"You okay?" Mary-Ann asked me, crouching down, her wet hair dripping water onto my legs.

I jerked away, shoving her away with my feet. "Mary-Ann!"

"Sorry," she laughed, sitting down beside me as an ocean wave crashed onto the beach. "But why aren't you doing anything?"

"No reason."

She gave me a pointed look. "Is it because of Race To Witch Mountain?"

I stared at her. "What?"

"I saw you search it up when you were on the phone," she said. "And let me guess...someone from that movie arrived at ComplexDisney today."

I sighed before nodding. "Two, actually. Both Seth and Sara."

Mary-Ann laughed uncomfortably at my words and I grinned. When she was younger, she had a crush on Seth's character. Personally, I didn't understand why because he was pretty distant and wouldn't accept help easily. But he was cute. Mary-Ann probably thought so too. "I'm sure you're going to use their help then?"

"How did you know?" I asked, dumbfounded. "That's crazy!"

"I'm psychic." I blinked at her and she coughed, grinning widely. "Also, your cellphone was on speaker."

"What?" I exclaimed, shoving her into the sand. "You didn't tell me!"

She burst into laughter, shoving me back as she brushed sand off of her arms. I laughed along with her and turned back to the ocean. The water looked welcoming, the white foam disappearing slowly, only to be recreated as another wave crashed onto the sand. Mary-Ann wrung out her dark hair. "You're not going to get in at all?"

"I don't know."

"Well, if you don't get in the water, I'll bring the water to you," she threatened, rising to her feet and picking up the large green bucket she had brought.

"Don't you dare," I warned, but when she just smiled and raced toward the ocean, I jumped to my feet and broke into a run away from her. "No!" I didn't look back as I ran. "No!"

"Gianna!" I hesitantly slowed to a stop and turned to look back at her, my toes sinking into the warm sand. Mary-Ann was lugging the bucket after me, the water sloshing over the sides and drenching her legs. "That's cheating! You need to get wet."

"Not in that way!" I said, still taking baby steps backward to keep a fair distance between us.

She opened her mouth to speak. I expected a sassy remark but all I got was, "Gianna, there's someone coming our way."

I quickly jerked around, paranoia kicking in. A figure was headed in our direction. The beach was empty when we had gotten there. I guess someone else had decided to come down, as well? Nevertheless, I backed up, not wanting Mary-Ann and I to be separated when they reached us. All that had been going on had gotten me to a point where any little thing could be part of the destructive Disney crisis.

I didn't even notice that I was beside Mary-Ann until a surge of cold liquid ran down my head, drenching my hair and soaking into my clothes. I gasped, leaping away. "Mary-Ann!"

She doubled over laughing as she dropped the bucket. "Sorry, but it was too perfect!"

I glared at her, shoving her into the sand. Satisfaction blossomed inside of me at the sight of the sand sticking to her skin and hair as she sprawled out to catch her fall. Squinting into the sun, the figure had gotten extremely close. As a cloud blocked the sun out, I found that I was meeting his eyes. He approached us slowly, glancing us up and down, his mouth quirking into a smile at the sight of Mary-Ann in the sand.

"Hi," I said. "Enjoying your walk?"

"Very much so." He paused. "Enjoying your...fun?"

"Yes." Mary-Ann rose to her feet and tried to brush herself down. She glared at me. She was probably mad that she wasn't very presentable for such a cute guy. But he was too old for her. She was only fourteen.

"What's your name?" Mary-Ann asked, still brushing at clumps of sand on her bathing suit. Leave it to her to befriend anybody. "I'm Mary-Ann."

The guy smiled. "Kellen. Nice to meet you."

I narrowed my eyes, looking between him and my sister who were holding eye contact too long for my liking. I snapped my finger, drawing his attention to me. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Yup. Too old. However, Mary Ann seemed pleased by his reply and this made me scowl as she cleared her throat. "Do you live nearby?"

"Yeah, just down the beach, actually," he said. I retaliated as I recognized the slightest hint of an Irish accent in his voice. It was intriguing.

I looked between the two of them again and scowled even harder. Mary-Ann and I were going to have a talk. He was cute, yes, but too old for her. I studied his black hair that was more on the curly side. Some thin locks hung over his forehead, complimenting his pasty skin. The few freckles across his nose only enhanced his green eyes and angular face.

"I'm Gianna," I said, holding my hand out to shake his. "I'm Mary-Ann's older sister."

"Nice to meet you." His grip was firm. He was strong. He could kidnap my sister with his strength. I frowned.

Mary-Ann elbowed me and I winced, jabbing her back. We glared at each other as Kellen shifted awkwardly. His green eyes looked past us down the beach before meeting our gazes. "I should be on my way, then. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You want to hang out with us?" Mary-Ann asked.

"Oh, we're too busy, Mary-Ann," I said, giving her a pointed look. "I have to give you a talk, remember?" By the look on her face, I could tell she sensed a lecture coming.

She turned to Kellen, looking almost desperate. "Please, stay!"

Kellen laughed softly. "Um...I don't know you. Sorry."

"Then get to know us!" Mary-Ann begged, putting her hand out to stop him. He was completely baffled as my sister and I used looks to communicate silently. I wanted him to leave. He was too suspicious.

"Is...something wrong?" he asked.

"Nope," I quickly said. "We're good. Bye."

"Uh, bye?" He gave us a curious look before continuing down the beach.

Mary-Ann glared at me as he disappeares around a corner. "You're so annoying, Gianna!"

"He's just a stranger taking a stroll. It's not like I embarrassed you in front of your friends."

"No, you embarrassed me in front of a boy, which is even worse."

"It's not like you're going to see him again."

"No thanks to you." Mary-Ann stormed away toward the towels laid out on the sand. I stared at her before quickly following.

"You're only fourteen!"

"So?"

"And you just met him!"

"Well, you just met Zeke! And you two were googly-eyed toward each other from day one!"

I gaped at her, my mouth partway open as she plopped down onto the towel. "We are not-"

"Oh, don't say it," she huffed. "Don't you dare say it. That is one of the most overused lines in history. You two are into each other! Why can't I at least just be friends with a guy?"

"You can be!"

"No, I can't! You seem to think that any guy I talk to is potentially a wannabe future boyfriend!"

"Well, that one was," I mumbled.

Mary-Ann glared at me again. "I'm not too young to make my own decisions, Gianna."

I sighed, sitting beside her. She didn't look at me as she stared out at the ocean. I pursed my lips. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess my overprotective big sister side kicked in. I shouldn't have done that. From now on...I'll be nice to guys you talk to."

"And you'll switch the overprotective mode off?" she asks coldly.

I nodded. "Yes."

She smiled slightly. "Good."

I smiled, too, but one thing stuck inside of my mind like a leech. Mary-Ann thinks Zeke's into me?

•~•~•~•

This was quite fun to write because I'm an older sister to seven sisters and three brothers. I definitely know protectiveness. ;)