OKAY SO THE answer to the stupid question that I had asked Peter before signing up for my death was, yes. A big fat yes. Peter loved to skate. And it didn't end there. No. Not only did he love to do it, he excelled in it. And me, not so much. It had been pretty much a stupid question. It was times like these that I seemed to forget that me and the Wilson's kids were from totally different backgrounds and worlds. And besides, their race were the only ones pretty much dominating the ice rink. Save for a few of mine that weren't falling every few seconds. I dubbed them the rich ones that did it all the time.

And no I wasn't included in the chosen few. Peter had a field day seeing me fall flat on my ass multiple times. I had flat out refused when he had offered me his hand for support. That was outrageously embarrassing. My pride could very much rival a man's ego. That was telling considering just how much of those they had. And my pride didn't need more of a beating than it already had. Especially after Isabel suggested I take lessons with an infant that barely passed breastfeeding age. Yeah no thank you.

But to my amusement it was the first time that I had ever heard him laugh so much, so that was a plus. He laughed so much I wasn't sure if I wasn't doing it on purpose at this point.

Look at me tryna mask my failure.

I didn't know how to deal with failure but I pretty much failed in things like skating or swimming.

"That's not how you do it. You're going to fall down again." He screamed as he skated around me and for some reason that made me so much worse.

"Stop doing that. You're making me dizzy and confused." He laughed as my knees caved towards each other and I flailed my arms trying to keep my balance. I swatted his hands away when he tried grabbing my hand for the umpteenth time.

"Stop it. You're embarrassing me."

"Me?! You're the one who looks like a baby giraffe." I glared at him.

"I meant that they're cute especially when they're first born and they can't walk. I saw videos of them on YouTube and..." I gasped at the audacity.

"Cute?!" That earned me another bout of giggles which I chose to ignore.

"You can't skate at all. Mila is so much better than you."

I couldn't help but be scandalised at the image of a two year old being better at yet another thing that I had zero experience in. Just what else did that little girl know what to do that I didn't?

"Do your parents teach you every single thing or what?" He grinned and I took out my phone and took lots of pictures of him, adding them to the countless others as well as videos. Sue me. He was adorable.

"We go for lessons. I know how to play basketball, tennis, football, how to swim, skate, I also know how to do rock climbing, hover boarding and...."

I threw my hands in the air in disbelief. He kept going.

"What else is there?" He giggled and I glared at him harder when he started skating backwards, still going around me. I took a video of him showing off. The boy was very mean and the terrible part was it was pretty hard to notice. Or he just enjoyed teasing me so much.

"You can't swim too. Ashley told me that you drowned at school yesterday."

"You're awfully vocal today for someone who barely talks at all. Maybe I should have left you at school." I had bought and recharged almost five hundred rand on the game card and I was planning on spending almost all of it by the time we went home. The kid looked so miserable most of the time I almost thought he was brooding.

"Well well well, fancy seeing you here Lanaya."

I groaned loudly turning around.

"Same here Magdalena."

"It's Mandy." She sneered.

"Oh yeah sorry. My mind has this annoying little habit of filtering out information it deems useless. Sorry."

"Cute. But just know that your words don't do anything to me."

"Good to know. Now scram. We wouldn't want you breaking a hip from standing too long. From the looks of it, you're barely hanging on by a vein."

She gasped loudly.

"Why you little..."

I yawned cutting her off before she could throw out her insults. With a sigh, I groaned loudly as my conscience caught up with me for teasing her about her weight. That wasn't nice.

"Yeah let's forget I said that. Scrub your ears with bleach okay? No one heard that anyway. Just stuff a few donuts in you and you'll live for a few more days. You'll thank me later. Not that there's anything wrong with being skinny but you don't look too healthy. Okay that probably sounds bad but just eat some more. Nothing wrong with a little weight you know. But then again there's nothing wrong with you either. Well I mean, some meat on your bones..." I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose as her face looked dumbfounded and obviously offended.

"Yeah let's stop this show right here.  Now peace out."

I waddled to where Peter was miserably flirting with a little girl about his age leaving Margaret still with a dumfounded look on her face. I sighed.

That was the best apology in my books. I wasn't one for apologies but she had to appreciate the effort. It was all in the charm whatever that meant.

"Okay Casanova. Time to hit the curb. Wrap it up with your little lady. My knees and my butt can't handle anymore."

He blushed so much it took me off guard. I knew that white people turned red when they were embarrassed or something but I had never seen them actually up close. I was concerned for a bit until I realised the little girl was responding quite alarmingly the same way. Here I am with two infact looking ready to combust. Not on my watch.

"Yeah I am not doing this with you today. You kids better turn it off or something before I turn you over to the zoo around the corner."

They stared at me for a few seconds before they simultaneously burst out laughing. At least that worked.

"Your sister is really funny."

Wait a minute. I opened my mouth to tell her I wasn't his sister when Peter took my hand looking up at me with a small shy smile.

"Yes she is."

I rolled my eyes. Kids.

*********

Okay as it turns out my heart might have lurched out of my throat with all the cuteness the kids exhibited so I had been inclined to treat ourselves to more ice cream. And like the terrible adult that I was I let him choose the most ridiculous flavour combination as much as he wanted.

Then after that, I bought him hotdogs and chips at the footstalls at the mall. Then after we bought pies as well, enough for the whole family. The two of us were so stuffed we slumped over the little chairs in front of the pie stall laughing our heads off. My phone had long since turned off so I didn't know what time it was.

"My stomach hurts so much I don't think I'll be able to go to school tomorrow."

I snorted at the poorly made excuse.

"Yeah nice try kid."

He frowned folding his arms in his chest.

"I'm not a kid. Why do you love calling me that? Mila is a kid. Not me. I'm older now."

"You still have a long way to go before that kid. Enjoy the time you still have. Trust me this udulting thing isn't what it's cut out for. I wish I were your age because all this being older and grown just isn't cutting it anymore."

He seemed confused.

"So you hate being an adult?"

"Yeah. I skipped all that being a kid and stuff. I had to grow up quickly."

He seemed genuinely confused now which made him look adorable.

"Does that mean you skipped being young and woke up older?"

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing uncontrollably. Wiping fake tears in my eyes, I patted him on his shoulder before ruffling his hair.

"And you say I'm the funny one. Who knew you had jokes tucked away in there. But to answer your question no. It would have been more nicer had it actually happened the way you're suggesting. I didn't get a chance to do what kids your age did. I was never given the opportunity to most of the times. It's hard to enjoy the little things like being a child when you had to worry about having a home."

He continued to frown but somehow I had never felt more understood.

"Like learning how to skate!"

I smiled.

"Yes. Like learning how to skate. I never had anyone teach me all of those things."

He nodded then acted like he was deep in thought.

"Then I'll teach you everything you didn't learn when you were little. That way you can both be little and an adult at the same time. A little adult!"

Then he proceeded to give me the sweetest and warmest smile anyone had ever given me. I ruffled his hair before pinching his cheeks.

"You are by far the smartest and most adorably innocent thing I've ever come across."

He grinned before looking outraged.

"I'm not a thing and boys aren't adorable!"

By the time we got to the house it was way later than I had assumed it was. Peter was chatting it up the whole way and only seemed to quieten down a little as we pulled into the house. Shouting could be heard as we neared the door.

"We're home!"

Peter shouted and distraught faces turned to face us all at once. It was eerily quiet as they continued to gape at us and it must have become too much because he swiftly shrunk back into his reserved shell. Isabel looked from me to her son her tear stained face bursting out into more tears as she came over and grabbed Peter from my grasp.

"Where the hell have you been huh? Do you have any idea what mum has been through because of you?!" Ashely screamed at me and I narrowed my eyes answering him.

"We went to the mall..."

"The mall?! How dare you disappear with my baby brother without telling any of us?"

"Okay son calm down. Give her a chance to explain. I'm sure Laynie has a reasonable explanation as to why she didn't inform us about this." Brian said trying to be the peacemaker.

"Lanaya and yeah. Like I was saying...."

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anyway? Have you eaten anything?"

Now hold on a second.

I narrowed my eyes at Isabel who kept running her hands all over a squirming Peter who was clearly uncomfortable by the look on his face.

"What do you mean by hurt? He was with me. Do you think I'll hurt him on purpose or what?"

She turned to glance at me for a few seconds before looking away without saying a word.

"Wow."

I'm not sure why but for some reason that really stung a little bit. I was disappointed at her. Not that it ever mattered.

"We don't know you or your background. We don't know your history and what you're capable of."

"Now hang on a second Ashely. You're going way too far. And we don't think you'll intentionally hurt the kids kiddo." Brian scolded a fuming Ashely. I folded my arms glaring at him.

"No let him finish what he started. You clearly have something to say. Go ahead say it. We both know you don't like me."

"Don't tell me what to do! And yes I don't like you. I don't exactly hide it!"

I was shaking with rage especially when he was all up in my face.

"I'd back up if I were you otherwise I'll knock your face out." He chuckled dryly.

"I'll like to see you try."

He seethed.

"Will you two just stop it. We're already worried as it is. You're scaring Peter."

"He started it!" I started to say but the disappointed look on Isabel's face was the last straw.

"Honey I don't think..." Brian started but I was already so done.

"Fine! It's not like I care anyway!"

I grabbed the paper bags I hadn't realised were even on the floor. I was shaking with rage and I turned to see an even more shaking Peter cowering away to the corner.

Was he... scared of... Me?

"Here. You'll have a field day with these. Enjoy they're all yours." I placed them on the table talking to no one in particular.

Then I stormed to my room with even more rage.

*********

I'm terrible at updating this story and I'm not even sure why half the time. A whole month and a half!

25 May 2024

Okay so everything above was finished writing at that date.

24 June 2024

Another month until I published it. Damn!