Caution: This is a work of fiction. A bug meets it's untimely and detailed end in this story. And childhood drama.
A Buzz in the Park
By: Camille H.
“Buzz! Buzz! Where are you?” a girl of the proud age of five years old called as she whirlwinded her way across the park, “I brought you a pretty yellow flower to match your stripes!” The tiny red head zigzagged from bush to bush, searching for something small among the branches. A dart of color purred as it speeded past the suddenly delighted smile,
“Buzz! It's me, Jesse!” the girl giggled as she trailed barefoot behind the huge flying dot. It was a beautiful day as the kindergartener played hide-and-seek with a very fat bumblebee in the shade of several towering trees.
“Owch! That's one fat bee.” as a tall boy, smelling faintly of bug repellant and flowers, and the fat bee collided.
Jesse gasped in horror, too far away to stop what happened next and too shocked to say a word, let alone scream at her older brother. The hands of the older sibling snapped out and clapped the bee, causing the bug to be squished and smeared across the palms under the boy's fascinated and yet disgusted eyes.
“Cool. Hey, Shirley! Did you know bee guts are...”
“WOODY KILLED BUZZ!” Jesse screeched. Instantly her older brother's head jerked up, looking straight at Jesse, frozen in surprise. His green eyes, a family trait, were clearly saying, 'Oh no.' He glanced at his forgotten hands before he hastily tried to wipe the dead bee guts off on his pants.
Jesse's normally bright green eyes were dark, glinting with vengeance. The five year old marched closer, “You...KILLED...Buzz.”
Woody gulped, wildly looking around for any sort of distraction to save him. The eight year old nearly sighed in relief when his eyes met his best friend's grey eyes. At least until, Woody realized that as the other brunette quirked a smile at him, Shirley was inwardly laughing at him. Before Jesse could attempt to murder him, or worse, tell mother, Woody blurted out the first thing that came to mind,
“We could have a funeral.” Not the best suggestion ever. Woody winced at the wicked gleam in the younger red head's smile, “Not mine of course. Please don't tell mother!” he blurted out in his panic. “I'll help pick flowers.” 'I want to live' Woody begged in his mind as he stepped away from Jesse. Shirley, still watching Woody in amusement, handed Jesse one of her green apple slices. 'I think Dad will understand if I run instead of facing the problem this time.' In a glance looking away from the sibling drama, Shirley blinks as she spots a blue bird in the trees with a ribbon in it's nest and a twig in the bird's beak as it herds three fledgelings, before turning her gaze back to observe the scene.
“Well...” Jesse smirked as she took a large bite out of the apple slice. 'Since when can my baby sister cause chills or smirk like that?' Woody wondered as he inched away backwards. His heart must have stopped when he tripped onto his back in the warm grass. 'This must be the end.'
“I'm sorry for killing your black striped bumblebee!” Woody stuttered
“It has yellow stripes not black.”
In a moment of what Woody was sure later was insanity, he argued, “It does too have black stripes. It's on top of the yellow.”
“It does too have stripes of yellow, don't make fun of Buzz, it's not nice.” Jesse poked Woody's chest.
“Sorry, you're right. Stripes of yellow, got it.” Woody backtracked.
Jesse shoved the dandelion in front of his focused green eyes. Beads of sweat mixed with a couple rays of sunshine made the boy's forehead shine.
“I brought Buzz a pretty flower to match his stripes, but now, you killed him!” Jesse shook the dandelion to make her point. Woody remained silent, staring at the plant that emphasized his growing guilt.
“That's a weed, not a flower.” Shirley muttered under her breath.
“It is too a flower, it's a dandy-lion!” Jesse turned towards the almost nine year old, scowling before turning back to her brother.
“LOOK!” Woody shouts in relief as he points to another fat flying yellow and black stiped dot, “See Buzz isn't dead, he's alive!”
Jesse's attention and anger is instantly diverted, “BUZZ! YOU'RE ALIVE!”
Shirley shrugs and walks over, pulling Woody off the ground, not caring about the bee guts still smeared on her best friend's hands, “All's well that ends well.” the brunette quips.
“Why did you say that? What does that even mean?” Woody asked with plaintive green eyes, “It would have been nice if you helped me earlier.”
Shirley shrugged again, “I was enjoying the show. But don't worry, I wouldn't let her kill you. Who would be my best friend then?”
“Thanks.” Woody snorts, “I feel so ap-pre-ci-ate-ed.”
“Nice word, but sarcasm doesn't really suit you.” Shirley's gray eyes dance in laughter, before handing over an apple slice as a peace offering, “Want one?”
“Sure, thanks.” Woody smiled before taking a bite and making a face, “How can you two eat these? They're so sour!” he complains.
Shirley shrugs, “The taste of knowledge isn't always sweet either.”
“Green apples are not sweet.” Woody pouted.
The two eight-year-olds turned at Jesse's commanding voice. “Buzz you need to sting him, he killed your friend!”
“Should we run?” Woody asked, already edging away.
“Yes, yes you should.” Shirley's mouth quirked into a smile.
“I'm not scared.” Woody retorts
Shirley just hums her disagreement, “The bee Jesse has named Buzz is following you.” Shirley says after a moment.
“Ahh! Why?!!!!” Woody runs around, trying to get away from the pursuing bee. “It's not really wanting revenge, is it?”
Shirley hums as she watches the odd chase, before glancing at a bug repellant bottle on a young family's picnic blanket several yards away, “Hmm... ah-ha!” Shirley shouts, “Your sister must have switched the bug repellant with her perfume, not your mother's because you said she can't abide the smell... and that is why you smell of both insect pesticide and obnoxious flowering plants...and why the bumblebee is following you.” Shirley leans against a tree, content with her logic.
Not far away Jesse giggles, “No more Buzz killers.”
“...Stop laughing sis.” Woody pleads as he fends off more 'Buzz's' that have come to investigate the smell, now that attention has been focused on it, it reeks to high heaven, “How do I get them to leave? Shirley?”
“You could wait for nighttime, I suppose, but now is still in the early hours of a bright California day.”
“I've already had enough of Buzz's for the day!” Woody wailed before taking cover behind Shirley, closing his eyes. When he no longer heard any buzzing, he opened his eyes and peeked up at Shirley, seeing no bees around, “How...?” Woody trailed off.
“My natural bug repellant actually works.” Shirley teased with a smile, waving a single yellow rose intertwined with a red tulip. “My mom grows plants that bees avoid.”
“Then let's go play there.” Woody eagerly followed Shirley, carefully watching for his little sister's safety and ignoring the fact that his little sister was now tagging along.
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