august 20th

336 26 7
                                    

WHEN I GET HOME from a long and tiring afternoon shift at Sunken Treasure, Jasper is very adamant about needing to get some more film footage. To solve this supposed issue, he sets up a slip n' slide in our backyards out of trash bags and a hose. So far, the only ones willing to try it out have been Jasper and Willie. Unbeknownst to Willie, there is also a hidden supply of water balloons, awaiting the optimal moment for a water war.

"Come on, Leckthie!" the five-year-old squeals after sliding past the plastic trash bag and into the wet grass, which now sticks to his tummy and bare legs. "Do it!"

"I dunno, Willie Banilli," I retort, crossing my arms over my bikini top. I don't have much going for me in my chest region, but that doesn't mean I don't get self-conscious about wearing swimsuits.

"Um, no," Jasper counters. "No way. You're getting wet whether you like it or not, Lexi Marie!" Before I have time to process what he's doing, he takes the hose and points it at me, spraying and completely soaking me. His stupid video camera sits peacefully on a chair several yards away, happily dry and documenting every second.

"Really?" I whine while covering my face from the spray, pretending to be upset.

"Do it," Jasper starts chanting, which Willie is quick to join in, a maniacal grin plastered on his face. Boys.

"I'm feeling peer pressured!" I announce, internally knowing full well that I would go to extreme lengths to make both of these idiot boys happy. This is all part of the production—acting like I came out here with the intention of not getting wet, despite the fact that I specifically put on a swimsuit for this. It makes it more fun for them, particularly Willie; chasing me down and getting me in on the fun by their own accord.

I pretend to be reluctant when Willie catches me and latches onto my hand, pulling me toward their slip 'n slide creation. "Go Leckthie!" he exclaims with a giggle.

"You show me how it's done first," I say.

"Fine!" he squeals as Jasper positions the hose like a fountain at the beginning of the slide. I watch in amusement as he launches himself headfirst across the plastic, ending up covered in even more grass blades than before. "Your turn!"

"Okay, okay," I relent, catching Jasper's eye and sending him a tiny smirk.

I take a small running start and let myself fall toward the ground headfirst just like Willie did, letting myself lose control, even if it's only for a few seconds. I end up in the wet grass, feeling simultaneously light with glee and heavy with the impending closure of activities like this with Jasper. The finality of it takes away some of the joy, even though I wish it didn't.

"Hurray!" Willie cheers, and Jasper follows me at the end of the slide and hoses me down with a smirk once again, completely drenching me this time.

"Beautiful form, Callaghan," Jasper praises, the stupid grin on his face never wavering as I lunge at the hose, trying to pry it out of his hands, even though he's far too quick and athletic for me to have a prayer. As he backs away, my eyes trail down his toned stomach to the bottom side of his abdomen, where he's lacking his usual insulin pump. I glance around, wondering where Champ is, and relax when I see her laying in the shade under a tree a couple yards away.

I shake out of my reverie as Jasper pulls out a big bucket and removes the lid, exposing a multicolored pile of water balloons. "Who's ready for a water war?" he yells.

"Me!" Willie exclaims, sprinting over and picking up a purple balloon, squishing it curiously in his hands. I smile at the spectacle, suddenly cognizant for the first time how often Jasper has gone out of his way to play with my little cousin and let him have fun and be a kid. It makes me wonder how Willie will cope with Jasper soon leaving, or if him leaving will even make much of an impression on Willie at all. I'd like to think that it will, but maybe it's better to hope that it won't.

Suddenly, the screen door to Jasper's house rattles open and a rare sighting of Denise Reynolds exiting her house emerges, sporting a pair of running shorts, T-shirt, and baseball cap. We all glance in her direction as she approaches us, and for a moment I wonder if she's about to yell at us for wasting water or something.

"Whatcha guys doing?" she asks, walking barefoot across the wet lawn toward us.

"Um," Jasper says awkwardly, "just playing water games with Willie."

Willie, either unaware or unfazed by the tension, exclaims, "We're about to have a water balloon fight!"

"Oh yeah?" Denise queries. "Well then," she says, making her way toward the bucket. I raise an eyebrow, wondering where she's going with this. She's been on edge this whole last month, getting ready for the big move and all, so it's a bit peculiar to see her on the brink of doing something fun and carefree. My brain connects the dots of what she's about to do, but it takes actually witnessing it happen to process it as real. "I guess you won't mind if I do this." She picks up a yellow water balloon and without warning, beams it at an equally taken aback Jasper.

The balloon hits him in the chest, and water instantly gushes out as the plastic breaks, drenching his front. For a split second, he just looks flat out stunned. Then, without warning, he picks up the hose and sprays it at his mom, soaking her.

I expect her to scold him, but she does the complete opposite. Her face lights up, and she reaches forward for more water balloons, motioning for me and Willie to join her, and before I can process what's happening, we're all in a water war with Denise Reynolds.

Jasper and Denise especially target each other, though they occasionally break away from each other to splash a very gleeful Willie, and I slink away toward the bench where Jasper's video camera sits, still recording, and pick its sleek frame up, pointing it at a now laughing Jasper and Mrs. Reynolds.

I know Jasper organized this whole thing to get film footage of me for whatever stupid project he's working on, but something tells me that after months and months of this mother and son duo walking on eggshells around each other, they'll want a simple yet beautiful moment like this to be documented. Laughter bubbles out of my chest as Denise lunges at Jasper and manages to get the hose from him, spraying him with his own choice weapon.

Despite a familiar pang of sadness that aches at my chest, it brings me joy to see Jasper finally beginning to heal from the bitterness he initially felt toward his mom for taking the job in Australia. She truly does love him more than anything in this world, and he should appreciate having her more. I would give anything for my own mom to be here in this moment.

"Lexi!" Denise calls over to me from her position on the battlefield. "Come over here, love bug, I could use an extra girl on my team!"

I set the video camera back down on the bench, angling it so it can still capture all the action, and rejoin the group, picking up a couple water balloons to pelt at Jasper and Willie.

The four of us eventually finish off the water balloons, and the yard is sprinkled with Technicolored scraps of plastic. "That was fun," Denise says, now soaked with water, eyes alight. "I'm gonna go take a shower now. Jasper, please be sure to get all this plastic picked up before you come inside. Lexi and Willie, thank you for letting me join in on your fun."

"Of course!" I say.

When she turns and heads back inside, Jasper stares at me, looking baffled. "What in the world do you think that was?" he asks me.

"That," I say pointedly, shooting him a knowing look, "was a new leaf."

author's note: yay 4 short chapters!!! you know i'm developing as a writer when i can get a scene i want to across without going on and on for ten pages. this is unedited and written when i could not fall back asleep between the hours of 4-6 AM (yikes) but i kinda like how this chapter turned out?? it's short and simple but a really important moment. buckle up, because these next few chapters are where things are gonna start getting serious. also, i'd love to hear what y'all think of this story up until this point. are there any points where you find it to be too long and rambly?  is there anything you don't like about it? this story is really important to me, so your feedback is very much appreciated :')

i hope you're all doing okay, and thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, even with my inconsistent updating schedule. i've been on a role lately with writing this story, and i'm still convinced that it's very possible for me to finish axis this summer. y'all are more than welcome to hold me accountable to that. 

god bless <3

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