
Before Betty
FanfictionI'd been abandoned, by my own mother. How could she do this? I was her son, first and foremost, but not only that, she took my best friend with her.
