Chapter Four
Ellie
Eight Years Old
M y bare feet dangle off the dock as I sit next to Gunnar at Gap Lake, a place we come to often when we want to fish.
I slurp at the juices of my melting popsicle I hold in one hand, while gripping my fishing pole in the other, praying I get a bite this time.
Thanks to Gunnar, fishing is something I learned to do this summer and it’s been so much fun. I haven’t caught anything yet, but I’m hoping that changes today. So far, it’s not looking too promising considering we’ve been here for almost an hour without so much as a sighting.
“I sure hope we get some action soon,” I say, searching the glacier-blue water for any kind of movement. Though, it’s hard to see much of anything through the reflection of the mountains.
“Don’t worry, we will,” Gunnar assures me. “Ryland says next to a rainy day an overcast one is the best time to catch fish.”
Mr. Ryland would know. He’s a pro at this stuff and taught Gunnar everything he knows.
“Just need to be patient is all,” he adds, giving me a half smirk.
Patience is not one of my strong suits and he knows it. “Yeah, yeah,” I grumble.
He chuckles at my sour response.
“So, are you excited to go back to school next week?” I ask, changing the subject.
He shrugs. “Not really. You?”
“A little,” I admit. “But I’m sure gonna miss hanging out with you all day.”
It’s pretty much the only reason I don’t want to go back to school. From sun up to sun down, we have been inseparable and it’s honestly been the best summer of my life.
“Me too, Elle.” He flashes me a smile that always does funny things to my heartbeat. “At least we’ll have recess and after school, right?”
“Right.” I nod, clinging to his optimism.
I’m about to ask if he wants to meet at the bike racks again for recess when I suddenly feel a hard jerk on my fishing line. The forceful yank is so startling it causes me to drop my mostly-eaten popsicle into the lake.
A gasp flees my lips as I jump to my feet. “I got one,” I cry. “I got one, Gunnar.”
“All right, Ellie!” he cheers, knowing how long I’ve been waiting for this. “Quick, crank the reel.”
I do as he says, but find myself struggling against the forceful pull, so much so that I stumble forward.
“Holy smokes, it’s a heavy sucker.” I laugh.
“Hold on.” Gunnar quickly sets his fishing rod aside and gets up to help me.
Between the two of us we manage to get it up out of the water.
“Holy crap, it is a big one!” Gunnar exclaims, his eyes wide with surprise. “Here, watch out.”
I scramble out of the way as he hoists the wriggling fish over the dock. Once he lays it down on the wooden planks, I kneel on the other side, watching as he goes to remove the hook from its mouth.
“Be careful,” I caution gently.
One of the reasons we come to Gap Lake is because it’s all catch and release. I told Gunnar right from the start that I never wanted to hurt a fish.
“Don’t worry, he’s okay,” Gunnar reassures me. After carefully extracting the bait, he presents the fish to me with a proud grin. “Wanna hold it?”
Excitement radiates through my entire being. “You bet I do!” I take the slippery fish and yelp when it almost slips from my grasp.
“Hold on tight.” Gunnar chuckles, steadying my hands.
With a firmer grip, I turn the squirming fish to face me and feel it calm down as I gaze into its golden-yellow eyes.
“Well, hey there, Mr. Fish,” I greet in a soothing voice. “Thanks for being my first catch.”
“Mr. Fish?” Gunnar questions, sounding more than amused.
My gaze shifts to his. “Sure. Didn’t you name your first catch?”
A grin spreads across his face as he shakes his head.
I shrug, having no shame in it.
“Grab him a worm, will ya?” I ask, gesturing toward the tackle box. “I don’t want to keep him out of the water too long.”
While he hurries to do that, I shuffle closer to the edge of the dock, feeling a twinge of sadness at having to let Mr. Fish go. I would love nothing more than to keep him, but like Paw always says, some animals are meant to be loved from afar.
“Time to go back to your family now,” I murmur softly. “Thanks again for being my first catch. ”
Nodding over at Gunnar, I signal him to feed it the worm.
Afterward, I carefully release the fish back into the water, my eyes following its journey as he swims away, his silvery scales sparkling beneath the clear, turquoise depths.
Once he’s no longer in sight, I turn to Gunnar, feeling a renewed smile spreading across my face. “I caught my very first fish!” I squeal, tackling him in a hug.
He catches me on a laugh, his arms wrapping around me. “You did great, Elle. Ryland is going to be so proud.”
I can’t wait to tell both him and Paw .
We’re so caught up in my victory that we don’t hear anyone approaching until it’s too late.
“Aw, look at the two love birds.”
Gunnar and I quickly break apart to find Kevin Parks and Benjamin Wilks walking toward us.
Great!
A taunting smirk is plastered on Kevin’s face as he starts mocking us with a song. “Gunnar and Ellie sitting in a tree—”
“Shut up, Kevin,” Gunnar snaps, climbing to his feet.
“Yeah, shut up,” I echo, following suit.
“What’s wrong, don’t you like that song?” Kevin asks, addressing only me. “It’s perfect for your stupid little baby legend.”
Benjamin chuckles, feeding Kevin’s ego.
My hands ball into fists at my sides as I get the urge to slap the stupid out of them both.
“Leave her alone,” Gunnar warns, his eyes darkening with anger.
Kevin’s attention shifts to Gunnar. “Or what?”
“Or we’ll punch your lights out,” I tell him, feeling a surge of bravery.
Kevin and Benjamin burst into a fit of laughter .
“I’d like to see you try, twerp.”
Gunnar steps in front of me, shielding me from view. “She won’t need to try because I’m going to kick both of your asses and send you home crying to your mommies.”
I snicker behind him, remembering how we laughed about this very thing just a few months ago.
Kevin’s eyes narrow. “At least I have a mom, orphan.”
I gasp, furious by the retort.
That’s it!
Before Gunnar even has the chance to react, I charge forward and shove Kevin with all my strength.
He stumbles over a rock behind him, landing flat on his back.
“Hey!” Benjamin grabs me from behind, locking my arms.
“Let her go!” Gunnar orders, already on the run. Unfortunately, he doesn’t make it in time before I’m thrown to the ground.
I slide across the gravel, crying out as the tiny rocks scrape up my bare knees.
It sends Gunnar into a rage. “You’re dead now, Wilks,” he growls, the harsh sound echoing off the lake.
Benjamin braces himself for impact, but he is no match for Gunnar.
Gunnar lands a punch to Benjamin’s gut that sends him to his knees, gasping for breath.
Kevin scrambles back to his feet and charges for Gunnar. The two grapple and exchange blows, with Gunnar once again getting the upper hand.
“Get him, Gunnar!” I cheer, knowing Kevin deserves every bit of this.
Benjamin eventually collects himself and runs to help Kevin, making it two against one .
“Oh, no you don’t.” Ignoring the pain in my knees, I push off the ground and grab the back of Benjamin’s shirt, swinging him off Gunnar.
It sends us both tripping over the other and landing on the ground again.
Gunnar finishes off Kevin then turns around and kicks Benjamin in the ass as he tries to get back up.
The two of them finally realize they are no match for Gunnar and race back up the rocky hill they came down.
“That’s right, you better run,” I yell from my place on the ground. “And don’t even think about coming back!”
Once they disappear from view, Gunnar rushes over to me, concern etched on his face. “You all right, Elle?” he asks, dropping down beside me.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I assure him, brushing off my scraped knees. “How about you? I saw he got a few punches in.”
“Are you kidding? He hits like a girl,” he scoffs, before catching himself and adding, “Uh, no offense.”
I wave away his concern, knowing what he meant. Besides, we both know I’m not a typical girl.
“I’m sorry what he said about your mom,” I add softly, feeling hurt on his behalf.
He shrugs as if it isn’t a big deal, but we both know it is. Kevin knew exactly where to hit.
A mischievous grin settles over his face. “I have to admit, that was one hell of a shove you gave him.”
My shoulders straighten in pride. “It was, wasn’t it?”
He nods, his grin fading. “I appreciate it, but next time, let me handle it on my own, okay? I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“No way,” I reject firmly. “We’re a team, remember? If someone messes with you then they mess with me too. ”
His half grin turns into my favorite smile. The one that makes my heart pitter-patter in my chest.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asks again.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I promise.
“Good.” Standing, he offers me his hand.
I accept it with a grateful smile and allow him to pull me to my feet.
“Let’s pack up and go tell Paw and Ryland about your big catch,” he says, flashing me another grin.
The reminder fills me with renewed excitement.
We gather up our belongings quickly then head to the gas station across the street for a slush before running home to tell Paw and Ryland the big news.
That day marked several firsts for me: my first catch, the first time I stood my ground, and the first time I helped take down a bully with my best friend.
It was also the last day Kevin Parks ever dared to bother either of us again.