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Nine year old Rose Strider-Lalonde skipped around in the grassy plain.
Her brother, twelve year old Dave stared at her from the shadow of the large oak tree.
“Are you done yet.”
Rose turned around and pouted at him, her pale face overcome with indignation.
“We’ve only been here for ten minutes.”
“I want to go home and play videogames.”
She stuck her tongue out and resumed her skipping. With a gasp, she knelt down to observe a purple flower.
Dave rolled his eyes and got up.
“I’m going home.”
He started walking down the hill. Rose ran after him.
“You can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Dirk will be mad.”
Dave looked back.
“No, he’ll be mad at you for not sticking close to me.”
She scowled and crossed her arms.
“He’ll be mad at both.”
“Then you better follow me.”
He slid down the hill, smiling smugly. His brisk walking pace quickly took him to the beginning of their street. He looked back, fully expecting the smoldering glare of his sister, only to see nothing but a passing cat.
Dirk’s nagging echoed in his head.
Dave, when I’m at work and Roxy is at school, you have to take care of Rose. You’re a big boy and I fully expect you to be responsible. I believe in you little man. And remember, if she gets hurt I’ll whoop your ass.
Dave started panicked and ran up the hill.
She had to be okay.
He reached the top panting, only to find someone older than him pushing Rose. She fell to the ground, eyes tearing up. The boy stomped on the little purple flower, a scowl on his face.
“Hey!” screamed out Dave, retrieving his broken plastic katana from his backpack.
The bully turned around. Dave recognized him from Roxy’s school. It was Spades Slick, a senior with a superiority complex who always picked on the kids around his neighborhood. Dave wasn’t sure what he was doing so far away from his street, but he wasn’t going to start asking questions.
“Leave her alone!” growled Dave, inching closer to them. He was ready to pick up Rose and run out of there, but he had to pass Spades first.
“Yeah? Or what?”
Dave almost took a step back but resisted.
What could he do? Spades looked much stronger than him and he risked getting Rose hurt. He swallowed dry. Dirk wouldn’t be home for hours.
He leaped towards Spades, kicking him in the stomach. The man gasped for air as he fell to the ground. Dave attempted to reach Rose, only to be picked up by the collar. He silently resented his lack of a recent growth spurt.
“You little…”
Well, this was it. If Spades didn’t kill him, Dirk would.
“Hey, you, you uh, whatever you are, what are you doing to my brother.”
Dave stretched to look behind Spades, who had turned his head back to look at the unknown intruder.
Roxy stood in the grassy plain, bottle in a paper bag in her right hand, backpack hanging off her left shoulder and an aggressively quizzical expression on her face.
“Roxy!” screamed out Dave “Help!”
Spades scoffed.
“This your brother? He’s a pain in the ass.”
He shook Dave like a rag doll. Rose cried quietly, still on the ground.
Roxy gave a half sneer, her eyebrows lowering dangerously.
“Put him down and scram.”
“What, are you going to hit me?”
Roxy dragged her younger siblings by the wrists, down the grassy hill. Spades lied face down in a small pool of his blood, a few knocked out teeth and some spilled vodka.
“What were you thinking?!” barked Roxy, sharply glaring at Dave. He looked away.
“I didn’t realize she wasn’t following me.” He muttered. He sounded sincerely ashamed.
“And you, haven’t we told you to never be alone?”
“I’m sorry Roxy…” whined Rose, hanging off Roxy’s arm.
Roxy stopped, causing the two kids to stumble forward. She knelt down and hugged them.
“You have no idea how glad I am you’re okay.”
Her voice cracked at the end on the sentence, tears forming in her eyes. Dave and Rose began tearing up as well. They tackle hugged their older sister. A silent minute passed. Roxy sobbed and smiled weakly.
“How about I buy you ice cream? But don’t tell Dirk.”