Based on the story 'Someday'
“This is entirely your fault.”
“Mine?” Twelve-year-old Mike Larabee stared at eleven-year-old Samantha Tanner, known to her familiars as simply Sam, with his youthful face struck with incredulity. “How is it my fault?”
“I told you to let me handle it,” Sam said firmly, arms crossed, trying to get comfortable in the hard-wooden chairs she and Mike were forced to sit in while they waited for their parents, outside the office of Mrs Sanchez in the schoolhouse.
“I can fight my own battles!” Mike snapped, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “I could have handled those jerks.”
“Was this before or after that Jess Conklin knocked you on your butt?” She said impatiently. “There was four of them!”
“I was handling it!” Mike grumbled. Of course, it was hard to argue when his clothes were covered in dirt and he was sporting an ugly bruise under his cheek. Meanwhile, Sam who appeared dishevelled, with dirt on her coveralls, was unhurt, except for her scraped knuckles.
“Oh how, by giving them the Larabee glare? For your information, that only works if you’re six feet tall, carry a Peacemaker and wear a duster! Without that, it’s just plain annoying!”
The movement behind the door made them both fall silent, and two teens said nothing for a moment. Mike frowned with annoyance and folded his arms, stewing in humiliation. He was never going to live this down. Ever. Chris Larabee’s son, being saved by a girl!
“You didn’t have to save me,” Mike glared at her and saw her roll her eyes, proving most plainly the Larabee glare took time to cultivate and he was nowhere able to wield its powers just yet.
“Of course, I had to save you!” Sam threw her hands up in exasperation. “If I didn’t, every time you decide to show off in front of Elena Rose, you’d get killed.”
“This has nothing to do with Ellie!” Mike turned beet red.
“Oh, so when four of the Conklin boys decide to take her lunch bucket, the smart thing to do instead of getting the rest of us, is to fight the halfwits on your own?”
“I could have taken them!”
Sam swatted him on the back of the head. “Idjit.”
“OW!” Mike swore. “Quit it Sam!”
Sam threw him a smirk. Mike was like her brother if the laws of the universe decide to give her one that didn’t know any of the useful things in life, which Sam considered to be every bit of knowledge in Vin Tanner’s head, and some of her mother's. Mike was a thinker. If you needed a plan, Mike was the one who thought it up. Like that time, they turned a raft into a pirate ship and sailed across the creek, pretending to be Blackbeard the Pirate and his crew. He could hold his own in a fight, but not when the odds were against him and unfortunately, he had more courage than brains sometimes.
Except when Elena Rose Wilmington was in the picture, then he became dumb like all boys.
“Where did you learn to fight like that anyway?” Mike had to ask. Considering that two of the Conklin boys were presently in Dr Jackson’s clinic, getting a broken nose and split lip being seen too between them, Mike had to say Sam was impressive. Then again, he wasn’t surprised that she could fight. She could ride better than any of their group, throw a slingshot better and spit further too.
“It’s because of my mom,” Sam shrugged.
“Your mom taught you how to fight like that?”
“The woman who needs me to kill bugs for her?” Sam snorted. “No, I go with her to the railway sometimes, where the Chinese workers are. She goes there for her doctoring. Anyhow, they do these exercises, which is sort of like fighting. It's real interesting how they move. They know places to hit, especially since they’re smaller than white folk.”
“It must have worked,” Mike had to admit. “I don’t think Jesse Conklin is going to mess with us anytime soon.”
“See?” Sam said with a smug smile. “That’s what happens when I watch your back. God only knows what mess you’ll get up to without me.”
“Trying to impress a girl, with another girl sticking up for you doesn’t quite work.” Mike pointed out.
“Neither does getting pounded on,” Sam stared at Mike. “Face it, Mikey, I’m always going to be there to watch your back.”
“Don’t call me Mikey,” Mike replied and then added just to get his own back. “What happens when you start to wear dresses and like boys?”
“I barely like you,” she gave him a look and jabbed him in the ribs. “Nope, no boys for me. I’m going to be Columbus.”
Mike blinked. “Columbus?”
“Yep, I’m going to travel the world, see jungle Indians in the Amazon, track elephants in Africa and drink tea in China. I’m going to be an explorer.”
“What about getting married? Having a family?” Mike stared at her seriously because he could really picture her doing this. She had never been like other girls. Of course, that’s what made her so amazing. She did things her own way and didn’t care much for what people thought.
“Ewww,” she made a face. “I’m not going to be stuck in some kitchen, raising children like Dulcie the Cow!”
Peter was not going to like that, Mike thought secretly. The son of Ezra Standish had the biggest crush on Sam, which was known to just about everyone, except Sam.
Deciding it was worth his life to get one up on her, Mike said with a smirk. “Peter will be disappointed... OW! Sammy, that hurts!”
***********
Around the corner, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner, who had been summoned by Audrey King Sanchez, the schoolmistress of the Four Corners School, listened to the conversation between the two children. Both men had been in the jailhouse, when the school teacher, unable to locate either Alex who was on house calls and Mary, who was presently in Bitter Creek, picking up printing supplies, found them and demanded their presence to deal with their wayward offspring.
“And I thought having boys was tough...” Chris smirked.
“Aw shut up Larabee.”
THE END