by: Sarah Stodola
TWO MONTHS LATER…
“Good mornin’, good mornin’, good mornin’!”
Luke groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. The covers were swept off and away, and the pillow forcibly snatched. Bo bent down, blond hair even more tousled than normal, and grinned.
“Good mornin’!” he repeated. “Get up!” When his older cousin only mumbled something indistinguishable, Bo jumped onto the bed on hands and knees and bounced it. Then he sat back, hands on his hips. “C’mon, Luke,” he complained. “Get up.”
Finally the dark-haired Duke yawned and sat up, blinking. “What time is it?”
“Seven.”
“Too early.” He fell back down on his back. Hah, Bo grinned a bit to himself. Only too early if you’d stayed out late Friday night, like they had. But Bo wasn’t tired, and he had seen the twinkle in his cousin’s eyes that meant he was willing to play. He pounced, tickling the sleepy older boy. Luke yelped and pushed away, falling with a resounding thud onto the floor. He sat up, eyeing Bo.
The younger boy quivered with excitement, tensing in preparation for a chase. Luke was gonna move… now! He leapt away and ran out of the room, his older cousin close behind.
“Come back here, you assassin!” But the words were laughing, playful. Bo ran out in the living room and for the front door. He didn’t quite make it; Luke grabbed him around the middle, lifting him up and away, tossing him onto the couch. “Say you’re sorry.”
“No!” He howled in laughter as his cousin tickled him in revenge. They both fell onto the floor, rolling around and laughing, then Bo managed to squirm out of Luke’s reach and scramble up to run into the kitchen and out that door. He turned halfway out in the yard to see Luke leaning on the doorway. He grinned happily, knowing that nobody was around to make fun of him for being childish. “Lukas!” he shouted.
“You crazy kid!” Luke was only pretending to be angry, he knew.
The younger Duke was feeling fine and cocky today. Ever since he’d found out just how he wasn’t quite normal, he’d really felt a bit better about himself, strange as that sounded. And what with finally getting his license and all, he and Luke had become quite the fast-driving, dashing young pair. It was fun to be looked at and known for something besides being ‘the little kid’, and to be well-liked. He and Luke enjoyed chasing Sheriff Rosco, and being chased for their habitual speeding, and had even struck a deal with Enos to be chased by the deputy as well as long as it was never serious. The General’s speed had not only won them several races already, but also had made two very successful moonshine runs for a friend, Jerry Hosiah, who was willing to pay top-dollar to the boys who could not be caught. Money was no longer their biggest problem.
Life was good and dandy for the Duke boys. The sun was shining warmly against the deep, autumn-blue sky, and the animals were feeling as joyous as he was, Caesar bounding his powerful gray bulk like a colt along the fence and kicking up a spray of colorful leaves. He could hear a car racing down the road a short distance away, making him think that maybe they might just head out with the General today. He glanced over briefly to look at the racer. The General Lee sat proudly alone in the front yard, his bright colors seeming to fit well with those of the fall morning. That old gray pickup had left for the junkyard some time ago.
Yeah. They’d challenge someone to a race today, or go on a picnic. Invite Anna, and maybe young Lisa Forrester too. She’d been watching him lately, and it had been mutual… She wasn’t the only cute girl in the county who gave him a second glance once in a while. He’d been giving a few second glances himself. Bo was almost enjoying school this year.
But all that would come again later. Weekends, like right now, it was just him and Luke. Behind the somewhat wild kid he was having fun becoming known as, he was still the little boy deep inside, and wasn’t one bit ashamed of it. Bo turned toward the barn, knowing that his cousin would soon be hot on his heels despite both of them being only half-dressed, and started running.
“Lukas! Catch me!”
END