Chapter 5 - Everett
Ma sighs as LB and I blow through the kitchen on our way to my room.
“No running in the house, boys!” she shouts at our backs.
“Honestly, Nikki, you’d think they were raised by wolves,” I hear her say into the phone as she returns to her conversation with my aunt.
We slow to a brisk walk, but a bet is a bet, and neither of us want to lose.
I hear a wounded noise come from behind me.
Instantly, I stop and turn to check on LB, but I end up shoved into the wall as he runs past, making it to my room first.
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” he shouts, doing a god-awful victory dance that involves a lot of arm and leg movement while the rest of him stays stock-still.
“It’s not winning if you cheat, LB,” I say while laughing at his antics.
After hopping up on my bed so he can look down at me, he glares and pokes me in the chest. “You take that back right this instant, Everett Marie Davenport. I ain’t no cheater!”
Grabbing his finger, I heave a long-suffering sigh. “You know good and well that ain’t my name, and what else would you call fakin’ an injury and shoving me into a wall?”
“It’s called levelin’ the playin’ field,” he sniffs.
“Oh, now this I gotta hear. Please…explain,” I say
With his arms crossed and his nose in the air, LB says, “Well, your legs are twice as long as mine, but my brain is twice as big as yours. If I can’t beat you physically, then I gotta use my smarts.”
“Oh, you’ve definitely got a big head,” I tease as I grab him in a headlock and ruffle his curls.
When I let him go, he flops back on my bed and gives me that smile that never fails to send my stomach into free fall.
A lot of the guys at school have started talking about girls, but I don’t get it.
I mean, sure, some of them smell nice, like cookies, but the only person I really get excited to see is Cooper
“You got a stomachache or something?” LB asks, suddenly looking concerned.
“Huh? What are you talkin’ about?” I ask. His question came out of nowhere.
“Your face looked funny for a second there, but you look fine now. Must’ve just been gas,” he replies, giggling when I lunge forward and start to tickle him. “Ok! Ok! Uncle!” he shouts through his laughter.
Cooper – Age 12
Teddy looks down at me with that tiny little smile he reserves just for me, his blue eyes sparkling. I ignore the butterflies that dance around in my stomach. Theodore Everett Davenport Jr. is the best person I know, and I’m still not sure how I got lucky enough to have him as a best friend.
People that don’t know us probably think his size makes him the protective one.
Those people would be wrong. Teddy wouldn’t hurt a fly even if his life depended on it, which is why I call him my Teddy Bear.
Me, on the other hand…well…let’s just say the word feral has been tossed around more than once.
I’m not, like, unhinged or anything. I just have a very…
enthusiastic response when someone is being mistreated.
When I see wrong being done, I have to speak up.
Sure, maybe that’s led to a fight once or twice…
or somewhere in the double digits, but that’s never my intention.
I swear! It all boils down to right is right, and wrong is wrong. It’s that simple.
Teddy lies down beside me, and I cling to him like a koala. “I’m booooored,” I whine.
“We’ve spent five whole seconds just lying here. I’m surprised you lasted this long,” he retorts.
I smack his chest. “Seriously, Teddy, what are we doing today?”
“Wanna ride bikes?”
“Ugh, it’s so hot.”
“We could ride down to the creek and swim a little.”
“Now you’re talking.” I jump to my feet and hold out my hand to help him up. “Think Mom will make us some sandwiches to take with us? I’m already starving.”
“You’re always starving, and you know Ma never says no to you.”
Smirking his way, I tease, “It is nice being Mom’s favorite.” I expect him to say something smart in return, but he just looks at me in that serious way of his. “Ma and I agree on that,” he says before blushing and turning away.
“Awwww, I love you too, Teddy Bear.” I kiss his cheek before I challenge, “Race you!” Then I push him down on the bed and take off out of the room. I hear him yelling “cheater” over my insane cackling.
I turn the corner into the kitchen at full speed but come to an abrupt halt when I notice Mom staring at me with her hands on her hips. Teddy slams into my back. His arm wraps around my waist to keep me from hitting the ground.
“Sorry about that, LB. I wasn’t expecting you to just stop like that.”
“Don’t move,” I whisper out of the side of my mouth. “We watched Jurassic Park last week. You know you have to be still, or she’ll see us.”
“Cooper Gray Sorenson. I am not a T. rex!” Mom yells.
“You’re right. That screech was definitely more of a velociraptor.
” I muse. When she squints her eyes at me, I realize I said that out loud.
“Umm, yeah. Too far. Sorry, Mom,” I say sheepishly.
I remove Teddy’s arm from my waist and slink over to Mom.
I give her a big hug and my best puppy dog eyes.
She rolls hers in return, but I know I’m forgiven when she hugs me back and asks what we want for lunch.
Once our lunches are packed, Teddy and I head out on our bikes.
The ride to the creek isn’t long, but summers in Georgia ain’t for the weak.
We’re pouring sweat long before we get halfway there.
By the time we finally make it to the creek, I’m full-on panting like a dog.
I am NOT built for the outdoors. We practically throw our bikes down in our rush to get to the water.
At the edge of the creek bed, Teddy picks me up and tosses me in.
I come up sputtering and turn my fiercest glare on him. “Teddy Davenport, do you want to be murdered today? I might be a little small for jail, but I’m willing to risk it! I’m pretty scrappy after all.”
Teddy lets out a full-blown belly laugh, and every ounce of irritation fades away as I watch the smile overtake his face.
I would put up with dang near anything for moments like these.
I can feel the goofy, love-struck expression spreading across my face, so I dive under the water before Teddy notices.
We spend the rest of the afternoon at the creek.
Wrestling in the water. Eating on the bank.
Teddy shows off a few of the trick dives he’s learned off the tall rock.
Summers with him are my favorite. It’s just the two of us, with very few interruptions.
I want to spend every summer with Teddy for the rest of my life.