~🪐 Nine years later🪐~

🪐Lucy's POV🪐

"Why did I agree to this?!" I shrieked, my braid flying in the wind as I held onto my brother Jim for dear life. Jim lightly laughs, turning to look at me, a smirk clear on his face.

He was grinning so widely, his perfect set of teeth were showing. I glared at him and he laughed again, facing forward. "Oh, you know! It's cause you love me!" He laughs, and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment.

"I do NOT!" I shouted over the wind. "Just joking!" He replied. "Might wanna hold onto me tighter though,
Luc!" I latched onto him tightly as he starts soaring even faster. He steered us up towards the clouds. Then he pressed the power button on the solar surfer and the sail disappeared back into the board.

"What are you doing?" I yelled frantically as the board stopped moving forward. He didn't answer. He just spread his arms out as the board started to fall back towards the ground. I felt the air rushing past me as we fell. I held on to Jim for dear life.

As if falling towards the ground from high above the clouds wasn't enough, he started to twist and spin the board around, doing a bunch of free-falling stunts. [Show off. Ow! Jim!] Soon I couldn't tell which way was up and down.

Then, he started spinning the board rapidly as we hung upside down. As we got closer to the ground, I expected him to pull up, but he wasn't doing it. "Jim!" I yelled, trying to prompt him to pull up.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my grip even more as I braced for impact. But it never came. I opened my eyes and saw that Jim had pulled out the solar sail and was gliding a couple of feet above the ground. I loosened my grip, thinking that the ordeal was over.

I saw a fork in the canyon, and Jim directed the board towards the right of the fork. He let out a cry of excitement as we dangled off the side of the board only a few feet above the ground. If I leaned my head out a little further, my nose could brush the ground.

I looked ahead and saw what looked like mining machinery built into the canyon. A restriction sign and flashing lights blocked the entrance, but Jim ignored them and flew right through it, breaking the sign.

"Jim? What are you doing?" I asked, wary of the moving machinery Jim was currently maneuvering through. He didn't answer, but sped up his surfer. He was grinding against the metal surfaces like a skateboarder.

Then, a large wheel with rotating carts carrying rocks came into view.
My blood froze as I knew exactly what he was going to do. I didn't even try to stop him, since I knew it would be futile. I gripped him tighter and willed myself not to close my eyes.

He retracted the sail and yelled out,
"Come On!" Right as we were about to pass through the hole, I saw how fast the carts were moving and lost my nerve. I screamed and buried my face into his back. [No Jim, I DO NOT scream like a five year old girl.]

When nothing happened, I opened my eyes and found we were out of harm's way. Jim was once again holding onto the sail. He threw his head back and let out a joyous cry. He slowed down the board and turned to look at me. "You alright?" he asked, smiling.

"No! That was the most terrifying thing I have ever been through!" I shouted angrily. He looked at me seriously for a moment, then his smile returned and he started laughing. I found that I couldn't keep myself from laughing with him.

"See, it wasn't that bad," he said. "Okay, I guess it was kind of fun. But how about you give me a warning next time, okay?" I replied. "Sure thing," he said, smiling and turning to face forward again as we cruised leisurely through the sky.

Then I heard sirens. I turned around and saw two robots on flying vehicles with flashing lights. Oh no. "Oh great," Jim muttered.

~🪐Time Skip🪐~

I dreaded what was about to happen as the cop-bots led us towards the Ben Bow Inn. I wasn't anxious so much about me, but about Jim.
Surely, Mom would not take this lightly.

When we arrived at the BenBow Inn, the cop-bots pushed the door open and stood with Jim and me between them. "Mrs. Hawkins," one of them said, prompting her attention.

Mom had been holding dishes and dropped them to the floor upon seeing us, causing them to shatter. "Jim!" she gasped. "Okay, thanks for the lift, guys," Jim said, pushing the cop-bot's hand off his shoulder and taking a step forward.

I stayed where I was, thinking it unwise to move before the enormous cop-bot released me from his custody. "Not so fast!" the cop-bot yelled, pulling Jim back.

"We apprehended your son operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area. Moving violation 9-0-4, section fifteen, paragraph...um..." "Six?" Jim muttered. "Thank you," the cop-bot said. "Don't mention it," Jim answered.

"Jim!" Mrs. Hawkins scolded. "Also, your daughter," he said, placing his other hand on my shoulder, "was riding with him with no restraints, which is a severe safety violation. She could have been seriously injured on his watch. As this is her first offense, we are letting her off with a warning," the cop-bot finished, letting go of my shoulders and letting me walk towards Mom.

I avoided her gaze, though I had a feeling she wasn't looking at me anyways. "As you are aware, ma'am, this constitutes a violation of his probation," the cop-bot continued.
"Yes, yes. No, I understand. Um, but could we just..." Mom started.

"Um, ahem, pardon me," Mr. Delbert, Mom's friend stepped up and interrupted. "Officers, if I might, uh, interject here. I am the noted astrophysicist Dr. Delbert Doppler. Perhaps you've heard of me? ..... No? Uh, I have a clipping."

"Are you the boy's father?" the robot asked. "Oh! Good heavens, no!" Mr.
Delbert hastily replied. "Oh, no. Eww. He's just an old friend of the family," Mom answered. Mr. Delbert gave her a look for the 'Eww' statement.

I stood there watching the scene curiously. "Back off, sir!" both robots yelled, causing Mr. Delbert to cower in fear. "Thank you, Delbert. I will take it from here," Mom said. "Well, Sarah, if you insist. Don't ever let me do that again," Mr. Delbert answered, whispering the last part.

"Due to repeated violations of statute 15-C, we have impounded his vehicle. Any more slip-ups will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall," one cop-bot said. "Kiddie hoosegow," the other added. "The slammer." The first attached.

They pushed Jim forward and Mom grabbed him by the arm. "Thank you, officers. It won't happen again," she answered. "We see his type all the time, ma'am. Wrong choices, dead enders...losers." Jim's head shot up and he glared at the robots.

One of the cop-bots turned to me and said, "It's a shame you got caught up with the likes of him. I suggest leaving and finding a better crowd to associate yourself with." I looked down at my shoes, not wanting to see the reaction on Jim's face to this comment.

"You take care now," one of them said in a friendly tone, his metal hat lifting off his shiny metal head. "Let's motor," the other said. With that, both of the cop-bots left, closing the door behind them. The restaurant was utterly silent for a moment before all the customers started talking again, pretending they hadn't heard a word of what just occurred.

I felt my cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. "Jim, I have had it. Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall? Is that it?" Mom sternly asked. Jim turned away in shame. He grabbed a bin for the dirty plates while I stood there, not really sure what to do, due to me finishing all my chores before solar surfing in a restricted area with Jim.

"Lucy, why don't you go upstairs for a little while," Mom suggested, smiling at me, though her face looked tired and weary. I nodded and headed towards the stairs near the kitchen.

But instead of going up the stairs, I hid behind the door and listened to the rest of the conversation. "Jim," Mom whispered. "Look at me. It's been hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you going-"

"Mom, it's no big deal. There was nobodv around," Jim answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Those cops just won't get off my-" Mom gave him a look that stopped him dead in his tracks. She clearly didn't want to hear it.

"Forget it," Jim muttered.

He turned back to the table, picking up the dishes and putting them in the bin. "Mrs. Hawkins! My juice!" one of the customers called, shaking her glass in the air from one tentacle.

"Yes, I'll be right there, Mrs.
Dunwiddie," Mrs. Hawkins called.
"Jim, I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future." With that, she walked away while Jim went into the kitchen with the dirty dishes.

"Yeah, what future?' Jim muttered.
I quickly headed up the stairs to my room, not wanting Mrs. Hawkins or Jim to know I had eavesdropped on their conversation. [I'm not THAT nosy.]

athena has something to say!

i took inspiration from the Kane Chronicles where (if you haven't read it yet.) Carter or Sadie are literally arguing while the other is narrating.