The Madrona Heroes Register: Underneath It All

Chapter 7 - The Sandbox Kiss

“Hey. Look. It’s that boy.” Gabe yelled from the swing.

Zach saw Zoe look up. He wouldn’t characterize her reaction as full-fledged disappointment but she didn’t look exactly thrilled either.

“Hi.” Zach waved a small wave as he approached.

“Hey.” Zoe responded.

“We saw you the other night. When Zoe made the hole.” Gabe said.

“Gabe!” Zoe hissed at her brother.

“I don’t remember anything about someone making a hole, but I remember seeing you.” Zach replied cheerily.

Zoe looked back at Zach, relief washing over her face. Gabe was about to continue the discussion about the hole when a look from his sister cut that short.

“Do you come to the park often?” Zach regretted the words mere milliseconds after they’d left his mouth.

“I’m watching my brother all summer. So yeah. Probably. I need to do something with him.” Zoe was now pushing Gabe a little harder so he could only hear every other sentence in her conversation with Zach.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. My parents are working on opening a restaurant so they’re really busy.” Zoe said between pushes.

Zach was working hard trying to come up with a not totally stupid sounding response when Gabe interjected, “Stop pushing. I want to climb on the jungle gym.”

“Only if you promise not to climb too high this time.”

“I promise. I promise.” Gabe insisted.

Gabe raced over to the now sunken jungle gym. Zach and Zoe followed slowly.

“Do you have any other siblings?” Zach asked.

“He’s plenty.” Zoe laughed a gentle laugh. “You?”

“Two younger sisters. They’re more than plenty.”

Zach and Zoe sat on the bench while Gabe climbed.

“We just moved to this neighborhood. My PopPop – I mean, my grandfather lives nearby. We moved in with him.”

“Well, this is a cool neighborhood, I think.”

“I think it sucks.” Zoe declared.

“You decided already? You just moved here.”

“My room is smaller. My parents are never around. And I’m stuck watching the brat.”

“OK. That does suck. But that’s not the neighborhood’s fault. Give it a chance.” Zach reasoned.

“I’m not a brat.” Gabe had walked over from the jungle gym. “Can we get candy now?”

“No.” Zoe refused her little brother and then turned back to Zach, “Even though we just moved here, I’ve been here many times. My grandfather used to bring us to this park to play.”

“Please?” Gabe wheedled.

“In fact,” Zoe raised her eyebrows. This is where Gabe got his first kiss.”

“Zoe!” Gabe had been successfully diverted from his candy mission.

Zach listened politely trying not to get involved in the sibling squabble.

Zoe continued over her little brother’s protests. “Well, three years ago, Gabe was over there playing in the sandbox with a little girl with curly hair. I wasn’t watching closely. But all of a sudden, Gabe was crying. Apparently she had kissed him.”