Misfits

Part 2

We finally arrived at Hole. If I could only tell one thing about Hole, its this: Hole is a very relivent name.
      We walked a little longer in silence. I was holding Alex's hand, Milly holding Reba's, and Andrew following closely behind us. I had noticed these kids and Milly look a lot like Andrew and I.
      Finally, as the sun comes up, we arrive at Hole. "Here we are," Andrew walks ahead of us and ushers to a tree. "Excuse me?" I ask. "That's a tree. We're not birds, I am not living in a tree." Reba complains. Andrew laughs and rustles her hair. She swats at his hand and fixes her hair. "Ah, your cute. Technically, we're living under the tree, if ya know what I mean." "No, I don't." Alex shakes his head.
      "Well, your about to. May I have a volunteer? Anyone? No, how 'bout Bethany!" He pointed at me. "My name is Becky," I correct him. "I like Bethany better. Bethany, come on over and be the first to try it out." "No, not until you call me by my real name." He sighed. "Fine, come on By My Real Name." I shook my head and he smiled broadly at his cleverness. "That's not my name."
      "Does anyone else want to take the place of Ms. No sense of humor?" Nobody said anything. "Milly?" "I'd go, but I have to watch these little bundles of joy." "Who wants to jump into a mysterious tree?" Andrew said in a baby voice to Alex and Reba. Reba folded her arms. "I am not following for that again." "Again?" He asked. Milly smiled and raised her hand guiltily. "Guilty," "If it wasn't for that voice we wouldn't be stuck here right now with a bunch a strangers arguing over a tree!" Alex explained.
      "Well, that leads back to you," he put his hands behind his back and made his way over to me. "Not unless you say my REAL name, Becky. And it doesn't lead back to me, your still on the list." "Maybe I don't want to go first, and you won't go willingly if I don't say your real name."
      "What's that supposed to mean?" He grabbed me under the armpits and lifted me up. "Hey! Put me down!" He carried me over towards the tree like that. "Stop that!" I wiggled around, trying to escape. He laughed. "Ha! You can't lick or punch your way out of this one!" He neared the tree, but I wasn't going to let him win this round. I pulled my leg up, bent my knee, and kicked backwards really hard into his stomach. He groaned and doubled over, dropping me on my back. "Not cool," I stood up and scrambled away, but he grabbed my foot and I tripped and fell on my face. He pulled me towards him and stood up. He grabbed one of my arms and one of my legs and picked me up. I didn't move or fight back, this has never happened to me, actually I had never got picked up in my life before I met him(it is against the rules), let alone like that.
      "Aha, lost the will power to live, ay?" Wait, what did he say? He swung me back and forth. "Make sure to catch me when I come down." "What about living? Am I gonna die?!" I screeched and he laughed. "Ha ha, your funny." "Well, am I?" He laughed some more. "Mandatory," and let go of me. I screamed as I flew at the tree, head first. At the last second, an air current picked up and stopped me from hitting the tree. I floated for a few seconds above ground. Then I shot up. Straight up about twenty feet.
      The force let go of me and I free fell towards the tree, face first. I started screaming again, flailing my arms as if it would stop me and I would take off flying. No such luck.
      I hit the tree and was instantly consumed by darkness. I couldn't see a thing, but I was sliding down something smooth and slick. I banked into a wall as I went around a turn, another turn, bump. I saw a small light in the distance. It grew bigger and bigger and finally I flew into it. I went flying through it, arms extended in front of me, feet out behind me. I flew on a few more feet, then face planted into the ground, and skitted a couple more inches to a stop.
      "Incoming!" Andrew yelled, and Milly came flying out. At the last second, she tucked her head in and rolled up onto her feet. "Woah, how'd you do that?" "Drew used to throw me down that thing and watch and rewatch the footage of me shooting out of that thing. After a couple of times I got tired of it so I taught myself how to stick the landing."
      "Look out below!" Reba came barrelling down the slide. "Doesn't it seem to you that Andrew's kind of… mean?" "Don't take anything he says personally. He hides behind jokes because he feel insecure." "Bombs away!" Alex. "Honestly, he's a really good guy, he just… enjoys picking on you. This is how he shows he loves and cares about you." "Cannon BALL!!!!!" Andrew comes barreling down the shoot. "Promise?" "Promise,"
       Andrew came shooting out and landed on his feet, but almost lost his balance. "Whew, almost too much momentum." He shakes his limbs out and walks towards us. "What's this about 'promising'?" Milly smiled at me. "Girl bonding, wanna join?'' "Ew. But I will take up that offer until we start discussing feelings, then I'm leaving." He walked away. "Come on, cuz. I'll show you around." Milly laced her arm through mine. "Cuz?" "Cousin shortened. We're family."
      Andrew sashayed over to us and linked his arm through my other one. "Like, yah!" He said in a valley girl accent. "Let's go, cuzzy. This'll be like, so much fun! Come on, Bethany, let's skip, cause skipping is cool. Only cool people skip. Come on, let's like, roll." He started skipping, pulling us along. Milly and I held on laughing. Alex and Reba were holding each other up they were laughing so hard. Andrew whipped his head back and forth, put a hand on his hip(the one linked to me), and whipped his free one around. "Hashtag Fabulous!" He sang. What's a 'hashtag' I wonder, but I keep it to myself.
      "Isn't family fun? See, told you he's cool!" Milly whispered to me. Andrew let got of me and started spinning around in circles with his hands in a big 'o' around his head. "Wouldn't I make a pretty ballerina? Look at my balance!" He stopped spinning and leaped around the room, kicking his legs up with each jump. We laughed harder. "He's great with kids. Always knows how to make people laugh." She smiled and looked at me. "You two are going to get along great. After all, you share some DNA, whether you like it or not, you get him and have the ability to make people feel better too."
     
We were told we would get a tour tomorrow, and it was bed time. We followed Milly and Andrew into a big room with quite a few people gathering there. They all laid down close to each other, no blankets no pillows, using each other's body warmth to warm them. It was beautiful, all these people fitting and grooving together, everyone fitting. And one of the best thing is: this is my family. We all have and share the same DNA, we are all related, and we get along in harmony.
      "Over here," Milly pulled me over to a spot by an older women and we both laid down, Alex and Reba in between us. A couple stragglers were filing in still, and Andrew switched spots with the women beside me.
      "Hey," he said and laid down. "Listen, I know your not sure about me, I get it. I might've come on a little strong when we first met, but you seemed so nice and you know, relative-ish, I felt so relaxed. I treated you like you were here for years. Moral of this story, I'm sorry for being my awesome self and scaring you." "Its okay," I explained. "Someone already told me what a nice cousin and person and friend you are."
      He shot up. "Dang it, Windmilly!" He scolded her. "Why you go around ruining my street cred? I'm a bad boy, ain't nobody tells newbies other wise. Ya gotta let them earn my respect!" Milly smiled. "Ooh, such a bad boy. Shortening words and leaving others out of the sentence so it sounds weird but cool. Did I ruin your street cred?" "You know you did! Don't play dumb!" "I am so sa-rry!" "Uh uh, ain't no sappy apology gonna make me forgive you!" He crawled straight over me like I wasn't even there, no regards at all.
      "No, no! Get over to your side of the Becky!" He sat on her stomach, and she slapped him and shoved him, trying to despritly get him off of her. "Drew, Drew, no!" He grabbed her arm and started wiggling his fingers in her armpit. She laughed and squealed and kneed and punched and slapped him, but he wouldn't move. Just switched to the other armpit, and sides, and stomach. "You knew this was the consequence for your action, we discussed this!" "We did not!" She screamed. "Stop tickling me! I demand it!" He stopped. "Geez, okay then, Ms. Demand-y pants. I'll get out of your hair." He stood up, but quickly 'tickled' her armpit one last time. "And your armpit." She laughed, then socked him in the gut.
      He fell over onto me and grumbled. "Ooh, ouch! What strong knuckles you have, my dear." He quoted a fairytale I haven't heard in years, but would recognize it anywhere. All though I think he change the words up a bit. "Man, you and Bethany are definitely related." He rolled over onto his stomach and pulled himself over me. "'Cuse me, pardon me, coming through. Watch the face," he rolled and pulled and crawled and kneed me(purposely or accidentally, its hard to tell) until he was beside me again. As the lights dimmed, he pulled me closer to him. "Keep me warm, Bethany, its supposed to get cold tonight." Alex scooted closer to me too, and I think I saw Reba and Milly's silhouette slide closer to us too. I fell asleep, nice and toasty.