I Challenge You

"Why'd ya drag meh to da middle of nowhere for no reason," Mo questions.

"Shut up, we are almost there. And it'll be worth it. Like your favorite book. The elephant and piggy one. I think it's called Waiting is Not Easy?"

Mo flushes beet red. He's awake now. "Shuddup Victoria. I liked that when I was 5."

"When I went into your room, 5 minutes ago, there was a Waiting is Not Easy paper book, hard copy, and that exact book 5 in different languages. Also, your face says otherwise," I taunt.

This just makes him blush harder "Shuddup, or my fist might just slip, and land on your face." He mimes his fist falling onto my face, his fist actually stopping an inch from my face.

I bat his hand away. "Yeah, and I might trip you into the lake, then keep you under until you beg."

"I know you. Your to weak to do that. You would change your mind right before you do it."

"I would do it," I tell him. "You're the softie here."

He scrunched up his face. "Am not."

"Are too. Anyway, we're here."

We are at the top of Graze Hill. The sun peaks over the horizon, tinting the sky with fabulous colors.

"Wow. . ." Mo breathes. "It's amazing."

"Just like in Waiting is Not Easy."

He shoves my shoulder. "And just like that, the moment's gone."

I make my face innocent. "What moment?"

"The one where you were actually being nice."

I put a shocked face on. "I am nice!"

"No way are YOU nice. Me? Definitely."

I scoff. "I dare you to a set of challenges that prove which of us is the best."

"Dare on."

"Yesss!!" I spit onto my hand and stick it out.

Mo is instantly disgusted. I raise my eyebrows. "Fine!?" He spits a little on my hand, then puts his hand in mine, keeping my saliva as far away from his hand as he can. But I rub it in.

The second I let go, he wipes his hand on his PJ tops.

"Softie. That was then the first challenge. And you just lost."

His eyes bulge out. His face looks like a tomato. "BUT YOU DIDN'T SAY START!!!!!!!!!"

I inspect my turquoise nails. "I never said we began when I said start. It started the second you agreed.

"UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" His scream echoes throughout the land. "I HATE YOU VICTORIA!!!!"

I look up innocently. "Well, you could always forfeit."

Mo is fuming. His jaw clenches "What's the next challenge," he says slowly.

My eyes light up. "Wrestling!"

I jump on him, and he stumbles back. Wrapping my legs around him, I lean forward and push my feet out, so I land on my hands, and bring my legs over my body, slamming him to the ground.

"You could've hurt me, " He whines.

"But I didn't. I did it in a complex way so that you don't get hurt."

"But you take Kung Fu, and I don't!"

I squint at him. "I don't take Kung Fu. I take Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, and Karate."

"There's no difference."

"Well, anyway, you're going to win the next challenge."

He gets up. "What's the next challenge?"

"Whoever makes the best breakfast."

"Awesome, I will win."

"But first race, it's a challenge."

He groans. "Fine."

"3. 2-"

Mo takes off at 2. "Hey no cheating!"

"I wasn't cheating," Mo calls back. "I'm bending the rules. You do it all the time."

I don't have a comeback for this. I dart forward, catching up with him quickly.

"You've been practicing," I compliment him.

"Thanks, I was waiting for the moment when you would challenge me."

We are tied now. "Well, you haven't practiced enough."

I shoot forward, surpassing him quickly.

"Yeah, well this is not all I've got." He shoots forward, but collapses on his knees, gasping for breath after 12 seconds of high-speed running.

"You just ran out of endurance, you got to practice that," I shout from the door to my house. Mo's house is a meter away, so it's fair.

 I dart inside and grab the egg carton cracking 3 eggs into a bowl, then sticking it into the microwave. I grab 3 frozen waffles, sticking them into the toaster oven, and the microwave beeps.

I pull the eggs out of the microwave and put them on the counter to let it cool. I then search the cabinets for the big plate, before remembering we used it for dinner yesterday.

I open the dirty stuff drawer, and take out the dirty plate, rinsing it under the kitchen sink. While the plate is getting cleaned, I stick a plate of frozen apple and chicken sausages into the microwave. The toaster oven beeps, and I take out the slightly burnt waffles.

I take the plate out of the sink and plop the eggs onto it, along with the waffles. The microwave beeps again, and I throw the sausages onto the plate.

I race outside with my plate and set it on the picnic table.

I wait for a while. Finally, Mo comes outside with a fancy plate filled with pancakes dripping with maple syrup, and another fancy one covered in crispy bacon.

He looks at my breakfast and smiles. "I'm going to win. Do you want to go first or last?"

"First."

"Alrighty." He pulls my plate toward him. And his eyes widen. "This plate is dirty!"

"No, it isn't. I washed it myself."

"Whatever," he says, and he nibbles the top waffle, his face scrunching up. "Is this a frozen waffle?"

"Yup." He shakes his head, then moves on to the eggs, scraping the top. 

"You didn't even mix the eggs!" I shrug, and he moves on to the sausages.

"These are definitely freezer burnt. Now, on to mine."

His pancakes are golden brown, and syrup drips off them. I take the top one and carefully bite it.

I sigh. "Ih dis wah even the lie," I ask, my mouth stuffed with the pancake. (I meant to say "Is this what heaven tastes like?")

Mo beams. "Now you have to try the bacon."

I pick up a piece and stuff it into my mouth. "This is the bacon you've ever made."

"I know, right? And I won."

I sigh. "Fine you, won. But it's still three-to-one, I'm in the lead."

"What's the next challenge," he questions.

I grin. "You have to draw the best self-portrait."

"Noooooo!!!!!!" Mo is horrible at drawing. And I won the best drawer award for 4 years straight.

"We get five minutes, starting when I say go. Ready? Set. Go!"

***

When we finally finish all but one of the challenges, the score is 7-7. The last one is the tie-breaker.

"The last challenge is you have to find the most beautiful thing in nature, that is close to your house."

We both know where we are going to go. "Now."

We both dart to Lake Fish.

When we get there, Mo puts on a pair of goggles and dives in. He's going for the underwater life.

I lay down on the grass, watching the moon reflecting on the lake.

Mo splashes to the surface.

"So who won," Mo asks.

"It's a tie," I tell him.

"Then can I play in the lake for a little bit longer?"

"Sure, but don't go out too far."

"You're not my mom," he grumbles, before diving back under the water.

And for that moment, everything is peaceful, and my only companion is the moon.