Curse of the Peters Brothers

Chapter 2

Curse of the Peters Brothers

Chapter Two

flashback...

"How are we going to get it to float? Have you ever done this before Hopsey?" Kit asked him, biting her lip nervously.

"I read all about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Kit. They made a raft out of logs and it floated down the river. Trust me, ok? I'm nine years old! I know what I'm doing!"

"Ok, fine. I believe you, jeez! Calm down!" she sassed with her seven year old attitude.

They worked together all day every day after school working on their raft. It was finally done. It looked great to him. It had a sail and everything. Kit was a little less enthusiastic.

"It's lopsided. It's going to tip over in the water."

"No it's not. You'll see tonight. Pack a bag and meet me back here after dinner." he instructed her, "If you're too chicken then don't come with me. But this raft will get us to Cuba. I guarantee it."

"I'm not chicken! I'll be here!" she yelled at him with her hands on her hips. She was so easy to play sometimes. Just call her a chicken and she cracks.

They met after dinner just like they planned. She wore cut off shorts and a ratty t-shirt. Her red, curly hair fluttering when the wind blew. All her sisters had blonde hair but he preferred her unruley red mane. Usually it was pulled back in braids to keep it tame but tonight it was down to her shoulders.

They threw their things on the raft and pushed it out to sea. Though it wasn't really the sea. The Peter's home bordered the river that emptied into the ocean. They took the raft up as far as they could without getting caught and launched the vessel. They made it half way down the river when a storm came out of nowhere. Thunder boomed and lightening flashed. He could see she was scared everytime the lightening flashed. Leland paddled to raft to shore and they both jumped off and ran inland.

There was a cave not far from the river. It was big enough to hold them and it kept them dry. It was raining buckets and didn't seem to be getting any better, so Leland led Kit to there to wait out the storm.

"Just like Tom and Huck! They lived in a cave with Injun Joe!" Leland exclaimed once they were settled in.

"I'm cold, Hopsey! And I'm wet! I wanna go home." Kit complained.

It hurt him to see her upset so he pulled her close to him and rubbed up and down her arms to warm her up.

"Hopsey?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we lost? Like Tom and Huck?" Her bottom lip quivered after, either from being cold or scared, Leland didn't know which.

"No, Kit. We're not lost. We're really close to home still." He whispered sweetly, holding her closer. Then he did something unthinkable for a boy his age. He kissed her. Right on the mouth.

Her eyes were wide with shock, "Leland! What did you do that for? Now I have to get another coodies shot! Why don't you ever think these things through?"

"Well I don't know why I did it! And cooties aren't real! Stop being so stupid!"

"I'm stupid? You're the one who built that stupid raft and put it in the water!" she was furious with him if the fact that her ears were the same shade as her hair was any indication.

"Well, you didn't have to come! You're stupid if you think it's my fault that we got stuck because of the storm! And stop being mad at me for that stupid kiss! It was just a kiss!" he yelled at her, but inside he knew he was wrong about that.