"Ding dong!" Brian shouted. "Anyone home?"
"Just because the doorbell doesn't work doesn't mean you have to scream," I said tiredly, opening the front door. "We were all happily asleep just a few minutes ago, Sir Loudmouth."
"Sorry," Brian said sheepishly. "But, uhm, do you want to come with me to the riverside? My dad says it's about time I start going places without an adult every now and then, but Mum says I shouldn't be left alone without someone to take care of me. ...Or something like that. It's whatever."
"Your mum trusts me of all people to 'take care of you?'" I said, laughing. "Wow. Talk about trusting."
"Do you want to come with me or not?" Brian asked, rolling his eyes. "It's the start of summer, I want to spend it with you, you devil."
"I'm not a devil!" I protested, stepping outside and closing the front door behind me. "Should I get my bike?"
"Oh, absolutely," Brian said, smiling widely. I saw his bike propped up on its stand on the sidewalk in front of my house, so I dashed to get my own bike from the garage. I climbed on and rode to the front of the house to see Brian clambering onto his. I laughed. "Shut up!"
"Your legs are a bit too long for the rest of you," I joked. He pouted. "Kidding. You are lanky though. I think you'll need a new bike soon."
"I hate that you're right," Brian said, kicking off to ride next to me.
"What are we even going to do at the riverside?" I asked him, spitting out my hair as the wind tried to shove it in my mouth. Brian shrugged.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "Skip rocks? Look for tadpoles?"
"Splash fight?" I asked.
"In regular clothes? I don't think so, Y/n," he said teasingly. "I'm not getting wet unless I've got trunks on."
"Oh, we'll see about that, May," I said, sticking out my tongue at him.
"You're on, L/n," he retorted. I scoffed, feigning offense.
"Brian!" I scolded. "Don't talk that way to a lady!"
"A lady? Where?" He asked, looking around and grinning ignorantly. "I don't see one."
"Oh, Brian, you are so in for it when we get there," I said, speeding up on my bike.
"Hey, wait up!" He cried, pedaling faster. I sped up.
"Catch me if you can, boy!" I cried gleefully, pushing myself to the limit and riding even faster.
"Jesus Christ!" I heard him say as he struggled to keep up. "Ugh, slow down, you little devil!"
"I'm not a devil!" I said loudly, slowing down. He slowed himself down, too, so we could ride side by side. "Stop calling me that."
"Never," he said, shaking his head. "You're a devil, whether you admit it or not. You're just as scary-yet-strangely-graceful and cunning."
"You think I'm cunning?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Well, you're clever, at the very least," he said. "And you love mocking me, don't you?"
"Oh, absolutely," I said. "Who doesn't love mocking someone every now and then? Life sucks when you're too nice all the time. Ahem, Brian!"
"I can't help it! I don't like being mean," he said. I smiled.
"I know, it's just that sometimes you're too nice," I said. "That's going to get you hurt one day, you know. Emotionally, I mean. You're too in touch with your feelings."
