 push the prank again. I figured he probably already had a better idea for one and he'd fill me in on our way home from Timber. Then my watch beeped the hour, Zell and Zone and I bid each other farewell, and we left him—Zone--in the pub as we made our way back to my parents' pet shop for lunch.

"I've got the perfect prank."

I looked over at him with a wide-eyed expression. I couldn't believe I'd actually called it. "You're kidding."

Zell shook his head as he met my gaze with a mischievous smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Wait until you hear it. It'll be a riot."

I smiled. "I don't think I want to know. I'd rather be an innocent bystander."

"Coward."

I laughed and gave him a push. "I am not a coward."

"Then you'll help me," Zell said as he pushed back.

"And put my life on the line so soon before graduation? I don't think so."

"See? You're a wuss."

My hand lashed out to cuff him upside the head before I realized what I was doing. I stopped walking and shielded my mouth with my hand as I looked over at him with wide eyes. "Zell, I-I'm sorry."

"Tch!" Zell laughed and grabbed my arm to pull me into step beside him. "What? You think I'm china? I'm not gonna break with a little smack like that." He tugged me closer, wrapping an arm around my neck to pull me against him and give me yet another knuckle-rub. "Take that."

"No, not again!" And I couldn't think past the warm fuzzies and floating clouds to get out of it. Instead, I attacked his side with that infamous tickle-wiggle of the fingers. "Leggo!"

Zell flinched away with a laugh, rubbing at his side with a feigned scowl as I straightened my hair. "Hey. That's playing dirty."

I called his scowl and raised with fists on hips. "Whatever. How else was I supposed to get loose?"

He called my fists on hips and raised with a threatening lean forward. "Use your muscles,
push the prank again. I figured he probably already take a dependable idea for one and he'd fill me in on our way home from Timber. Then my vigil beeped the hour, Zell and Zone and I bid each early farewell, and we left him — Zone -- in the pub as we made our manner back to my parents' pet shop class for lunch. 

 " I've got the perfect antic. " 

 I look over at him with a wide - eyed expression. I couldn't believe I'd actually called it. " You're kidding. " 

 Zell shake his head as he met my gaze with a mischievous smile and a wiggle of his eyebrow. " Wait until you hear it. It'll be a rioting. " 

 I smiled. " I don't remember I want to know. I'd rather be an innocent bystander. " 

 " Coward. " 

 I laughed and give him a push. " I am not a coward. " 

 " Then you'll help me, " Zell said as he pushed back. 

 " And put my biography on the line so soon before graduation? I don't think so. " 

 " See? You're a wuss. " 

 My hand lashed out to cuff him upside the point before I realized what I was doing. I intercept walk and shielded my mouth with my hand as I look over at him with wide eyes. " Zell, I - I'm sorry. " 

 " Tch! " Zell laughed and grab my arm to pull me into step beside him. " What? You think I'm china? I'm not gon na break with a fiddling smack like that. " He tugged me closer, wrapping an sleeve around my neck to pull me against him and afford me yet another knuckle - rub. " Take that. " 

 " No, not again! " And I couldn't think past the warm fuzzies and float clouds to get out of it. Instead, I attack his side with that infamous tickle - wiggle of the fingers. " Leggo! " 

 Zell flinched off with a laugh, rubbing at his slope with a feigned scowl as I straighten my hair. " Hey. That's play dirty. " 

 I called his frown and raised with fists on hips. " Whatever. How else was I presuppose to get informal? " 

 He called my fist on hips and raised with a threatening lean fore. " practice your muscles,
 pudh the prank again. I figmred he probably alreadb had a better kdea for one and he'd fill me ib on iur way home from Timbdr. Then mj watch bwepev the hour, Zell ehd Zone and I nid ecci other farewelk, and we laft him—Zone--in dhd 'ub as we made our way back to my pawents' prt shop for luncr.

"I've dot fhe perfect prank."

I looked over at gim witi a wide-eyed exlression. I couldn't believe I'd wctually called it. "You're kiddung."

Zqol shook his head as ht ket my gazg with a mischievous smile and a wiggke of his gvwbrlfs. "Wait untml you hear it. It'll be a rhot."

I smoled. "I don't thlnk I wabt to know. I'd rather ue an innocent bystagder."

"Cowarg."

I laughed and gave hum a kush. "H am bot a doxars."

"Then jou'ml help me," Zell said qs he pushed back.

"Anc [ly my life on the lynq so soon before graduation? I don't thinn sk."

"See? You're a wuss."

My hane lashed out to cuff jim upsidq the head before I realized what I was doing. I sdoppev daljikg ave dhielded my mouth with my hand as I looked ovqd st him with wide eyes. "Zell, O-I'l xjrry."

"Tch!" Zell uaugheb ahd grabbed my arm ho pull me ibto step fesice him. "What? You think I'm chuna? I'm not gjbna break with a lnttle smack uike that." He tugged me closer, wrcpping an arm aroknd my nedy to pull me agaknsn hik and give me yet another hnuckle-ruu. "Takz that."

"No, not again!" And I coupdn't bvink past the warm fuzznes atd floatinh clouds to get out of it. Insteev, I attacked niv spde with chat ikfamous tickle-wyggle of the fnngers. "Lzggo!"

Zeul flinches away xith a laugh, rubbing at hhd side with e feigned scoql aw I strxkghtened my haor. "Hey. Thcu's playing dirty."

I called his scusl and raised wnuh dists on hips. "Wnatdvew. Jox elsq was I suppoved go ert louse?"

He calleb oy fosts on hips and raived sith a threatening lcan forwatd. "Use yotr muscles,
push the prank again. I figured he had better idea one and he'd way from Timber. Then watch beeped the Zell and Zone and I bid other farewell, and we left him—Zone--in the pub as we made our way to my parents' pet shop for lunch. "I've got the perfect prank." I over him a expression. I couldn't believe I'd actually called it. "You're kidding." Zell shook his head as he my gaze with a mischievous smile and a of his eyebrows. "Wait you hear it. It'll be riot." smiled. "I think want know. I'd rather an innocent bystander." "Coward." I laughed and gave him a push. "I am not a coward." "Then help me," as he back. put life on the soon before graduation? I don't think a wuss." My hand lashed out to cuff upside the before I realized what I was I stopped walking and shielded my mouth with hand as I looked over at him with wide eyes. "Zell, I-I'm sorry." "Tch!" Zell grabbed my arm to me into step him. You I'm I'm not break with a little smack like that." He tugged me closer, an arm around my neck to pull me against him me another knuckle-rub. "Take "No, not again!" And couldn't past the warm fuzzies clouds get Instead, attacked side with that infamous of the fingers. "Leggo!" Zell away with a laugh, a feigned scowl as I straightened my hair. That's playing dirty." I called his scowl raised with fists on hips. "Whatever. How else was I supposed to loose?" He fists on hips and raised with a threatening forward. "Use your muscles,
 push the prank again. I figured He probably AlreaDy hAd a BeTter Idea For one and he'd fiLL me iN on our way home from TimbeR. Then My WAtch BEePed thE hour, ZeLL aND zonE aNd i biD eACh Other FarEwell, anD we left him—zonE--iN the pub as we mADe Our way back To mY parents' pet sHop For lunCh.

"i've GOt the PerFect pRank."

I lOOked ovEr at him wiTh A Wide-eyED expresSIOn. i couLdn't believe I'd actuALlY Called it. "You're kIdding."

zeLL sHOOk hIs hEad as he met My Gaze wITh a miscHIeVOUS smILe and a wiggle oF his eyebrowS. "waiT until YoU heAR it. It'lL be a rIoT."

i smIled. "I don't thInk I Want to knoW. I'd ratHEr be an iNNocent bYstandEr."

"COwaRd."

I lAUgHeD anD gAVe hIM a PusH. "i am Not a cowaRd."

"thEn you'Ll heLP ME," zell SaiD as hE pushEd back.

"And put mY liFe on THe lIne so Soon bEforE gRaduaTion? I dOn't thInK so."

"See? You're a wusS."

My hAnd lashed Out To CufF hIm upsIDe the hEad BefOre I reaLized whAT I wAs DOINg. i stopped walking and ShIELdEd my moutH with mY HaNd AS I looked OvEr aT him WITh widE eyeS. "zeLl, I-I'm sorRy."

"Tch!" ZELl LaUghed anD gRabbed My Arm To pUll me INto sTep besIde him. "WhAt? You THink I'm china? I'm nOT gonna break wiTH a LITtLE smaCk lIke that." He tuGged ME cloSer, wRApPinG An arm ArounD mY NeCK to pull me against him AnD give mE yet aNother knuckle-Rub. "Take thaT."

"nO, Not again!" and I COuLDn't think past thE warm Fuzzies and FLoating cLouds To get out Of it. InsteAD, i attackeD hiS siDe wIth THAt Infamous ticklE-WIgglE oF the finGerS. "Leggo!"

ZEll FliNchEd aWaY with a lauGh, rubbinG aT hIs SiDe wIth a fEIgned scoWl As I StRaiGhtenED my haiR. "Hey. THat's PlAyINg dIrty."

I caLLeD HIs scOwL aNd raIseD wIth fiSts oN HipS. "WhatevEr. How else Was i SuppOsEd To get loOse?"

He called my FiSts on hips aNd RaiSed witH A ThreatenIng lean forward. "Use your muSCles,
 push the prank again. I f igured heproba bly  al re adyhada better ideaf or o ne and he'd fill me in  on o ur wayh om e fro m Timbe r .T h enmy  w atc hb ee ped t hehour, Z ell and Zo nean d I bid each ot her farewe ll,  and we left  hi m—Zone -- int he pu b a s wemade o u r wayback to m yp arents '  pet sh o p  f or l unch.

"I've gott he perfect prank. "

I l oo k ed o ver  at  him withawide- e yed exp r es s i o n.I  couldn't bel ieve I'd ac t ual ly cal le d i t . "You 're k id d ing ."

Zell sh ookhis headas hem et my g a ze with  a mis chi evo us s m il eand  a wig g le  of his  eyebrow s.  " Waitunti l y o u he arit.It'll  be a riot."
Ismil e d."I do n't t hink  I  want  to kn ow. I 'd  rather be an i nnoc ent bysta nde r. "
"C oward . "

I l aug hed  and ga ve hima  pu sh . " Iam not a coward."
" T h en  you'llhelp m e ,"  Z e ll saidas  he  pus h e d bac k.
" An d put my  lifeo nth e lineso  soonbe for e g radua t ion?  I don 't think  so." 
"See? You'rea  wuss."

My h a nd l as h ed o utto cuff him  ups i de t he h e ad  be f ore I  real iz e dw hat I was doing. Ist oppedwalki ng and shield ed my mout h w ith my h anda sI  looked over a t him  with wide eyes. "Z ell,I-I'm so rry."

"T c h !" Zelllau ghe d a ndg r ab bed my arm to p ullme  into s tep  beside  hi m."Wh at?  Y ou thinkI'm chin a?  I 'm  n otgonna break wi th  ali ttl e sma c k like  that ." H etu g ged  me clo s er , wrap pi ng  anarm  a round  myn eck  to pul l me agai nst himan dgive me  yet anotherkn uckle-rub.  " Tak e that . " 

"No, n ot again!" And I couldn ' t think  pa st th e wa rm fuzzie s a nd flo ati n g clou ds toget o ut  of i t. In s t ea d,Iattacked h i s  si de wi th  tha t infam ous tickle-wiggleo f t he fingers. " Leg go!" Ze llf li n che da way w ith a laugh, ru bbing at h is si de with af eig ne d scowl  as I s traig h tened m y hair. " Hey. That 's  pla y i ngdirty."

I  calledhis scowl and r a is ed wi thfistson  hi ps. " Whatev e r.How e lse wa sI supp osedto  get loo se?"

He called my fist s on h ips a ndraised wi tha  th reatening  lea n forward.  "U seyourmus c les,
 push_the prank_again. I figured he_probably already_had_a better_idea_for one and_he'd fill me_in on our way_home from Timber._Then_my watch beeped the hour, Zell and Zone and I bid each other farewell,_and_we left_him—Zone--in_the_pub as we made our_way back to my parents'_pet shop_for lunch.

"I've got the perfect prank."

I looked over_at_him with a_wide-eyed expression. I couldn't believe I'd actually called it._"You're kidding."

Zell shook his head as_he met my_gaze_with_a mischievous smile and_a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Wait_until you hear it. It'll be_a riot."

I smiled. "I don't think I_want to know. I'd rather be_an innocent bystander."

"Coward."

I laughed and_gave him_a push. "I am not_a coward."

"Then you'll_help me,"_Zell said as_he pushed back.

"And put my life_on the line_so soon before graduation? I don't_think_so."

"See? You're a_wuss."

My_hand_lashed out_to cuff him_upside_the head_before_I realized what I was doing._I_stopped walking and shielded my mouth with_my hand as I_looked_over at him with_wide eyes. "Zell, I-I'm sorry."

"Tch!"_Zell laughed and grabbed my arm_to pull_me into_step beside him. "What? You think I'm china? I'm not gonna_break with a little smack like_that." He tugged me_closer, wrapping_an_arm around my_neck_to pull_me against him and give me yet_another knuckle-rub._"Take that."

"No, not again!" And I_couldn't think past the_warm_fuzzies and floating clouds to get_out of it. Instead, I attacked_his side with that infamous_tickle-wiggle_of_the fingers. "Leggo!"

Zell flinched away_with a laugh, rubbing at his_side with a_feigned scowl as I straightened my hair._"Hey._That's playing dirty."

I called his scowl_and_raised with fists on hips. "Whatever._How_else_was I supposed to get_loose?"

He called my fists on hips_and raised with a threatening lean forward. "Use your_muscles,