The Clubhouse

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

For half the day, we were sweeping and cleaning the lodge. Poor Patrick and Matthew were stuck cleaning the fireplace at the south wall of the clubhouse. Well, it suits them right for being fifteen minutes later than the said time.

It was 12:15 when we were finally finished. Patrick and Matthew were filthy as heck and Nathan scolded them for walking around the clubhouse when they were that dirty. He shooed - yes, shooed - them out the door while Erin squirted them with the hose. And that's how we ended up in the water war we are in now.

It started out as Erin spraying everyone with the hose, but then Patrick got a hold of it and that's when all heck broke loose. It was every man for himself.

I scream in triumph when I manage to steal the hose from Patrick; he's a tough opponent. After I spray him in the face, he roars in fury and rips the hose from my hands. Soon I am crouched up against the wall of the clubhouse, tight in a ball, trying to avoid getting sprayed in the face.

For many minutes, we battled brutally. I felt soaked to the bone and I had to blink every moment to prevent water from clouding my vision. Nathan was getting quite furious. "STOP!" he bellows. I wince as his angry voice fills the air. Everyone freezes in their positions, not daring to move. "What are you guys?! A bunch of children?!" he exclaims. I can see Ethan shrink back from the corner of my eye. Instinctively, I reach out my hand and place it on his shoulder. At first, he flinches at this action too, but soon he stands straight and calm once again. I only recognize his gratitude when he sends me a grateful smile.

For many moments, we stand there, dripping wet, panting, and sharing looks. "Ethan, I'm sorry," Nathan starts cautiously but Ethan just turns and begins to walk swiftly away. Patrick drops the hose - it lands with a thud - and chases Ethan. I take this as a chance to let my mind wander.

Ethan is definitely the baby of our group. He still has those adorable chubby cheeks, even though we will be going into high school in a few months. Each of us cares so much for him and sometimes we treat him like a little kid. He doesn't like it when we treat him like a child - he told me himself. Since then, I've been treating him like I would treat any of my best friends. I really wish everyone else would learn to treat him equally.

I sigh as I watch Patrick chase after Ethan. We are suspended in an awkward silence. I feel like the tension is crushing me, so, being the person I am, I blurt out, "Did you know that in some parts of Georgia, chickens may not cross the road?" It takes a few moments for anyone to react; after all, Nathan just snapped and this is no time to be cracking jokes. Erin stifles a chuckle, Nathan sends me an intimidating glare, and Matt looks like he just mentally face-palmed.

"Yup, that's my Bailey," Erin gushes, patting my shoulder. She has a huge, pride-filled grin on her face. I smile and soon everyone else is smiling too. The tension in the air slowly vanishes and soon we are in a light hearted mood.

Eventually, Patrick and Ethan come back seeming quite calm and okay. Nathan runs home to grab some towels so we can dry off. Everything is cheery for a moment. In my opinion, now is the perfect time to pull a prank.

I walk over to the closet in the northwest corner of the lodge. Opening it, I rummage through the contents until I find what I'm searching for. I hold the bottle of super glue and smirk sinisterly. Stealthily, I make my way over to the bathroom on the other side of the room and open the bottle. I pour the sticky mess on the door knob before putting the cap back on and tossing the plastic bottle back into the closet. I make my way back outside, putting on my best poker face.

"What took you so long?" Patrick demands.

I shrug. "A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do," I respond plainly.