Unintentional

One

Colton Glennon

July 14th, present year.

"Colton, I swear, if you come any closer to me with that-that thing, I will rip your tiny little balls off and feed them to my dog," Kacee says as she ducks and tries to run out of my reach. I continue to dangle the little spider from my finger, trying so hard not to lose it as Kacee freaks out. The spider is no bigger than my pinky fingernail, but Kacee is a major arachnophobe.

As in get-that-goddamned-creature-away-from-me-or-your-manhood-is-in-jeopardy scared of spiders.

"Nah, Sav won't eat my balls," I laugh, "She loves me too much."

"I mean it Colt. You already aren't very gifted in testicle size. Would you really want itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy-couldn't-even-find-it-with-a-microscope to turn into nothing at all down there?" I know it's an empty threat in terms of separating my genitals from my body, but man can that girl pack a punch. I think better of the situation I'm in and brush the spider off my finger.

"See? All gone," I say, holding up my hands to prove my innocence. She straightens herself out, brushing sand off of her body as she draws herself up to her full height, and as much as it kills me to admit it, she's taller than I am by a mere inch. One simple inch separates her six-foot-three frame from my six-foot-two one. I find it rather comical that she, someone who is so tall, is scared of a tiny little spider, something no bigger than the tip of my finger.

"Ugh," she groans as she dusts the sand off of her body, "why do I even put up with you?"

"Because you love me," I say with a smug grin. She sighs.

"Yore incorrigible," she says as she shakes her head.

"It wasn't a noooooo!" I sing as poke her in her stomach. She squirms and swats at my hands, desperately trying to get out of reach. When she frees herself, she runs from me and back to the group of friends around the bonfire on the beach. I follow close behind, laughing as she squeals when she sees me behind her.

She reaches the group first, and I am only a few seconds behind her. Some of our friends look a little startled to see her out of breath, but she takes no notice of them. I take advantage of the fact that she slows herself to a walk around the group and close the distance between us and snatch her in my arms.

"I don't think so, Miss Stirling," I say in her ear.

"Colt, please, let me go," she whines.

"Or what?" I ask, teasing her.

"Or I really will feed your balls to sweet Savannah," she threatens. She doesn't give me time to contemplate releasing her because she elbows me in the gut just hard enough to surprise me into letting her go without hurting her. She quickly runs from me again, and before I can catch up to her, she wraps herself up in her boyfriend, Shane Cameron, protecting herself from me.

He looks amused as she curls up on his lap and nuzzles into him, but he puts his arms around her anyway and kisses the top of her head.

"Hey, sweetie, what's the matter?" He asks her as I plop down on the sand next to them in our circle of friends.

Kacee peeks up at me through Shane's arms.

"Colton had a spider," she mumbles into his chest. He chuckles and looks at me.

"A spider? The horror!" He mocks her, pulling her in tightly as she cuddles up to him. She nods. His face softens from teasing her and fills with love. He kisses her forehead and her eyes close happily.

"Tired, Kacee?" A voice asks from beside me. I turn to my left to see my girlfriend, Megan Knott plop down beside me on the sand. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her in close. Kacee nods, not even bothering to open up her eyes as the bonfire's light flickers and dances upon her face in what is left of the dusky light. Shane smiles and pulls her even closer to him, draping a blanket over her body, which is curled up in his lap.