• "Mommy, can I go play at Mimi's house?" Benny, with his big, boyish blue eyes, looked up at his mother with high anticipation. She nodded and kissed his forehead

    " Be back in time for dinner Benny!" He pushed the screen door with his little hands and ran down the porch steps across to Mimi's house. Of course, you'd think a boy of that age would still believe girls had cooties. Not Benny. He padded across the pavement of Mimi's old driveway and to the front door.
    He knocked on the white front door and plopped down on the top brick step. Mimi opened the door and quietly shut it behind her. She skipped over to where Benny was and seated herself next to him. She smoothed her bright green sundress over her knees so it wasn't too short.
    "Hi Benny. What do you wanna play today?" He shrugged at her. Mimi thought for a moment, then hopped up from the step. She jumped down the other stairs and huddled behind the little white shed near the backyard. She returned with 2 plastic squirt guns. She handed the blue one to Benny and kept the purple one for herself.
    "Lets go fill them up!" She grabbed Benny's arm and pulled him along with her to the garden hose. She only had it half filled when she heard their voices.
    "Awww, look. It's Benny and Mimi! How cute, not!" The squeaky voice of Marie Pembleton rung out over every other noise. Mimi turned her head to find Marie, in one of her baby pink dresses, with the rest of the mean girls from school. They always picked on Mimi for hanging out with Benny. Mimi thought it was because the girls actually liked Benny.
    "Mimi and Benny, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" The rest of the girls chimed in with Marie. Mimi turned to look at Benny who had a crazy look in his eyes. He ripped the purple squirt gun from Mimi's hands and pointed it at the girls. In the snap of a finger, the girls were being sprayed with cold water. Marie used the other girls for shields, and after a few minutes, they all ran home soaked.
    Benny turned back to Mimi and gave her the water gun back. They played with water guns for a long time until each other's clothes were see through. They dried off in Mimi's over-sized bathroom and went into the backyard.
    Over in the right corner was a little patio with a big white swing. It had checkered green cushioning and a umbrella top for shade. Mimi and Benny sat down close to each other and rocked the swing a little bit. Mimi sat with her elbows on her legs and her face in her hands.
    "Benny, would you kiss me if I asked?" Benny never got time to answer before her lips had kissed his.

    Partial of Chapter 1