Young Writers Society

Pippa shrugged, "I like to think of myself as average."

"Trust me Pippa, you're not average at all. You're an exciting breed all your own."

She ignored his response and looked at a gate, "where does that lead?"

"To the Marina."

"Open water?" she looked astonished.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "Its kinda cool, some people like to take the boats out there they gotta pay extra for that."

"People willingly go out there?"

He nodded, "THe reason they pay extra is because more people have accidents out there." He shrugge,d "They don't watch out for boaters, or boaters don't watch out for them."

"That's not good." She replied.

"No, it's not. But people do what they want, we can't say much about that." He shrugged. "So, tell me a little about yourself Pippa."

"I told you all there is to know, there isn't much to my life but my dad and the horses. And my step family, but I don't like to count them."

"THat's gotta stink, having a step mom and all."

"Your parents still together?"

"Ya, I"ve never seen two happier people." He smiled. "It's nice."

Pippa envied him, "Do you always think like that?"

"Unless I'm in trouble."

"How often is that?"

"Hardly ever."

Pippa smiled, at least he knew what he had and appreciated it. They continued to paddle in silence. It was a comfortable silence, the only strain was the actual need to speak.

"Tell me about you," she suggested, "what's going on inside Colt's head?"

Colt shrugged, "I'm trying to figure out how you don't have a boyfriend, and from what I've seen and heard you never had. Your an amazing girl, sweet, beautiful, amazing." He said looking her in the eyes.

"Your the only one that thinks that." She shrugged.

"No, I'm not, trust me." He smiled.

"I think your just sayin that."

"Well if I am do I lose charming points?"

She giggled slightly, good, he was easing her. "So are you up for it?" she asked.

"Up for what?" he questioned.

"Paintball."

He grinned, she knew how to have fun. "Very up for it."

Pippa smiled and nodded. "Alright, have you been to Paintball Extreme before?" She smiled. He nodded.

"A ton!" He laughed. "I'm gonna whoop you SO bad though." He smiled.

"We'll see about that, I congure on the course." She challeneged back. "You'll just have to get over losing for once."

The paintball getup they had in town wasn't one with guns. Just balloons sort of filled with paint.

They were pretty evenly matched, Colt was fast and agile from his football games and could dodge or catch whatever she threw at him. She couldn't catch as well but she was twice as agile.

"Dude! How can you do that?" he asked when she dove behind a

Pippa grinned and threw one at him hitting him in the chest. "I work with mustangs, I have to get out of the way some how." She smiled hising behind another board. "I think we're even on shots now." She laughed.

"That wasn't a fair shot though!" He protested hinding as she threw another ballon at him. "You missed!" He hollered. SHe snuck around the boards until she was behind him. SHe snuck up behind him and popped it over his head.

"No I didn't." She laughed.

He grinned and took one and tried to smash it over hers but she ducked out of the way.

"Ha!" she giggled and threw another one at him.

Prepared for this he grabbed two and threw them at her, both staining her white smock.

"Gotcha," he grinned.

"Oh now that's not fair."

"What do you mean it's not fair?" He laughed. She clutched two ballons in her hands behind her back.

"Well, two at a time?" She said throwing them at him then running behind a stand clutching her last ballon in her hands.

"HEY!" He yelled. She laughed and watched for him wiping a little paint off her face as she waited. She frowned, she probably jsut got more on her face from her hands.

Colt carefully snuck over to the side where she was perched. He saw her face and couldn't help but laugh, and in the process let go of his last balloon, it exploded on the ground.

"I got more paint on my face didn't I?"

He chuckled.

"Oh well," she smiled and got up prepaired to fire. He took off running around dodging her aim. Finally he came up behind her, grabbed her around the middle and pulled her down onto the pile of hay. She fell giggling onto his side.

Suddenly Colt felt very uneasy and guilty about it all. They shouldn't be taking advantage of her like that.

Pippa laughed and rolled over smiling at him. "Maybe you and Brent aren't so horrible motivated." She laughed. HIs face dropped a little, but she was to happy to notice. She wiped some paint of his face making sure shsmeared more on his face.

"Why?" He asked. "Why aren't you supicious of me any more?"

"I couldn't have this much fun." She smiled.

*Grr*

He frowned, "why not?"

She shrugged, "I always get in trouble whenever I'm enjoying myself."

"I won't let you get in trouble then."

She chuckled, "you can't really do that."

He couldn't resist the urge to kiss her cheek, "I'll do my best."

Pippa felt her cheeks flame up. She fiddled in her pockets finding another balloon. She smashed it on his head and smiled. "maybe you aer up to something." She laughed.

"Like what?" He smiled.

"Hmmm," She smiled, "I don't know, just something." She laughed.


*Grr*

Colt laughed, "like trying to kiss you?"

The blush deepened, "I doubt that."

He lowered his mouth a little more, wasn't he supposed to be playing fair...? HE couldn't remember. He was going to kiss her, he wanted to. "Oh really?"

She didn't look so confident.

So he took advantage and kissed her. Not a good kiss, it was his first after all.