A Perfect Storm

Chapter Eight

-Jaxon's POV-

I was awake my dad and Mozzie so I snuck out onto the back of the house, I wasn't supposed to be near the pool alone, I didn't know why, my dad was teaching me to swim and I thought I was good at it. I stood at the edge of the deck and looked at the beach. I was out there forever, "you know you aren't supposed to be out here" my dad said when he saw me.

"Can I go down?"

"Sure, know the rules?" He asked bending down in front of me, I nodded, it was weird now that my hair was so close to my head it didn't fall in my face. "Now go on, have some fun, I'll call you back in a bit. Remember, not to far and no ocean"

"Dous are the rules" I giggled then ran off. I ran around on the sand, picking it up and throwing some around, kicking it. I looked back at the house, Mozzie and dad weren't out so I got close to the wet sand, I wanted to play with some of that since it stuck together while the dry stuff didn't and got in my eyes. With the wet sand I could make little sand balls and try to see how far I could throw them at one point while I was running along the beach that morning I found a small splint of drift wood, I picked it up and ran around with it, waving it through the air like a sword, and fighting all sorts of mythical creatures my imagination produced.

"Peter!" I heard Mozzie call for me, I dropped the stick and ran back to the house, it had been 5 weeks, so I was now used to hearing my new name.

"What were you doing down there?" He asked me once I reached him since I had been playing at the edge of the sea with my stick.

I grinned, "nothing" I lied.

"You know you're dad doesn't want you out in the water alone"

"But I learning swim"

"But you aren't good enough to swim out there yet"

"I just stooded dere"

"I know, we won't tell your dad, come on though he did tell me to get you" I ran off into the house when he said that, since I hadn't eaten anything yet today I was excited for breakfast, especially since all the food here seemed better, even if it was made at home. "You wanna go with me or Moz today?" My dad asked after breakfast.

"I don't know"

"I'm probably just going to stay around here and do some art" he explained to me.

"I go with Mozzie" I declared, deciding it would be for fun to go explore the city than to stay around the house and do possibly nothing.

"Alright, so, what skill would you like to work on today, Peter?" Mozzie asked after we left the house.

"I don't know" with a small laugh.

"You remember how I told you what cards are the best?" I nodded when he asked that and then I followed him through the streets until we came upon a group of men he often talked to or spent time with, they laughed at him when he said I would play them, then he bet them double and I was aloud to play. I didn't know what I was doing or what double meant, I just did what Mozzie had taught me to do and as the game went on he talked with the men, they were nice and talked to me too although sometimes they'd say something I didn't get and so I just played on. It was fun.

Eventually the men all looked frustrated and slowly left, I looked up at Mozzie when they were all gone. Mozzie collected the paper from the table then seperated it into two piles, he put one in his pocket and picked up the other, "here are your winnings young man" he said as he held it out to me.

"It moneys?" He nodded when I asked.

"You won, you earned it" he stated as I took it from him.