What A Girl

What's a Girl to do?

Norine's heart raced. She looked towards the beach. It was about a mile away.
"Oh crap," She thought, "I can't swim thar far. I hope they have a skiff."

Jayger was standing there wide eyed.
"Gabey, I'm sorry. I didn't see it."
"It's okay sweetheart. Are you all right?" Gabe asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but is the boat?"

Matt, Gabe, and Bear rushed to the side of the boat that the log had hit.
"We'd  better go below and see if it knocked a hole in the side." Bear said as he and Matt sprinted to the engine room.
Gabe stepped over the side of the boat and balanced on the small rail that ran around the side.
"Please be careful Gabe." Jayger said nervously.
"I am babe." Gabe answered as he leaned towards the spot that the log had struck.
"I don't see anything." Gabe said as he leaned over the side precariously.
"Nothing down below either." Bear said, walking back on deck with Matt.
"Well that takes a load off my mind." Norine laughed. "I sure didn't want to try an make that swim to shore."
"I would of let you put your arms around my neck and I would have let you ridden my back all the way to shore!" Matt said with a teasing glint in his eye.
"Ha!" Bird laughed, "Norine, I wouldn't trust him. As soon as he gets the least bit tired, he falls asleep!"
Everyone, including Matt, laughed at Birdy's good natured joking.

Gabe took the wheel back from Jayger, who relinquished it gladly, and sailed the boat on into Kanada  Bay.
As everyone was getting into the skiff, Jayger noticed Norine cluching her blue duffel bag close to her.

"Hang onto me Norine", Matt said, helping her into the skiff, "I'd never forgive myself if I dropped you into this water. Especially seeing as how I've already KO'd you twice today."
Everyone turned and looked at Matt and said, almost in unison, "You did what?"
"It's a long story!" Norine quipped.

As they all walked up on shore, they saw Bam, Noah, Billy, and Rain at the wind turbine. Bam was at the top disconnecting a coupling that had went bad.
"Glad y'all idiots could join us." He yelled down sarcastically.
"Ima show yo ass a idiot. Keep talkin!" Jayger yelled back up at Bam.
Gabe gently took Jayger by the shoulders and turned him towards a beautiful cabin built at the edge of the woods.
"Be quiet and march." Gabe said, pointing towards the cabin.
Jayger laughed a little and turned to Norine as Gabe pushed him away from the group, "Norine, you come by our cabin before you leave. I got a ton of questions to ask you about the lower fourty eight! And look out for those big coocoo birds flying around up there." He said, pointing up at Bam, "They're full of crap, and they'll unload on you if your not careful!"
Bam just rolled his eyes and said, "What ever."
Gabe pushed at Jayger a little harder. Even though he knew that deep down Jayger and Bam loved each other like brothers, he also knew that Jayger was the one person that would give Bam back exactally what he delt out. Gabe had separated those two enough to know that he needed to defuse the situation quickly.
"I will Jayger! " Norine said, laughing as she watched Gabe playfully spanking Jayger as they both ran towards the cabin.

Billy walked over to Norine and Matt.
"Well, is this the lovely young lady that got you off track today Matt?" Billy asked as he extended a hand to Norine.
"Dad, this is Norine Perry. Norine, this is my father. Billy Brown."
"Pleased to make your acuaitance Mr. Brown." Norine said, politely as she shook Billy's hand.
With the kindest smile she'd ever seen, Billy said, "Aw, just call me Billy. And welcome to Brown Town."

"Well Dad the turbies fixed." Bam said walking up to him.
Bam turned his attention to Norine.
"Hello, my name is Bam Brown. I'm sorry we didn't get properly introduced in town this morning, but the situation was a little...let's say ackward."
"Pleased to meet you Bam." Norine said, shaking Bam's hand, "And don't worry about this morning. I understand completely."
Matt took Norine's hand, "Hey, come on. I want to introduce you to the rest of the family."

Matt led Norine down a little path to a  beautiful two story cabin nestled in the woods. It was breathtaking.
"Wow," Norine thought to herself, "this is exactally what I've been looking for."
"This is my parents place. We built it when we first got here. All by hand!" Matt bosted.
"Matt it's beautiful." Norine said.
"Now over here, we have my pad!" Matt said proudly leading Norine over to his tire shack.
Norine looked at the shack. Her heart sank. "A shack, made of tires?" She thought.
Matt instantly saw the look on her face.
"It's a work in progress." He said.
"Let me show you a real house." A voice said from behind them.
Norine turned to see Bam standing there with his hand extended towards her.