My Life as a Teenage Rebel

Chapter 30: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day

Thank you to Madcass for the side-banner! :)

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Ky Madison

CHAPTER 30 Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day

“You know, it’s funny,” Evan starts to say to me as we walk, watching as a laughing Andrew allows Kelsey to jump on his back in front of us, “I always used to think football players and cheerleaders were mean people who picked on outcasts and stuff like that, but those guys are pretty nice,” Evan grins.

I watch as Kyle kneels down to offer Madelin his back. She laughingly shakes her head no, so he scoops her up into his arms and carries her bridal style. Giggling hysterically, she yelps for him to put him down and agrees to climb on his back if he does. I quietly say to Evan, “Some of them are,”

He looks at me in surprise, as if I’ve shattered an illusion.

I shake my head and continue to say in a low voice, “They think being popular means looking down on others and bullying the people who won’t stand up for themselves…I’m not saying everyone is like that, it’s just that…most have that kind of mentality.” I shrug. Luckily for us though, Griffin knows how to pick good friends, so none of the football players or cheerleaders back there are those kinds of people.

“But you’re not like that.” Evan says, naively, innocently.

I smile gently. “I try not to be,” I say still in that soft voice.

“You’re not,” Evan insists, stuck on this outlook. I look at him with curiosity. “You’re a good person, Ky.” He says firmly.

I stare at him for a second, and then I smirk, looking back ahead to where Madelin is protesting to Kyle’s speed as she rides on his back. “We’ll see if you still think that after today,”

“I never get a break, do I?” Evan mumbles.

I chuckle, “Boy, things haven’t even started for you yet.”

“Good God…”

“Eleven o’clock!” Evilyn exclaims, pointing a finger. With my eyes, I follow to the place she’s pointing at and see a rope hanging from a tree right beside the river. And with a hesitant Evan following behind, we all run to the tree in excitement. Our first Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day activity! Well, I mean, if we’re counting the paintball then it’s our second, but you get the idea.

“I call first!” Kelsey exclaims, drawing the rope back; we make room for her to back-up, whooping, clapping and cheering her on.

“Whoo! Go Kelsey!” I clap and cheer along with everybody else; Kelsey swings forward and flies through the air, letting go of the rope when she can’t go any further, and somersaulting into the water.

“Perfect ten!” Andrew calls out to her when her chestnut-hair head bobs up from the water. She punches the air in victory.

Surprisingly enough, Madelin wants to go next! I wonder if she’s secretly some kind of thrill-seeker… Huh, I guess we’ll find out by the end of today!

After Madelin, my brother and I take our turn on the rope, certainly not as acrobatic as Kelsey was, but still scoring pretty well on the landing according to Andrew (who has to threaten to harass Evilyn if she doesn’t swing into the water, and she does…right after punching him in the groin). Evan goes last, nervous about the branch above him.

“Makes me wonder how he’d handle the bungee jumping Madelin was talking about.” Kyle muses with a surprisingly mischievous grin as Evan grabs the rope, giving the branch yet another wary look.