Not Having Fun

048

This story has been read in like, 35 countries! That's insane.

I'm going to stay over at Gregory's house! His house is cool, and it has cool doors that open like automatic doors. When I get there, he's on the trampoline in the back garden. "What're you doing?"

"What's it look like?"

I cross my arms. "Alright,"

He jumps off it. I can jump off my trampoline too but it's kind of scary. "Help me move this okay?"

"Okay," it's easier to move than I thought, and we drag the trampoline over to his shed and sit it right against it. Then I climb onto the trampoline. "Won't we jump into the shed?"

Gregory grins. "Nope. Watch this," he disappears behind the shed.

Behind the shed is a thin but really tall tree! Suddenly I look up and Gregory is tangled in the top of it!

"Are you okay?!" I ask panicked.

"Yes!" He hisses. "Shut up, someone'll hear you!"

He climbs onto the roof of the shed. "Watch this!"

And he jumps off the roof onto he trampoline!

"Wow!" I run over. "Oh my god, that's brilliant! Is it scary?"

"Only if you're a pussy, are you a pussy eh?"

"What does that mean?" I ask, confused.

"Ugh, it means you're a afraidy-cat!"

"I'm not afraid!" I'm not! Not at all... I climb up the tree and get on the roof. I'm scared into going to fall in! Gregory joins me, and it feels like it's creaking with both of us on it. Please don't fall in...

We sit on the edge and look down. "Can I jump from here first?"

He smirks but he doesn't seem so surprised. "Yeah, go on,"

So I push myself off the edge and land on the trampoline. That wasn't so scary! And I get a funny feeling in my tummy. Like excitement but more.

"That's so cool!"

Gregory stands up and jumps down. "Yeah, do it properly this time!"

"O-Okay..."

We climb back up and I stand on the edge this time. This feels a lot higher. My legs shake. I'm not steady! Sitting felt a lot more comfortable. "I don't think-"

Gregory pushes me off onto he trampoline.

"AAAAAH!" I fall onto it and breathe a lot, still really scared. It's like my tummy flipped upside down. I feel sick.

"See? It's not hard,"

"Y-Yeah,"

We keep climbing up and jumping off onto the trampoline. I can get higher in the tree after a while. I wish I could just chill there. Or sit on the shed and play a board game. What a fun place to play a board game. But Gregory just wants to jump.

"Let's stand up and jump at the same time!"

"Won't we get all tangled?" Never to be untangled!

"Don't be such a baby," we climb up the tree again. Just as we do, Dad parks outside Gregory's driveway. We stop and he gets out the car.

"Be careful up that tree boys!"

"We are being careful!" I tell him.

"Hm, if you were being careful you wouldn't be up there," he crosses his arms. "I'll go in and see your mum Gregory, and then it's time to go Max,"

"Okay," he goes inside.

"One last jump, at the same time!"

"A-Alright," at least it's the last jump.

"Three, two...one..."

We jump together and land on the trampoline down. But I think Gregory is heavier than me, because I get thrown right off the trampoline and onto the grass!

Luckily it didn't hurt. But unluckily, Gregory's mum's kitchen faces out onto the shed and Dad saw the whole thing.

"Max!" He strides over, still with the mug in his hand. "I told you to be careful! You could've fallen in, and imagine you'd landed on your arm when you fell off the trampoline!"

My body goes all tense and I look down. "I'm sorry,"

"Come on, we're going home," he grabs my arm and drags me to the car. He even leaves his mug of tea on Gregory's trampoline!

The drive home is silent. When we get home, I'm sent to my room and I get my jammies on. I don't have anything to do and don't feel like playing, so I get in bed until Dad comes in.

"Oh Max, you don't have to be in bed until I get here,"

I shrug and come out. Dad sits beside me in bed. "There are so many things that could've gone wrong. And so many decisions you made that you could have said no to!"

"But Gregory-"

"If Gregory told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"

"No," I don't know what that means.

"You don't do reckless things just because people tell you. I thought you knew that!"

I just look down.

"Right, let's get this over with and you can come down to watch a film," Dad pats his lap.

I climb over and feel him tug down my pyjama pants. I hate being smacked bare!

"A good smack should help you learn. I can't believe you did that today!"

SMACK!

"Ow!" Dad lands a hard one in my bum.

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!

I kick my legs and start to cry. I'm only glad I'm not getting the slipper. Or worse the wooden spoon!

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!

"Aha-ow!" I kick my legs more.

SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!

"Have you learned your lesson young man?"

"Y-Yeah!"

SMACK!

"Owie!"

Dad stands me up and yanks my jammies back up. That feels like being smacked all over again!

"Right, let's go down and watch a film," he wipes my tears. "Let me guess, Aladdin?"

I smile a little bit. "Yeah!"

Dad picks me up and carries me downstairs.