Since the Beginning

Almost summer

Spring has been here for a while and I enjoy walking my dogs on the beach. We take the long route. Nature is absolutely beautiful. And then I get a text. From Reagan again. I almost don't wanna read it because she just updates me on her and James. But this time...
STELLA. Sheila's at Jon's house and he needs your help. I know he does even if he didn't tell you. GO!!!

I pause. Hmm. I decide to follow. I run back. But I don't stop at my house. I go on to the next house. I knock at the back door and Joanna opens the door. "Hello, Stella. Come on in. You can let the dogs go find Julie." She's like my second mother. And she knows me well. She studies me for a minute and says "I'm guessing you're here cuz of Sheila." She says in a quiet voice. I nod watching my dogs run down the hallway and up into Julie's room. "Well, we don't exactly want her to be here, knowing her reputation and all, but we have to be hospitable. She's trying to get Jon to "hang out." She says walking me to the living room and putting quotation marks on the "hangout" part. "We wanna make an excuse, but we don't know what." She says with a sigh.

"You really don't want her to be friends with Jon, huh?" I ask with a little smile. She smiles back. "Not that we don't want her to, she's just a bad influence. Not only to Jon, but to you too." She says motioning for me to sit down. We sit down and think. "Doesn't Julie always ask for her big brother Jon to play with her? Maybe they could go to the park today because he has to keep his promise as a big brother." I say looking at her. She nods with a thoughtful look on her face. "Okay. I'll tell him. You tell Julie. She's gonna be really happy." We get up and walk different ways. I hear conversations going on in the study. That must be where Jon and Sheila are. I sure hope he's okay.

But I don't stop to eavesdrop. I walk up the stairs and knock on Julie's door. "Julie?"
"Stella? You can come in." I open the door and see her playing with Ash and Comet. Comet has newly brushed fur while Ash is eating a dog biscuit. "You sure do know how to take care of dogs." I say with a smile. She nods happily. Ever since she could walk, Julie loved dogs. And since our families our friends and we have dogs, she comes over and usually helps wash them and play with them. Now that she's in 2nd grade, she doesn't come over that much, but she still helps out. And a good thing is, she knows their gender and treats them that way. Some girls like putting bows on boy dogs. But this little girl puts bows only on Comet. "What do you wanna talk about?" She asks looking up at me. "Well, remember how you love to go to the park with Jon? He's gonna take you today." I say. Her face lights up. She's so adorable. "Okay. Is it because he doesn't like Sheila?" She asks whispering into my ear. I laugh and nod. She smiles. "Okay, then." She says standing up. "I don't like her too." She whispers. "Let's go!" She marches out of the room with the dogs following. We get down the stairs and hear the others going into the living room. "Julie? Don't say I'm here. I'll wait at the stairs. Pass through the front door when you guys go out. K?" I tell her. She nods and gives me a hand salute. I salute her too and walk back up the stairs, listen, and wait.

"Sorry, Sheila. Gotta go to the park with my sissie today." Jon says. "But, Jon! Please? Pretty please? I promise you'll have fun with us. There are boys there too you know." Sheila says with her sweet, innocent, plastic voice. Okay, too far? Sorry. "But Jon! You promised me." Julie says with her little acting voice too. She starts crying. Well, she's on the verge of crying. "Sorry, Sheila. Family's more important." He says. "Ugh. Fine. Next time then." She says in her normal, menacing voice. She marches out the door, gets in her car, and drives away. I go down the stairs and see them all smiling. Jon gives me a thumbs up and I return it. "Come on. Let's go!" Julie says. They walk hand in hand with the dogs still following and approach me. "Can you come with us?" Julie asks me. I laugh. "Okay." "Yay!" Jon opens the door, and I leash my dogs. Then we all walk out onto the sidewalk.

"I'm so glad it's almost summer." Jon says looking straight ahead. "And why's that?" I ask. "Well, first of all, Sheila won't get to bother me as much." He says with a happy tone. "Correction. Since there would be no more school, you wouldn't be as busy, and so she could ask you to hang out with her more." "You're making me feel so much better, Aster." Julie and I laugh. "Well, at least you still have football practice on Mondays to Thursdays." Julie says with a shrug. He tussels her hair and she smacks his hand away. "Yes. I'm thankful for football," he says getting his swag walk on. Julie and I laugh again. Even harder as he tries to look cool walking on the sidewalk.

We get nearer to the neighborhood park and see more trees in bloom. "I really like the pretty flowers." Julie says. I smile. She takes my hand and motions for me to lean down with the other. I crouch and she whispers "do you like Jon?" I smile. "Don't ask that while he's here." I whisper back. She giggles. "Okay. May I walk the dogs?" I laugh. This girl is absolutely adorable. Jon stopped ahead of us noticing we've stopped. "Sure." I say standing up and handing the leash to her. She gives a little triumphant shout and walks up to Jon with the dogs. I walk behind them enjoying the view. And I agree with Jon. I can't wait till we graduate. It's almost summer.

--- i hope you stay with me till the end because I have a lot of plans for this story. It may be a bit cliché at first, but I plan to make it unique later on. Thanks guys:) ---