Page 54 of Mark Us Little Bear
Classy.
My mouth goes upside-down and I nod, talking about first impressions.
Patches of grass stick out where their shoes hit the ground, other areas have longer blades of grass that Teddy seems to enjoy snacking on.
Next, Josh pushes Cole’s head with his open palm, putting distance between him and the ball but Ronnie comes right behind him, snatching the ball and running straight to the end zone between two bricks…
“Go, go, go!” I shout, completely enthralled by him.
“Touchdown fuckers.” He chucks the ball hard onto the ground.
Fuck yeah.Fire courses through my veins.
Ronnie can’t hold his laughter, his smile spreads from ear to ear pretty fast as he spins around to see the shock on my brothers’ faces that quickly turns to loud cheers as they snap out of it. Looking away, his eyes slide across the house until they lock with mine and a tiny smirk crawls to the right corner of his mouth.
“Look at him with the middle part hairstyle swaying from side to side, looking like a star from the nineties,” Amber says next to me. “Your mom said I should join the game maybe it’ll soften them.”
I whistle, entertained by her assignment. “She gave you a hard task because the Meiss brothers can be loving and caring but when it comes to sports, we’re hella competitive.”
“So all is fair in love and war.” She states yet it hangs in the air like a question as she steps forward and turns halfway to glance at me.
“Exactly.” I wink, and a tiny laugh escapes me as I flick my ball cap backward.
Skipping on her sneakers, she jumps on Ronnie and kisses his neck with a wide grin—I wait patiently for the little girl inside her to give her the freedom she deserves. “How about us three against the three younger and handsome Meiss brothers,” Amber suggests.
“When you put it like that how can we say no,” Ryan immediately stops the game and turns to look at her with his permanent, flirty smirk.
“Slow down boy,” I warm, making my way to the center of our middle-sized, square backyard.
Amber folds the sleeves of her sweatshirt up to her elbows, looking like a little chipmunk next to all of us. “Get ready to get your ass served, I tackle like a maniac.”
“I believe her,” Ronnie says next to me, squatting down.
I start laughing before I get the words out, “I’m dying to hear her say, ‘Say hello to my little friend’ as she pulls out Harley.”
A burst of laughter comes out of him and he almost stumbles backward but I shoot my arm around his back and catch him in time. When he turns his face toward mine the tip of our nose brushes and I inhale his minty breath.
“Omg, what if it turns into an actual firearm.” I hold him until he steadies himself.
He grins, “Chill,” and puts his hand on my shoulder, “We’re not living with The Terminator. But I’m glad you finally agree that she can be a serial killer in disguise.”
“You never know.” I quote him from the other day. Bending down a little, I lower my voice to a whisper, “What are you hiding, Bear?”
Crouching down to tie her shoelaces, she peers up at me through thick lashes, “Victory in my pocket but don’t worry I’ll let them think they’re going to win, and then I’ll knock them down.”
I brush her lavender locks, “Not what I meant but I’ll take it.”
As Cole claps his hand to get our attention the song Maniac by Stray Kids starts next as if we summoned it.Divine intervention?“You ready?”
“Born ready.”
We all respond like a choir as we stand in two parallel lines.
“Guests first,” Ryan tosses me the ball.
Holding the ball in front of my body, I bend down and press it to the ground. “Hike!” I toss it backward to Ronnie and run forward.
Cole and Ryan sprint to tackle me while Josh stays glued to Ronnie, but they forget our Little Bear who runs faster to the end zone when she notices no one is near her.
