Survival Of The Fittest [ON HOLD]

Chapter Two: Marry Christmas

CHAPTER TWO

"It's okay, Kitty. You've got a two. Star can't beat that. She's gotta pick up... But now I've gotta pick up four because Star had a two of diamonds!" I pick up two from the deck of cards on my bed.

My orange cat stuffed animal sits leaning on a pillow across from me. My doll in her too-big baby clothes that used to be mine is lying down beside her five cards left. We were playing crazy eights on my neat comforter. I play a two and pick up six for Kitty. I think she is going to lose.

"Hey, Tianna," I gasp as I turn my head around super-fast. Louis is standing in my doorway with a smug smile on his face. I blush as I realize I am sitting on my bed playing cards with dolls.

I'm in grade three! I'm too old for this! I throw down my cards and jump off my bed. I don't make eye contact as I fix my shirt. I feel self-conscious about the stains on it. "I didn't know you were coming over today," I say quietly.

"I didn't either. Mum just dropped me off here. Your mum didn't seem too surprised, though," Louis shrugs and gives me a half smile. I nod.

"You wanna play outside?" I ask, painfully aware of my abandoned card game behind me.

"Sure. Can we go in the pool?" He asks.

"Yeah. I'll grab your shorts," I scamper over to my dresser. I open the bottom drawer and throw my favourite pair of Louis' swimming shorts at him. We started to keep a set of his pajamas and a couple outfits here just in case. He ended up staying over a lot. Louis goes off to the bathroom and I change in my room.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Louis screams like a maniac through the house.

"I didn't know you were a rotten egg?" I ask him. We race out to the pool and cannon-ball in. We swim back up to the deck and laugh. We jump back in and splash each other and play until lunch.

"Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen... Fourteen... Fifteen! Ready or not, here I come!" I straighten up from leaning on the tree.

We've got the trees lining the driveway and a few at the side of the house. That's it. It can't take me too long to find Louis. I sneak around to the back of the house. I check in the garage, behind the pool and under the deck. I can't find him. I run over to the trees at the side of the house and stalk through them. This boy is amazing at hide-and-seek.

"Come on, Louis. I'm hungry. Come out so that we can have a snack," I complain to the trees and long grass. My shorts kept getting caught with burrs.

"What if I'm not hungry?" I spin around and see Louis laughing. My heart is beating so fast. I stomp over to him. I shove him.

"Don't do that!" I exclaim in anger. He stumbles back into a tree. He straightens up and rubs his back and head.

"Why'd you do that? It hurts!" He looks to me angrily.

"Sorry," I look down.

"S'okay," Louis shrugs and looks to me. I look at him. His face goes pink. I smirk evilly and shove him again. This time he trips over the tree root. He lands with a thump onto the pine needles and maple leaves littering the ground between the weeds from years past.

I smile innocently and offer my hand to help him up. He pouts up at me for a second before grasping it. Instead of pulling himself up, he pulls me down. I land beside him and hit my elbow on the root he tripped over.

"Ow!" I whine as tears come to my eyes. I look at my elbow and see dirt and blood.

"I'm so sorry!" Louis looks guilty. I sniffle and smile despite the tears.