Skylar crouched near the edge of a pond, watching a frog sitting on a nearby log.
Emily was perched on a nearby bench, shaking her folded cane in her hand. Chin resting on her bent knees, her toes dangled over the edge of the bench. She whistled occasionally, and then Skylar would hear birds whistle.
Skylar chewed the inside of their lip as the buzz of a fly went past their ear. Skylar waved the fly towards the frog. Its eyes moved ever so slightly.
The loud music from Emily's cellphone startled the frog, who splashed into the pond. Skylar's shoulders slumped as they turned towards their human companion.
“Hi mom.” Her voice was hoarse. Emily coughed into the crook of her elbow. “I’m fine. Just a frog in my throat.”
Skylar poked and prodded their neck, frowning before glancing over their shoulder. The frog they had been watching was sitting still in the water at the moment, eyes unblinking.
“I’m at the pond behind the school.” The retractable cane clicked as Emily expanded it. “I’m with Skylar. Say hi to my mom Skylar.”
“Hi Emily’s mom!” Skylar faced Emily who was holding their phone out, at least until after Skylar said hi.
“See.” The phone was up against Emily’s ear again. “I’m fine.”
Skylar could still hear the buzzing of the fly. Squinting, they could follow the path of the insect.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon.”
After three big steps through the long grass, Skylar cupped their hands around the fly. Little legs scurried across their skin, and the wings fluttered inside the small space.
“All right mom. Don’t have a heart attack. We’ll be leaving now.”
Crouching at the edge of the pond, Skylar eyed the frog. Leaning to the tips of their toes, they held their hands above the still clear water. Bird calls obscured Emily’s goodbye to her mother.
As the cane swished through the grass, Skylar flung the fly towards the frog. The eyes widened, the mouth cracked open, and the pink tongue flashed out. The disorientated fly was caught, crushed by the frog’s jaw before the ripples in the pond approached the shores.
“Cool.”
“What?”
“A frog catching a fly.”
“Nice. Ready?”
“Yeah.” Skylar wiped their hands on their shorts and stood up. “Oh, did you get that frog out?”
“What?” Emily held out her arm and Skylar looped theirs through. “Get the frog out of… wait.” Emily chuckled. “The frog in my throat? That’s an idiom. I had some phlegm in my throat that was uncomfortable.”
“Did it also make your voice sound weird?”
“Yeah.”
“Makes sense. So, what’s the rush?”
“Mom would rather us be home before it gets dark. And I just don’t feel up to arguing with her.” Skylar kicked a stone and it rolled down the path, leaving little dust clouds behind it. “Besides, it’s about to get buggy, and I’d rather not be eaten alive by mosquitoes.” Skylar laughed and agreed wholeheartedly.
Word count: 495
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