It didn’t mean the girls were cruel, or even that they ignored Brian’s friends. Quite the opposite Jake thought. He thought that either sister was an angel sent to guard the demons of hell (their brothers) and that they couldn’t have been kinder to him. In fact he knew that to be true. The part about them being kind to him. When you grow up fat not every girl you encounter is kind to you. Most won’t give you the time of day. Brian’s sisters were not stuck up or cruel. Jake never gave them any trouble and was quick to volunteer to do anything they might desire or need done. The Southers all gathered upstairs in Brian’s room because it overlooked the pool area. If you couldn’t be at the pool with the girls, the next best thing was the vantage point provided by the second story window in Brian’s room. It was his second to oldest sister that had come to swim and sun with two of her friends. All three of the girls were cheerleaders. Needless to say they were all dream girls. Paradise was invaded about an hour after the girls had settled in to the pool area. It was three boys the same age as the girls. The guys watched, interested in what was going on from several perspectives. Naturally they wanted to see what would happen? They also wanted to see how the boys handled themselves. What did they do right to be invited over? What will they do right to get further positive attention from the girls? Finally, but certainly not last, was the guys enjoyed looking at the girls when in their swimwear. Although there were some remarks concerning the other girls, nobody said anything about Brian’s sister. She was every bit as beautiful as the other girls, but saying the wrong thing about her could get a guy punched in the nose. The other girls did not come with such a warning label. “Wow Karen Shewster is as perfect as ever!” Jeff noted. “Her and your sister could both be super models.” Jake saw trouble peek its head around a corner before darting back behind cover. “What’s wrong with Carrie?” He asked, trying to draw the conversation away from Brian’s sister. As much because he didn’t want to hear anything said about Brian’s sister, as because he was trying to save Jeff from a punch in the nose. “Carrie has her own attractive qualities which you may not be aware.” “What’s that?” Jeff asked. “I’ve heard she’s really kinky.” Jake replied. Now he was flirting with trouble. For one thing they were still dancing around Brian’s personal mine field and for the second reason, he didn’t have an answer to what he knew he was going to hear next. “What do you mean by that?” Crap! Jake thought. Killed by my own desire to save a friend. “You know. She does stuff.” “What stuff? What is kinky and what is suppose to be …” Jeff tilted his head this way, then that. Then he finished his sentence. “… normal?” Jake looked at his friends who were all waiting to see what his reply was going to be. “I gotta pee.” He turned and disappeared into the hallway in route to the bathroom. “Coward.” Cory said, then he laughed. The others followed suit. “I guess I am going to head home. See you guys tomorrow?” Jeff asked. “See you bud. Be safe.” Brian said. The others began their goodbyes. The Southers had accomplished their goal beyond their wildest imaginations. Nobody had expected, or wanted, for the water bomb attacks to result in what came to be the wedding being called off. Seldom do the times come when you are so over-the-top successful that you wish you had not done anything at all, but that is how that day had went for the Southers. They didn’t start the war. They certainly never wished to be the cause of a wedding being called off. They didn’t feel like they had a reason to apologize however. For reasons mentioned. The other side didn’t see it that way. They were just fooling around that day they first water-bombed Jake and Brian. There was no reason for any sort of revenge attack. The logic from both sides had brought them to an impasse. Late that night Jake clicked on a Youtube clip of a show called “Human Target”. He then rolled over on his bed to lay there while listening to the video. He heard a man tell two other men that they were “at an impasse”. Then he voice on the screen went on to say, “It means we are at a point where resolution is impossible. I see you amateurs are going to take me out back and work me over. But that is all you are told to do. So I will take the beating, then later this week, one night I will slip into your houses and slit your throats. Probably do you first Fred, since you’re not married. Its only fair, give Tom a little more time with the kids.” Jake sat up in his bed. He was glad there were no impasses involved in his feud. Everybody still had to make up in time for football season, if they wanted a chance to win. He was truly sorry they had anything to do with a wedding being called off, but he couldn’t help but smile thinking about getting those creeps after the way they ambushed him. Twice. The rest of the summer was going to be very interesting even if nothing more happened. The rest of the summer would be spent looking over your shoulder regardless of whether you were a Norther or a Souther. Neither side trusted the other enough to let their guard down. Even if things didn’t escalate over the remainder of the summer, it would be interesting to see how the football team was able to come together to be a winning team. Most times that requires everybody being on the same page. Being a team. The coming near future was going to definitely be interesting to see how these kids were able to come together in time to be a great team. ————— Chapter ———————- The rain caught up. It had been a near-drought spring and early summer but that day after the big wedding fiasco the rains set in. The rain lasted off and on for almost a week. Things would get just about dried out when it would then again come a rain. The days were overcast even when not raining so there was little desire to visit Brian’s house for swimming purposes. A week passed, now well into June, and finally the sun had come back out. It did so with a passion. The humidity from so much recent rain made the days miserable. Brian’s house suddenly sprang to life with kids alternating from swimming in the pool to disappearing into the house. When the sisters and their friends had the pool, the Southers went to Brian’s room to watch the girls from there. When the girls went inside they watched tv or did whatever high school girls do behind closed doors while the Southers splashed around and had fun in the pool. After a week of sunny weather to follow the week of rain, it was finally dry enough that the usual haunts were all in play. The guys had talked it over and they decided to be ready for an attack but not to initiate anything. So the morning that Brian, Jake, Jeff and Cory left to go riding, they were armed with water bombs. They cruised down the gravel roads which were their mainstays. Seldom did you see a cop and there was almost no traffic to worry about. |  So the guys used their back roads to get over to the rope swing. After hanging out there for a while they decided to go by the cliffs before heading into Staywell and visiting the steps. While at the steps Cory found some wood that had been burnt but not all the way which made for a sort of charcoal pencil which he used to draw a picture of Mrs Smith, a teacher who could only be described as fat and frankly, … stinky. Cory drew her as a big round woman who had stink waves wafting off of her body. She had a book and was shaking a finger and under all that he wrote: ‘I said pay attention!’. When Cory was finished with his masterpiece, the gang headed back toward Brian’s house. Jake was lost in thought when the first water bomb exploded on his side. He didn’t know what the other guys had been doing or thinking about because he had been so lost in his own thoughts about the upcoming year in school. He turned just in time to see that the Northers were again on two bikes and the guys riding shotgun were throwing the water bombs. They got Brian and almost caused him to wreck. Cory went speeding past Brian and Jake, quickly followed by Jeff. Seeing all this happen was enough for Jake to start reaching for his water bombs. The two enemy bikes had zoomed past them and now they were at the intersection which you turned off to get to Brian’s house. The other two Southers, Cory and Jeff, had made it safely to the intersection and had turned to go toward Brian’s house, before the enemy bikes could reach them. Brian and Jake had to pass the Northers in order to get home. They stopped in the road about three football fields away from where the enemy bikes were waiting in front of the intersection. Brian revved up his engine. Jake did the same. Both boys reached to grab a water bomb and off they went toward the intersection blocked by the Northers. Both Southers threw their water bombs just before they turned to go up the gravel road to Brian’s driveway. Jake hit his target causing Mike Berlin and Tommy Wiehner to be distracted long enough for the two Southers to slip past. Brian missed with his throw because he had to do it left-handed in order to control the speed of the bike with his right hand. Even though Brian missed with his throw, when he went past their bike he kicked it and caused David and Phil to go tumbling over. Seeing the opportunity, Jake sped past Brian as he was kicking the enemy bike. Next thing happening was Jake and Brian riding triumphantly up the driveway. Cory and Jeff greeted them with a standing ovation. Back down at the mouth of the driveway the Northers came riding up. They sat there for about two minutes looking in the direction of Brian’s house. Meantime the guys went inside. They went through the living room and out the back to the swimming pool and jumped in. An hour and a half later the guys decided to go home. It was getting late in the afternoon and they had a busy day. While sitting on their bikes, waiting for the others to come out, Jake said to Cory, “You know my old man says that life happens in two ways. The first, is a slow-paced walk that can hypnotize you into falling asleep. The second, is what comes when the first happens . The second way is it happens very fast. You often do not see it coming and the incident is half over by the time your mind has come to terms with what is happening. Then he went on to mention how you can make life happen, but that it only happens to you, in one of those two ways. He says you’re better off making life happen, than to wait for it to happen. I don’t know if there is wisdom in that or not, but I think it makes a point of today.” “How’s that?” Cory asked. “Cause we were cruising down the road not a care in the world when, BAM!, out of nowhere, we are hit seemingly all at once.” Jake said while remembering how surprised he had been when he got hit by the water bomb. “I wonder if that is what it is like for those guys fighting in the military? You’re walking along, taking in all the new scenery. All the sudden, BAM!, you get shot, or an IED goes off. Just that quick. You don’t get a chance to fight back, you don’t get a chance to run. You just are hit, and it is over.” “Tough hand to be dealt. What are you gonna do?” Cory said, not really sure what to say? The guy was right. It probably happened that way more often than anybody knew. Seems like the kind of thing this life would provide but as he asked, what are you going to do? You take the blow, roll with the punch, do the best you can. Throw any cliche’ in there. They all fit. “Just made me think, that was all. Just how quickly it could all end. I don’t think I am going to choose to enter the military. They prove time and time again they are not the friend, even to their own people. They have been proven guilty of subjecting their own people to being drugged without their knowledge, including using drugs as serious as LSD. They are proven to have given African-Americans that were enlisted, STDs just to test their effects.” Jake shook his head. “George Carlin said that most the ‘wars’ that the states find themselves in; are about rich people protecting their interests by using middle-class and low-income people to accomplish that goal.” Jeff walked up and got on his bike. He kicked it to life and gave Cory and Jake a wave, then took off down the driveway. “You headed home too?” Cory asked. “Yeah. Wanna meet early tomorrow morning and do some fishing before coming to Brian’s?” Jake asked. “Yeah. Sounds good. Be fun to catch some fish before going swimming.” Cory replied. Next Page |