It All Began With A Song [Editing]

Chapter 16: The Strawberry Haired Girl And The Chocolate Haired Boy

I love Saturdays (who doesn't anyway?), mostly because that is the day I get to wake up late at noon and watch movies after that, but now that I have tennis practices with Chase, I have to give up those days; there's a change of plans today though.

Chase calls me late last night (or should I say past midnight) after the dance, while an unhappy and sleepy me listens to him saying that he's going to be busy today, so he plans for us to practice this afternoon instead of this morning, which is completely fine with me.

I get to sleep until 1:00 pm, so why should I be angry?

"Hey, sorry for calling this late, but I have to go somewhere tomorrow morning. The practice is going to be at one tomorrow." Chase announces over the phone in a hushed tone as I groggily wipe the drool on my mouth.

Okay, maybe I am a little annoyed for him to call me after midnight, but hey, at least I get to have three extra hours of sleep!

Well, that's before Makenna decides to barge inside my room and wake me up at 10:00 am, pleading for me to to take her to Wal-Mart to buy a tennis racket. (My parents have to work that day, so I'm the "babysitter.")

"Nat! Pretty please?!"

Makenna yanks my blanket away from me, causing it to fall on the floor, and shakes my right arm, which still hurts from the last practice with Chase.

Eyes now forced open, I groan and answer back slowly, "Okay, I'll take you -- ow! -- if you stop shaking my arm. Just -- ow! -- give me ten minutes, okay?"

Convinced with my promise, she nods her head, grins widely, and hugs me (or at least tried to), "Yah! You're the best sister ever Nat!" With that, she skips away down the hallway happily, singing the well known Christmas song, "Jingle Bells."

I sit up and smile -- Christmas is two months ago, and my sister, always the energetic one, is still singing that song. Even though I'm pretty annoyed about Makenna waking me up, it's still impossible to stay mad at her for a long time.

"Nat?" Makenna calls out to me again as she stands in the doorway, holding a lollipop in her left palm. Her lips pouts, and I instantly know that she's going to ask another request. "Can we get a pink one?"

+ + +

Knowing my sister, her plan will be to run inside the store like she is the girl in fire. So, in order for her (and me) to not get in trouble for running inside a typical Wal-Mart store filled with people, I grab her right hand thirty seconds before we set our feet onto the black carpet in front of the store.

Like I had expected, she does attempt to escape my makeshift "prison."

"Why?" She pouts her lips, her poor puppy act sets into action, when I tighten my grip on her palm.

I shake my head as we head toward the sports section, "Sorry Kenna, but last time you got us in trouble. And stop pouting; it's not going to work."

She peers around her surroundings -- the people coming in and out, the carts pulling here and there, and the ice cream cones on up and under the shelves -- and lowers her voice, almost a whisper, "We can run quietly, so they won't see us! Then we will be like spies!"

I stifle a laugh that's about to escape from my mouth.

Spies, really?

"I'll let you run when we go to the park this afternoon; how does that sound?" By then, we are already in the sports section; the only goal now is to find a tennis racket.

My compromise must have worked because she claps her hands together and begins jumping up and down, unable to control her excitement.

"Calm down now," I glance around nervously -- Makenna's jumping and yelling is catching people's attentions, and that's the last thing I need.