"You'll never beat me, Theo!" I laughed villainously as I jumped from the slide to the ladder next to it, climbing to the top of the jungle gym.
"No fair! You have longer legs!" Theo screamed as he clung onto the rungs of a ladder desperately.
The game was simple - we couldn't touch the floor of the jungle gym or face death via the burning hot lava that flowed on it (but more realistically, being kicked out of the game).
Theo thought I wouldn't be able to play the game because I was too old. I now had to defend my honour. My very name had come into question.
"Ha!" I taunted victoriously as I sped across the monkey bars, legs flailing mid- air as I did so. This was more of a workout than I expected and I was currently sweating profusely.
"Ms. Connie! Mabel's not playing fair!" Theo whined as he stood at the top of the slide.
"Mabel, I think I should advise you against playing a competitive sport with a child in kindergarten."
I stood hanging from the monkey bars, my arms almost giving out on me as I huffed, "How else will he learn the harsh realities of the world, Connie? Really, I'm helping him here."
"Nuh-uh!" Theo protested.
Connie raised an eyebrow, "I have a feeling you won't be hired for a summer job."
I rolled my eyes and shot a look at Theo, "See that Theo? Harsh realities of the world are all around us."
At that very moment, a large bird (though, I was tempted to say it was a heron or some other extraordinarily gigantic flying creature), rushed past my head, causing me to use both arms to protect my face in sheer panic, thus making me fall flat on said face from the monkey bars. It was quite a spectacle. Connie shouted. Theo laughed.
"Hold on!" Connie called, "I'm going to get help! Your injury could be a lawsuit!"
"That's okay, Ms. Connie. I played doctor one time," Theo replied walking towards me with an evil glint in his eyes.
"You stay back," I warned as he giggled loudly.
I felt blood trickle down my cheek and I swatted at it, wincing at the pain.
"Eww!" Theo complained as he walked closer to get a better look at my possibly forever maimed body. "That's disgusting!"
"I'm not afraid to contaminate you, Theo. Don't come any closer."
"Are you threatening to get your blood on a child?" A deep voice called and I looked up to see Marcus strolling over with Connie in tow. He was wearing a snug, blue fire fighter t-shirt and a pair of his station's cargo pants and held a first aid box in one hand. His hair was wavy and unkept.
"I'll follow through if he doesn't back down, too," I retorted. Theo backed away slowly.
"What happened to you?" Marcus asked as he knelt down next to me to inspect my leg. He tenderly shifted the leg and I winced. I think a wood chip was jammed into my shin. I'd be lucky if I ever walked again.
"I just got burnt in the fire-y pits of lava. Not pleasant if you must ask, Marcus," I explained.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at Theo, "Is she always like this?" He asked, pulling out an antiseptic pad from his first aid box and holding my leg down.
Theo shrugged, "She's my favourite teacher."
I glanced at Theo in surprise, "Aww, Theo! I always knew it. Can you please go tell Ms. Connie that?"
He nodded excitedly and ran off. Connie was ushering the kids inside so they didn't have to witness my life threatening injuries.
Marcus cleaned the area with an antiseptic pad and I drew in a sharp breath in pain. "Connie went to look for help and came back with you?"
Marcus laughed, "Actually I was on my way home from an overnight shift and I saw her freaking out in the parking lot."
I sighed, "I suppose you'll do." I guess as a firefighter he had first aid training. He probably had CPR training - too far, Mabel.
He smiled, "I'm glad I'm good enough. Now, hold my arm and squeeze if you need to. I'm pulling this wood chip out. It's pretty deep."
"I'm pretty strong. I'm just warning you." I wrapped my hand around his forearm and clung onto it forcefully.
"I know you are. Ready?"
I nodded, closing my eyes shut tightly. I felt the sting of the wood chip and I squeezed Marcus's arm even tighter. "Okay you can leave it in. I'll live with it. I'll be the wood chip girl. I've accepted it."
"Done," Marcus murmured and I opened my teary eyes to see a few inch wood chip staring back at me.
"Aww. I almost want to take it home to commemorate this moment. Who knew I was a badass? Surviving a wood chip impaling is not an easy task," I blabbed.
Marcus took out some ointment and gently used his finger to coat the area before placing a bandaid down on the gash (which looked significantly less life altering than I had initially thought.)
His hand moved to my chin and turned my head slightly so he could see my cheek, where the other impaling had taken place. "It's just a cut here," He murmured as he gently cleaned the area. He cleared his throat before asking, "So, did you hear from your guy yet?"
I pouted, shaking my head, "No, but I heard this thing about a three day rule. He's probably following that. He's a rule follower, you know."
Marcus gave me a small smile, "I've heard about that, too."
"Is that what you would do?" I wondered. "If you were asking a girl out?"
Marcus smoothed a bandaid over the region. "If I liked a girl like that, nothing could stop me from calling right away."
I smiled, "That seems like you. So no Nadia in the prospects then?" I wiped my dirty hands down my shirt as I readjusted myself.
He shook his head, "No, Maybie. There's no one in the works for me."
I frowned, "Well, if you need a reference letter, you've got a girl who actually enjoys hanging out with you here to testify that you're a pretty okay guy."
"I'll keep that in mind," he smiled at me, standing up and extending his hand out to me. I grabbed onto it and he tugged me up until I was stable on my feet. "Come on, I'll drive you home."
"There's no way I can work in my condition."