Blue Hellion

The bobber did its job in floating above the creek's water. He held the fishing rood's reel with his thumb and forefinger and sat there on the shore just before the water. The sun shined above him, but did nothing to deter him. It didn't burn his skin, and it made a decent atmosphere for him as he sat and watched the water ripple with life underneath its visible level. The cars made their noise above him as they passed along the bridge, once in a while he would hear a car horn in the distance. Satan City was buzzing that morning, but he would have no part in it. He was content where he was.

Meru kicked himself for forgetting his headphones so that he could listen to music, but he didn't feel like going all the way home to get them. He reeled in the line once more and then cast it out a little farther into the creek. He sighed, and wondered when those damn fish were going to bite. Then he wondered how tough those fish were, if he would even feel when they tugged on his line. Maybe he would find that legendary golden fish that people talk about, the one that grants wishes or whatever the case may be. He brushed his red hair out of his face, and scratched his cheek a little as he gazed at the bobber with intent. That was until he looked over at the grassy incline behind him. There were a few trees and bushes around him, all of them surrounding a sidewalk.

???: HYAAAAAA!!! [A figure jumped out from behind a tree and performed a flying kick straight for Meru]

Meru: Hey Nia [Said while he looked back at his fishing rod.]

Nia: Eh?!?! [Landed beside him gracefully.] How could you possibly hear me coming?! I performed my stealth tactics to a T! There's no way!

Meru: [Shrugged.] I guess that makes you less of a fighter.

Nia: Gah!! So cruel! Why are you out here anyway? I've never seen you fish before.

Meru: Seemed like something to do, I suppose. Haven't caught anything yet.

Nia: [Looked into his water bucket to see no fish at all.] I can see that. What are you using as bait?

Meru: Bait?

Nia: Eh?! You're not using bait?! That's like the first thing you should have learned when you start fishing!

Meru: I don't fish. So why should I know that?

Nia: I've never fished a day in my life and I know that sort of thing!

Meru: Well, I guess next time I'll bring goldfish food.

Nia: They don't eat goldfish food! They eat worms!

Meru: Oh... [Looked around him at the shore.]

Nia: Wait, aren't you supposed to be working? It's half past noon.

Meru: I'm off today. [Kept looking at the ground.]

Nia: Come on, Meru, I know you get bored easily, but doing random stuff is not always the answer. You could have told me and I would totally play a board game with you, or something. I could even do something constructive, like teach you how to fight! There's a million things to do out there. Fishing is something you usually do when you actually enjoy it, and I can already tell you'd rather be snowboarding or someth--- what are you doing?

Meru was digging a hole in the middle of the shore's mud with his right hand, while his left held the fishing pole.

Nia: Are you seriously looking for worms?!

Meru: Maybe...

Nia: This is ridiculous! I think you purposely do this to get attention!

Meru: Is it working?

Nia: Well, I'm obviously here talking to you, but that's not the point! You've been at this for three hours and... [Looked at Meru pull up a worm from the hole.] Whoa, you actually found one?

Meru: Yeah [Started putting it on his line.] So you were saying something about doing stuff and construction paper?

Nia glared at him, for a moment she started thinking that she was talking to a stump, or maybe that talking to a stump would be a better use of her time. She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes in frustration. Last week she found him trying to learn how to play a blow-bottle. Before that, she found him writing complicated physics equations on a sheet of paper, but instead of solving them he colored in all of the holes and made it into a house with a family of stick-figures and a dog, all drawn with a black crayon.

Nia: Look, Meru, I just worry about you sometimes, I worry that you aren't happy with how life has turned out for you. You just have to realize that you're only fifteen years old, we've barely even started on...

Meru: [Held up a large catfish on the end of his line.] I got one...

Nia: OH COME ON!!!!

Meru walked into the apartment with his fishing rod, his tackle box and his water bucket, which held five fish, all of them crammed into there, barely able to move with how little room there was to swim. He carried it all into that tiny apartment, being careful not to knock his fishing gear into any of the walls, and being as quiet as a mouse so that his sister could sleep. She laid in a queen size bed to the left of the entry way. He walked straight to the small kitchen area that connected to it. It was a small 5x10 space on the other side of the studio apartment. It only took eight small steps to cross the room, and those eight steps marked the living room. He was careful not to knock his tackle box on the small television set as he crossed it. He put away his fishing gear in the closet that was on the other side of the bed, and made it to the kitchen so that he could get a large filleting knife from a drawer, and he took the fish back out back toward the door.

Jana: How'd you do? [She said in a very tired voice, causing him to cringe.]

Meru: I didn't mean to wake you.

Jana: Hehe, it's fine, Meru, I've been asleep for five hours.

Meru: You were awake for seventy-two.

Jana: Yeah, well, I chose the nursing life, so I can't really complain.

Meru: Not that it's ever stopped you. [Opened the door and placed the bucket out onto the walkway outside of their apartment, and pulled a folding chair outside to sit on.]

Jana: So, how did you do? [She brushed her long, blue hair out of her face and sat up in bed. Her red skin was rather pale that afternoon.]

Meru: Not bad for my first time. We'll eat pretty well for the rest of the week if I can save the fish for that long. [Started cutting the fish, trying to stay in the line so that he got the good portion of the meat.]

Jana: Yeah, but hey, tonight we're going to Dax's show at the Planetoid Lab. I heard there's a good amount of food.

Meru: Oh? Well, it's nice to know I'm gutting these fish for nothing.

Jana: Come on, Meru, don't be like that. We can eat some of them tomorrow. I told him I'd be there.

Meru: He's only after your boobs.

Jana: [Laid back in bed.] I know, but it's nice getting gifts from one of the most brilliant minds in the world. It's supposed to be a real eye-opener.

Meru: I don't approve of your methods, but he did send us some good burgers last week. So I'll leave it alone for now, but you need to stop fishing him along.

Jana: Oh, quit being such a worry-wart, I'm supposed to be the responsible one.

Meru: Just don't blame me when he goes off the deepend.

There was a long pause as he continued to slice the fish open and gut them. She soon slid out of bed, her very long sweatshirt covering her up down to her knees, though it sloped down to her arm, revealing her shoulder.

Jana: Benta's going to be there. [She could almost hear his eyes roll as she said that.]

Meru: Yay...

Jana: You don't need to go if you don't want to.

Meru: No, no, it's fine. I'd rather eat there then have to try anything I can cook out of these fish anyway.

Jana: Alright, well I'm going to grab a shower.

Meru: Yeah... [Dropped the last fish into the bucket and started to carry them in.]