“Come ooooooooon” Hanna whined.

She pressed her face against the black mesh screen door to peer into the dimly lit room. Elijah slid and sank further into the cushion of the brown polyester recliner and pulled up the wide cover book further over his face.

“I don’t wanna.” He said. “Leave me alone.”

Hanna pulled her face off the screen and blew a rush of air through her nostrils to knock the motes of dust stuck in them free. The sky above the porch’s awning shone a bright cerulean hue. Thin whispers of clouds floated lazily by like strands of cotton caught in a river’s current. Birds sang their songs, perched in the verdant branches of the trees in the nearby orchards, and on the black lines strung between the towering telephone poles, and the scent of orange blossoms blessed the air. In short, it was a gorgeous, late spring day, and Hanna had no desire to waste it.

“Come oooon.” She whinnied, “I just wanna show you something cool.”

She pushed her fingers through the small curled metal handle of the screen door and gave it a tug. The aluminum budged a little, but the door stayed decidedly closed.

“I don’t wanna.” Elijah protested, “I want to reeeead.”

“But reading’s boring.” Hanna snorted.

“No it’s not.” Elijah retorted.

“Yes. It. Is.”

Hanna punctuated each of her words with a hard tug on the screen door.

“No it’s not.” Elijah restated his proposition.

“It is.” Hanna countered, “And I should know because I’m older.”

“You might be older but I get better grades.”

“Shut up. Let’s go.”

She grabbed hold of the handle with her other hand and leaned backwards; pulling with all of her weight at the thin aluminum frame.

“No you shut up.” Elijah responded. “Leave me alone!”

Hanna yelped as her hand slipped out from the handle and she fell back; nearly rolling backwards off of the porch.

“Serves you right!”

“Shut up!”

“No you shut up.”

A door from deeper in the building swung open with a rush of wind, and slammed shut. Heavy footsteps resounded against the ground as a shadow approached the large arching doorway that separated the living room where Elijah had been reading, and Hanna had been pestering him.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What’s going on here?” An alto called from just beyond.

Elijah’s mother stood at the archway and leaned against the wall. Her light gray, American flag emblazoned shirt reflected the light coming from the floor lamp in the room with Elijah.

“Hanna won’t leave me alone!” Elijah said, “All I want to do is read and she won’t leave me alone!”

Hanna pushed herself off the ground, brushed the dirt off her legs and shorts and pressed her face against the black mesh once again.

“I just want to show him something cool, Mrs. Matthews. Honest.”

“Is that so?” The older woman turned her attention to her son, sat on the couch. “Why don’t you go with her, Elijah?”

Elijah slammed the book down in his lap and looked to his mother, and a wide smile pulled at the corners of Hanna’s lips.

“But I wanna read.” He protested.

“Oh, you can read any time. It’s a beautiful day out, go and enjoy it.”

“But--”

“No buts. March into your room, get changed, and go.”

She pointed backwards.

“But--”

“No. Buts.”

Elijah’s lips curled as he slammed down the book he had been reading on the couch’s arm and pushed himself off, and stomped across the room.

“Attitude!” His mother snapped as he neared her.

His head snapped towards her, causing his golden curls to bounce like a dog’s ears. He glared at her through the thick veil of his hair — though she was none the wiser, as he passed by and stormed into his room.

“Thank you, Mrs. Matthews.” Hanna said through the screen door.

“Well you’re welcome, Hanna.” The older woman said as she shifted her body to lean towards the door, “I’m rooting for you.” She leaned forwards and whispered loudly.

Hanna’s rosy cheeks turned just a little bit redder as she stepped away from the mesh.

“W-what do you mean?” She stammered.

Mrs. Matthews laughed, and then turned her head as the door to Elijah’s room swung open and smacked against the wall.

“Shhh.” Mrs. Matthews placed her pointer finger over her lips, and Hanna nodded.

Elijah stomped out of his room and through the trailer in a hurry, only stopping when he passed his mother and made his way to the door. Hanna stepped backwards as the boy undid the lock and pushed open the screen door.

“It’s really cool, I promise.” She said with a broad smile as he stepped onto the porch and glowered at her from beneath his golden curls.

She was the first to leave; bounding from the top of the porch to the hard packed dirt beneath. Elijah lingered at the first step for a while and looked back at his mother, who had reached out and swung the door closed behind them. She mouthed the word, “go,” and made a sweeping motion off of the porch.

Elijah’s shoulders fell in response and he made his way down the porch steps one at a time until he was on the dirt. He ran his hand along the plastic yellow outside walls of the double-wide as he pulled himself around the corner, and stepped over the shortly cropped grass.