‘Cassie,’ Jason said. ‘That was a dirty trick. At least we did it where you couldn’t see it.’
‘Well, you said the girls were annoying you. I’ve just put repellent on you. I was trying to help, evil boy.’ She kept cracking up laughing. ‘The chicky-babes are going to love this: a story about dumb shits who let their sister scribble all over them. It will be laughed about for years.’ She kept making fun of them.
‘I say we drown her first, then feed her to the beach bugs and bury her under the sand,’ Woody was saying with revenge in his tone.
‘I say we draw all over her so she looks just as bad,’ Jason said.
Cassie realised she was really in for it and tried to wiggle and get loose from Woody’s grip.
‘I vote we stop her from going anywhere near Kayden so she can’t have any fun with the opposite sex either,’ Ethan said wickedly.
‘And I think she should be made to give us all a back massage after we get this shit off,’ Conor said, smiling like his was the best punishment.
‘It’s decided then,’ Woody said and lay her wiggling on the ground. ‘The punishment is what we all said.’ He grinned roguishly. ‘Well, maybe not drown her but all else stays.’
Woody, Jason and Conor held her down so Ethan could grab the texta out of her pocket and begin drawing on her.
‘Cassie,’ Ethan said playfully. ‘The more you wiggle, the worse the writing will look. Keep still.’ He was laughing as the other three stopped her from moving.
When they’d finished her front, they rolled her over and did her back. She grabbed a handful of sand and when they stood her up, she dropped it down Woody’s pants.
‘Little shit,’ he said laughing. ‘She just threw sand down my bloody pants. You’re in so much trouble now, girl.’
He picked her up and they all went into the water after them. She had only used a water marker and it came off as they mucked around in the water. Kayden tried to rescue her at one stage but they all attacked him and he gave up and let the games continue.
Woody was the first to realise that the texta was coming off and smiled, shaking his head. ‘You are so not getting away with it because it’s coming off. You’re still going to pay for making us freak out,’ he grumbled and threw her up in the air, over to Jason.
When they sat back on the beach, they buried her in the sand. There was no way she could move so she just had to wait until they were bored without her and pulled her out. ‘That’s no fun,’ Jason said as he dug her out. ‘She can’t talk or laugh when the sand’s packed around her. Forget that stupid game.’
As soon as she was free, she ran to Kayden and just as she nearly got to him, Woody snatched hold of her and sat her back between him and Jason.
‘But that’s not fair,’ she whinged. ‘That punishment was only if you couldn’t be with the girls. It should be nullified now the scribble’s all gone.’
‘So does that mean you’re sorry for what you did to your friends?’ Woody said. ‘Are you actually going to say sorry, Cassie and give in?’ he asked.
‘When hell freezes over maybe,’ she said defiantly.
He put his arm around her. ‘I thought as much. Now, you still have one more penalty facing you, and that is the back massage. This time you’ll be watched, young lady, so no more drawing!’
Jason came back with beers. ‘We need a drink first. Cassie’s worn me out.’
Now I have to watch them all clink their bottles together and the rotten sods all drink to that. This is hardly over yet. She sat planning.
Woody felt her thinking. ‘I wouldn’t, Cassie. If you ever want to be back in your man's arms again, behave!’ he said firmly.
She glanced over at Kayden and he was lying back comfortably against a log that had been washed up onto the beach, having a drink. He seemed amused that she didn’t give in and was waiting for her to act up again. He looked so inviting with the glow of the moonlight reflecting on his skin that she no longer wanted to play with the boys. She wanted to play with her man. She sighed, knowing she was just prolonging the inevitable. ‘Okay, who’s first for their massage?’ she asked, giving in.
Woody was the last one and when she finished she bent down to his ear. ‘Sorry, handsome. Forgive me,’ she whispered and kissed his cheek.
He rolled over and sat up, giving her a hug. ‘You can make me so frustrated and cranky, yet say four little words and I’m sucked in. I do but I’m not the only one you rattled tonight.’
She went over and knelt behind the others one at a time, whispering a message just for them before kissing them on the cheek as well. Ethan started laughing. ‘You must really want to be with the boss to have given in. Go on, I’ll let you off.’ He grinned and the others nodded.