| Children Fiction posted January 17, 2022 |
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when nobody's looking
What Counts in the Long Run
by pome lover
Seven year old Danny was one happy little boy. He was in his back yard with a big piece of watermelon his mother had just cut. He took a bite, juice dribbling down his chin, and spit seeds through the hole in his snaggle teeth.
After a few blows, he thought he’d see how far he could make the seeds go. The more he practiced, the better he got and the farther they went.
As he was about to blow again, Celeste, a braggy neighbor in his class, walked over to him, followed by some of her friends. “Guess what?”
“What?” Danny asked, blowing a seed. “Wow, didja see how far that one went?”
“I got an A+ on the spelling test.”
“Good for you. Want a piece of watermelon?”
“Sure. What’d you get?”
“Get what?”
“On the spelling test.”
“B+. Missed two."
Danny’s mom brought out more watermelon. Celeste took a bite and spit her seeds.
Danny grinned at her. “Wanta see who can spit ‘em the farthest?”
Celeste was bigger and taller than Danny and felt totally superior. “Why not? I bet I’ll beat you.”
“Sure, you will. Go first, then,” Danny said, as the other kids watched.
Celeste looked around and walked over to the driveway. “Let’s play here, where the seeds won't get lost in the grass. You got a piece of chalk or something we can mark where they land?”
Danny ran in the house and came back with two pieces, one yellow, one red. He handed Celeste the yellow one.
“I want the red one,” she said. It's my favorite color.”
Danny rolled his eyes and swapped with her. “Okay. Best two out of three.”
Celeste took a bite, scrunched her mouth around until she had a seed in her teeth. She blew. “thew!” It landed about a foot in front of her. “I can do better than that! Lemme try again.”
“Mark it first. That’s your first try,” Danny said.
“That’s not fair, Celeste whined. “You’ve been practicing.”
“Okay, that was your practice blow, but the next one counts.”
“Oh, all right.” Celeste took another bite and blew as hard as she could. It landed a little to the side of her practice seed. Frowning, she marked it with a “C.”
Danny took a bite and chewed then took a big breath … and got this funny look on his face. He started coughing. He coughed and coughed and then started laughing.
“You swallowed it, didn’t you,” she accused. “Too bad. That counts as your first go.”
“Does not.”
“Does too.”
“I choked on it. I didn’t spit it. That doesn’t count.”
“Well, it should,” Celeste said, crossing her arms. “It was your go.”
Danny suddenly remembered something his dad did last night when he and his mom were having an argument over something silly. After a second, his dad bowed at the waist and said, “I concede your point.” His mom laughed and that was the end of that argument.
Danny bowed low and said, “I seseed your point.”
Celeste looked at him like he was crazy. “What did you say?”
Danny was disappointed his gesture had backfired. “Oh, forget it! It counted. Go on. Your turn.”
The game continued. Though Danny had practiced, Celeste was bigger and had more lung power, and derned if she didn’t beat him. Then she prissed back to her house with her friends, smirking.
Danny watched her. Then he blew two more seeds. Both of them went farther than Celeste’s winning seed. Nobody saw it, but Danny. He grinned, held up his balled fist. “Yes! A+,” he said, and finished his watermelon.
Pride contest entry
After a few blows, he thought he’d see how far he could make the seeds go. The more he practiced, the better he got and the farther they went.
As he was about to blow again, Celeste, a braggy neighbor in his class, walked over to him, followed by some of her friends. “Guess what?”
“What?” Danny asked, blowing a seed. “Wow, didja see how far that one went?”
“I got an A+ on the spelling test.”
“Good for you. Want a piece of watermelon?”
“Sure. What’d you get?”
“Get what?”
“On the spelling test.”
“B+. Missed two."
Danny’s mom brought out more watermelon. Celeste took a bite and spit her seeds.
Danny grinned at her. “Wanta see who can spit ‘em the farthest?”
Celeste was bigger and taller than Danny and felt totally superior. “Why not? I bet I’ll beat you.”
“Sure, you will. Go first, then,” Danny said, as the other kids watched.
Celeste looked around and walked over to the driveway. “Let’s play here, where the seeds won't get lost in the grass. You got a piece of chalk or something we can mark where they land?”
Danny ran in the house and came back with two pieces, one yellow, one red. He handed Celeste the yellow one.
“I want the red one,” she said. It's my favorite color.”
Danny rolled his eyes and swapped with her. “Okay. Best two out of three.”
Celeste took a bite, scrunched her mouth around until she had a seed in her teeth. She blew. “thew!” It landed about a foot in front of her. “I can do better than that! Lemme try again.”
“Mark it first. That’s your first try,” Danny said.
“That’s not fair, Celeste whined. “You’ve been practicing.”
“Okay, that was your practice blow, but the next one counts.”
“Oh, all right.” Celeste took another bite and blew as hard as she could. It landed a little to the side of her practice seed. Frowning, she marked it with a “C.”
Danny took a bite and chewed then took a big breath … and got this funny look on his face. He started coughing. He coughed and coughed and then started laughing.
“You swallowed it, didn’t you,” she accused. “Too bad. That counts as your first go.”
“Does not.”
“Does too.”
“I choked on it. I didn’t spit it. That doesn’t count.”
“Well, it should,” Celeste said, crossing her arms. “It was your go.”
Danny suddenly remembered something his dad did last night when he and his mom were having an argument over something silly. After a second, his dad bowed at the waist and said, “I concede your point.” His mom laughed and that was the end of that argument.
Danny bowed low and said, “I seseed your point.”
Celeste looked at him like he was crazy. “What did you say?”
Danny was disappointed his gesture had backfired. “Oh, forget it! It counted. Go on. Your turn.”
The game continued. Though Danny had practiced, Celeste was bigger and had more lung power, and derned if she didn’t beat him. Then she prissed back to her house with her friends, smirking.
Danny watched her. Then he blew two more seeds. Both of them went farther than Celeste’s winning seed. Nobody saw it, but Danny. He grinned, held up his balled fist. “Yes! A+,” he said, and finished his watermelon.
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