Lucy and Zac were back up in the tree house -- unfortunately, Amelia was with them as well. Amelia stuck to Zac like glue, and followed him around everywhere. When Lucy and Zac had announced they would play a card game of war, hinting to Amelia that she wasn't wanted around; instead of taking the hint, Amelia just invited herself to play the game as well, and climbed up the Hanson tree house before Lucy or Zac could protest. Now they were stuck playing with Amelia.......for now.
Lucy sighed, as she pulled out a card from the small stack of cards in her right hand, and tossed the card down on the floorboards in front of them. It was a four of spades.
Zac pulled out a card with his left hand, and dropped it down in front of them as well. It was a ten of diamonds.
Amelia eagerly took out a card with her right hand from her own pile of cards, and placed it down in front of them. It was a queen of hearts.
Amelia smirked. "Yay! I get to take all the cards," she said proudly, as she slid the three cards over towards her.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Whoopee," she said sarcastically.
Amelia ignored Lucy. She smiled at Zac, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
"If you had taken out a king, you would have gotten to take all the cards," she said in a sickly sweet voice, as she continued to gaze at him lovingly.
Zac rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, whatever," he mumbled.
Amelia smiled. "But don't worry -- you'll always be my king." She gazed adoringly at Zac.
Lucy thought she was going to be sick with disgust. She covered her mouth to try to stifle her gagging noises.
Zac eyed Lucy out of the corner of his eye, before shaking his head. "All right, well, just take out another card," he told Amelia with a sigh.
Amelia sat up straighter. "Surely, Zachary! Anything for you!"
Zac rolled his eyes again and Lucy grimaced, while Amelia pulled put a card from her pile, and brought it down on the floorboards. It was an ace of diamonds.
"Your turn. Go," Amelia stated coldly to Lucy.
Lucy took out a card from her own stack, and tossed it down. It was a eight of clubs.
Amelia smiled sweetly at Zac. "Zachary, your turn," she said in a nicer tone of voice than she said to Lucy.
Zac removed a card, and slowly dropped it down on the floorboards. Everyone leaned forward to peer at the card's suit.
Zac's face fell. Oh no, he thought grimly. It can't be. His card was........an ace of clubs.
Amelia sat up, looking alarmed. "Ohmigosh! We have to go to war!!" she shrieked worriedly. She looked over at Zac; a puppy-dog expression on her face. "But I could never go to war with my Zachary; I could never fight with you."
Lucy rolled her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Oh, come on! Give me a break!" she snapped. "It's just a game, for crying out loud! Just do it and get it over with already, will ya??!?!"
Amelia glared at Lucy. "You shouldn't be talking." Her eyes narrowed. "After all, you're losing."
Lucy was seething. She gave Amelia a look that could kill. She started climbing to her feet.
"Why, I outta........" Lucy growled, as she started to advance towards Amelia.
"I'm winning so far," Amelia bragged haughtily. "And you're not." She sneered; completely oblivious to Lucy's rage.
"You wanna say that again??!" Lucy demanded crossly, as she began moving towards Amelia.
Amelia raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. "Why, certainly. Did you not hear me the first time? Well, fine; you're los--"
"Hey guys, just cool it, okay?" Zac cut in quickly; trying to be peacemaker before a cat fight broke out. "Just......come on; let's just continue with the game, all right??"
Amelia pouted. "Well........okay, Zachary, but I really don't want to go to war with you. I could never go to war with my sweet babboo...."
"Wanna go to war with me?" Lucy challenged evenly.
"Hey, hey, hey......just......uh, let's just get this war over with, Amelia," Zac said nervously. "Come on."
Amelia smiled and nodded. "Okay, Zachary; whatever you want." She beamed at him. "Anything you want."
Lucy made a face. "Moron," she said in between coughs.
Zac glanced at Lucy, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "Okay, come on, Amelia; let's go. Ready?"
"Yep!" Amelia answered cheerfully.
"Okay." Zac gave Amelia a pointed look. "Start.......now."
With that, Zac and Amelia both began taking out cards, and putting them down on the floorboards. They chanted the war declaration as they did so.
"I.....de-clare........WAR!!" Zac yelled, as he slammed down his fourth card face-up on the floorboards.
Amelia frowned a little. "Well, I don't really........."
"Will you shut up??!??" Lucy demanded irritably, looking annoyed.
Amelia glared at Lucy. "Well, I really don't want to go to war with my Zachary!" she shot back.
"Hey, look here," Zac said suddenly. He gestured down to the last cards he and Amelia had put face-up on the ground.
The three of them leaned forward to get a better look at the last cards placed down. Zac's card was an ace of spades, while Amelia's card was only a ten of hearts.
"Whaddaya know; I win," Zac said triumphantly. He grinned, as he began scooping up all the cards into his card pile.
Lucy snickered. "Ha ha, you lost! You suck," she jeered at Amelia.
Amelia gave Lucy a cold look. "Well, I don't mind if Zachary starts catching up to me," she retorted. "After all, he is my sweet babboo and all; he deserves to get something."
Lucy grimaced. "Are you for real??" She stared at Amelia in disbelief; looking at her disgustedly.
Amelia frowned again. "What are you talking about; of course I'm for real. I love my Zachary Walker Hanson. Do you have a problem with that???!" She gave Lucy a pointed look.
Lucy scowled. "As a matter of fact, quite frankly, I do. To be perfectly blunt--"
"Hey, take it easy, you guys," Zac interjected quickly. "No need to get all worked up about this. It's just a game."
Lucy scowled. "Well, why don't you tell your little friend over here that?? Cause she doesn't seem to be aware of that little fact." She wrinkled her nose. "Then again, she doesn't seem to be living in reality. She's a total space cadet."
"I'm not a space cadet!" Amelia shot back. She glowered at Lucy.
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She made a face. "You seriously need a reality check. Get a clue already."
"Hey. Guys, didn't you hear anything I just said??" Zac demanded. "Just cool it already, okay?"
Lucy crossed her arms. "Well, fine!!" she said huffily.
Amelia gazed at Zac adoringly. "Awwwww........Zachary, you're so sweet to try to stop our fighting and try to make us get along. That's just like you; always thinking of others." She cocked her head to one side, and smiled brightly at him. "Well, I'm happy for you all the same, Zachary. If I can't win, then at least I want you to claim the victory," she said merrily.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Give me a break."
Amelia let out an annoyed sigh, and turned to Lucy. "Why don't you--"
"Why don't I what???!?" Lucy demanded.
Amelia frowned. "Why don't you go--"
"Come on; spit it out already!" Lucy challenged. "Speak up!"
Amelia glared at Lucy. "You don't tell me what to do."
"Oh? Well, what are you gonna do about it?? Huh??!" Lucy mocked.
Amelia blinked in surprise. She hesitated a little. "I, err...."
"C'mon, say it!" Lucy ordered.
Amelia pursed her lips together tightly. "Don't push me," she warned.
"I'll do whatever I darn well please," Lucy replied crossly. "You wanna fight??!?"
"If I have to, then why not?" Amelia replied coldly.
"Well, fine then!" Lucy exclaimed. She threw down her stack of cards. "You want some of this??" She smacked the palm of her left hand against her chest.
"I can take you," Amelia retorted, dropping her cards as well. "You don't scare me."
"Well, fine! Just swell! Let the games begin!" Lucy declared. She began punching her left fist into the palm of her right hand.
"That's fine with me!" Amelia snapped.
"Well, good! Just dandy!!" Lucy glowered at Amelia. "Come on, bring it!!"
"Uhh, guys, I hate to interrupt, but--" Zac began.
"Then don't!!" Amelia snapped, not taking her eyes off of Lucy. "This is between me and Miss Feisty over here!"
"Well, bring it on, then!!" Lucy yelled.
Zac looked taken back a little. "Well, umm, guys, just....whoa, uh, chill out, all right? Man, just cut it out. Knock it off, okay? We don't want this to get messy."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "We don't?"
Zac gave her a warning look. "No, we really don't." He looked at her seriously. "If my mom finds out you guys are fighting, she'll make you go straight home," he told Lucy. "Not to mention call your mom, and tell her what happened. We'd get in big trouble."
Lucy sighed. "Oh, yeah; you're right. I didn't think of that." She sulked.
Zac turned to Amelia. "And your grandmother will be anything but pleased if she found out you were fighting with someone," he reminded her.
Amelia moped, looking dejected. "I guess you're right, Zachary," she admitted reluctantly.
Zac smiled. "There. Ya see? It's much better now this way." He looked from Lucy to Amelia. "Why can't we all just get along?"
"Why should we," Lucy muttered under her breath.
Just then, Jessica climbed up, and poked her head into the doorframe of the tree house. She looked at them curiously.
Zac let out an annoyed sigh. "Jessica, what do you want? Go away."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Well, there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one!" she commented mordantly.
Jessica stuck out her chin. "Mom says that lunch is ready. She told me to go tell you that."
"Oh. Well, okay; you've delivered your message. Now get lost," Zac ordered.
Jessica made a face at Zac. "Nyah." She stuck out her tongue at him, before turning away, and climbing back down the ladder; disappearing out of sight.
Zac sighed again. "Man, she is such a pain."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. I have to put up with seven siblings myself!"
"Well, I'm an only child," Amelia said smugly. "I live with my nana. Just me and my nana." She sat back, looking pleased.
Lucy gave her a weird look. "Well, good for you," she said sarcastically. "Whoop-dee-do-da-day." Man, I feel sorry for her grandmother, she thought.
Zac looked at Lucy. "Well, whaddaya say; wanna get something to eat now?"
"Okay!" Lucy agreed eagerly. She jumped up to her feet.
"I'd love to, Zachary. That's so sweet of you to ask. I'm starved," Amelia said shyly, gazing at Zac.
Lucy frowned. "Huh?? Who asked you??!? No one invited you to come along." She gave Amelia a dirty look.
Amelia stuck out her tongue at Lucy. "Well, I don't care what you say. I'm sure Zachary wants me to stay. He's my sweet babboo."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh, no. Not this again," she muttered.
"At least Zachary wants me to stay," Amelia said haughtily to Lucy.
Zac's eyes narrowed. Umm, no; actually I really don't, he thought. But he didn't have the heart to say it to Amelia's face.........not yet, anyway.
=/\^/\= Chapter 17 =/\^/\=
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