Post by maya fiore ♥ on Feb 6, 2011 13:45:25 GMT -5
"The park is stupid. Let's go home."
Shane had never expected the spear of venom streaming from his thirteen-year-old adoptive sister Violet's lips, but he had to deal with it as the two of them walked through town to the park. The minute he'd dragged his little sister out of the house with promises of fun and obstacle courses on the playground and chasing the ice cream truck, she'd had a problem. First, it was the fact that her shoes were all wrong to go to the park. Next, she'd forgotten her phone (because unfortunately, 98% of thirteen-year-olds these days have more electronic devices than their older siblings ever did at their age). The list just went on and on, until Shane had finally threatened her with bodily harm -- something he wouldn't do, but how would she ever know? -- and she became blissfully silent.
However, the quiet didn't stay quiet for very long. The sign stuck in the grass announced that they were entering park territory, and reminded them not to let their dogs off sans leash or litter unnecessarily.
"Why couldn't you have brought someone else?"
Shane silently reprimanded her in his head for her bad grammar, but there'd been a point to taking his sister to the park, and the reason was a girl with unbelievably green hair (the latter of which had been the target of puns and jokes). Usually, when adult men go to a park by themselves, they get called a pedophile. Shane was secretly terrified of being beaten up by one of the mothers at the park.
"I was, but everyone else was busy. Mom took Noah to the hospital because marshmallows got stuck in his throat, and Paige ran off somewhere because that's what Paige does. Lexi would kill me if I ever asked, Kati's practicing ballet, and Matt refused. Plus, you're the best candidate."
Vi glared at him. "What about Emma and Marti?"
He sighed. "Emma has the stomach flu, and there's no chance in hell of her letting Marti out of her sights."
"Maybe she's pregnant again?" Vi contemplated this, her mouth turning up a little in some kind of evil amusement. Shane fought to share the same quasi-smile. "God forbid. Mom would skin her alive."
Vi considered it, shrugged, and ran off rather abruptly. Shane, relieved to be left alone, divided his time between watching her and scanning the area for a certain someone.[/ul]
