traded my life [TWD]

『28』

"I think you both lied," Carl informs.

"Huh?" I ask.

He twists the pole around. "There's no frogs here."

"We've been coming here for years," I dismiss. "There's frogs. Maybe your stinky, little face scared them all away."

"No! Your stinky face scared them away!" Carl argues in defiance.

I climb down the rocks and stick my tongue out at Carl which he mimics.

Shane scoffs at the playfulness between Carl and me and trudges deeper into the water.

"Maybe instead of frog legs, we can have Carl legs for dinner," I offer.

"My legs help me walk, you can't take them!" Carl argues.

"I say we use the old 'bombs away' method, what do you think?" Shane asks me.

I smile at the nostalgia and playfully glare at Carl. "I don't know.. who's to say this little guy is tough enough?"

"I'm tough!" Carl cries.

I tsk and make a face at Shane who smiles. 

"What's the 'bombs away' method?" Carl wonders, twirling the net around.

"It's like people. A big bomb goes off and everybody runs," I explain. "And Shane is the bomb."

"What are we, then?"

I hum. I hadn't thought about that. "We're the helpers coming to save everyone."

"Except we're gonna eat the frogs instead of save 'em," Shane points out the flaw in my analogy.

"Then, they will be saving us," I reiterate.

--

"Nice to see you joining the women in doing the hard labor," Jacqui comments as I walk over.

"Oh, shit. Are we on our feminist rage?" I wonder, trying to air dry my hair between my fingers. "Are we plotting to kill a man? Uma Thurman style? Who are we killing? I vote Merle when he comes back."

"Jacqui is gonna file a complaint because the women do the heavy lifting while the boys play," Amy explains.

I look over at where Shane and Carl were still playing in the water. I frown a bit.

"I get it. I do," I relate. "But, you gotta see it from Shane's side, too."

"Seems like stuff is working out for him," Andrea says under her breath.

I wring my wet hair out and sit down beside Carol. "Aces."

"Not trying to sound like a stereotypical 'angry black lady', but.." Jacqui sighs. "Sure feels like the work division scale is tilted against us."

"Well, not to sound like the stereotypical 'docile Asian lady' but, everyone is going through it. We just gotta help where we're able to," I say.

Jacqui chuckles at my twist on her words and playfully slaps my shoulder.

"Not to sound like the stereotypical 'privileged white lady', but I sure miss my MayTag," Carol plays on the words as well.

"God, I miss my Benz," Andrea adds. "The sat nav."

I twiddle my thumbs.

"I miss my coffee maker with that dual drip filter and built in grinder, honey," Jacqui says, wistfully and dreamy.

"My computer," Amy decides. "Texting."

I wasn't sure if I should add on, though Carol looked at me, expecting my own declaration.