Summer Memories

The Ones That Got Away

"Nope, we're going to fish the natural way." Lou informed him. I nodded. Ravi's eyes widened and his expression changed. "I refuse to take my clothes off!" Ravi shouted. My eyes widened.

"Ew! No! Just-Just no! No!" I shouted, shaking my head, frantically. I sighed. "She's talking about hand fishing." I told Ravi. I could tell Ravi was embarrassed about what just happened.

"My grandpa Clem taught me. We had so much fun. He would do a little happy dance with every fish he caught." Lou told Ravi. Well, I have heard this story many times.

"Aww, he sounds adorable." Ravi stated. I shook my head; no. "And then he'd wrap his hands around its neck, and watch the lights go out in its eyes." Lou concluded. "He sounds like he should be in a secure facility." Ravi corrected his statement.

"Well, enough time wasted while our tootsies get all pruney." I said, wanting to change the subject. "Time to catch that fish." Lou added.

"He's close." Lou said. She sniffed the air. "I can smell him." She stated. Ravi and I both smelled the air. And we began to smell. Every year, when Lou smells the air, and smells Big Whiskers. I just smell disgusting things!

"Are you sure that is Big Whiskers?" Ravi asked, "Because I'm pretty sure this camp shares a property line with a crematorium." I nodded.

"I see him. I spy with my little eye, a fish I will choke, and then watch die!" Lou sung. "Wow. You just took a joyful childhood game and turned it ugly." I told her.

"Big Whiskers, welcome to my grip of death!" Lou shouted. She reached into the water and grabbed out an old shoe. "I did it! I caught him! Big Whiskers is finally mine!" Lou shouted. I giggled.

"At least you caught a sole. Because it is a part of a shoe, and the name of a fish," I informed her. Lou's eyes traveled down to the shoe and dropped it back into the water.

"Samosa?" Ravi offered. "Just hand me a fly." Lou said. I grabbed a fly and handed it to Lou. I closed my eyes hoping not to see Lou eat it.

"Good idea. If we want to win this competition, we should-" Ravi began, "I did not see that coming. Why, may I ask, did you just eat a fly?" I re-opened my eyes.

"To know your enemy, you must be like him." Lou answered. "Before last year's contest, she took a bath in tartar sauce." I told Ravi.

.......

I had gotten tired of searching for Big Whiskers so I decided to sit on the shore watching Lou and Ravi attempt to catch the fish. "Big Whiskers, why won't you let me choke you out?" Lou questioned. Ravi chuckled, nervously.

"On the bright side, you have collected enough items to make a lovely rummage sale." Ravi told Lou, looking on the bright side of Lou not catching Big Whiskers.

"I know you're down there, Big Whiskers. Laughing at me." Lou said, to the fish, "Well, I can laugh, too!" Lou started to laugh, quite evilly.

"Maybe we should take a little break." Ravi suggested. I nodded, in agreement. "Because this fish has clearly broken you." I added.

"That's it. I give up!" Lou shouted, "I gave that fish the best years of my life. And it was all for nothing!" The girl pouted and I patted her on the back.

"I know, Lou. That fish got the better of us both," I told her. "Lou, Lauren, here is some advice from someone who knows quite a bit about failure. Perhaps catching the fish is not what is most important." Ravi stated, "Maybe the quest is what matters most."

Lou and I shook our head. "Nope." We replied in unison. "Really wanted to catch that fish." Lou added. I nodded. "Oh! Maybe a snack would cheer you up." Ravi said.

I shrugged and took one of Ravi's samosas. "Fly?" He offered to Lou. "No more flies for me. I don't deserve them." Lou stated, "I'll just take a samosa." Ravi handed her a samosa.

Then. What I didn't expect, Big Whiskers jumped up from the water and into Lou's arms. My eyes widened. "Big Whiskers! I need help." Lou said. Ravi and I helped Lou with the fish and put Big Whiskers onto the shore.

"We did it! We finally got him! In your fish face, Big Whiskers!" Lou cheered. "You won!" I told Lou. We shared a quick hug. "You finally bested your nemesis!" Ravi added.

"You're right. We did. We won." Lou said. She the picked up Big Whiskers and put him back in the water. My eyes slightly widened, but I kind of understood why she did it.

"Why-Why in the catfish crackers did you do that?" Ravi questioned, obviously confused, on why Lou would do that. "Well, I just realized I've had a lot of fun chasing Big Whiskers over the years. Like you said, it's the quest that matters." Lou answered.

"Who cares about the stinking quest? I was going to win a non-math-related contest! That bottom-feeder was my ticket to the top!" Ravi shouted.

"Ravi, it was the right thing to do." I told him. "I guess so." Ravi said, "Who knew samosas were his favorite snack?" I shrugged, smiling.

"All these years I've been eating flies for nothin'." Lou said. I nodded, once again. "Those poor, wasted flies," I said.

.....

Turns out Zuri and Tiffany won the competition, but they cheated, so now they have to work in the mess hall. Emma and Xander decided to both me friends. That's not going to last very long.