bones {marr|blitz}

The gulls overhead squawk their incessant noisy nature. I wish I had chosen to stay home after I had already embarked upon this mission. Truth be told, I'd rather be around my annoying big brother than to be annoyed by my little brother. There's almost a ninty percent chance that he's going to be out on the water again like always. "Pathetic, really." I groan when my toes finally reach sand and in between each step, thousands of sand particles leap into the air. My board is shoved into the sand to stand straight up as I lay my things down in the sand. Shoes are left behind by my bag and my shirt is removed to expose the bikini.

Frustration set in as the waves were hardly rolling in today. If I had known that, I would have brought a book in which to read instead. However, as it was, I notice something far out in the water. A small boat looked like a tiny toy as far out as it was.

"There you are. I couldn't mistake that little pea sized bathtub if I were blind." I snicker and gather the board up despite the wretched surfing conditions. It's never too bad to bother my bro.

"ECHO!" I scream out, letting my voice carry out as I take the water in a hurry. "ECHO!" I call.

The stupid nickname that I had created for him annoyed him to no end. It was perfect though for him. When I was little, I wanted to be like him. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but then it changed when he obviously began shunning me. What I grew to know, what the he repeated himself way too much to get me to go away from him, and then when he yelled to our mom to get me to go away, it sounded like an echo. Repeated words that flew from his mouth and into our mother's and she repeated the same thing but with the authority that mattered.

Echo was supposed to be a taunt for him. "I love this." I grin, muttering to myself as my body lays on the board and the sea water engulfs my dry clothes. My hands dip fast into the water as I glide across the surface. Halfway to my brother, I hear him screaming out to me. Pleasure fills my heart. All I have to do to have power over him is to simply breath in his direction; take up air thats meant for him. Today is no different.

"I'm a girl, alright. But Dolls are for kids, like our brother. I'm way too mature for that." I tease. My body is positioned straight up on the board as I ring my hair out from the water. "Are you collecting more fish to eat or for your creepy little collection?"

The water's movements made me sway with the effort to get this far out to sea. Luckiliy, I could swim really well and drowning was only a mere fright that would always be a forgotten thing in the back of my mind. Derecho though, he could drown. I wouldn't cry. Maybe, I would ,but it would only be for show considering how mean he always is to me and our brother. I never understood why he hates us so much, but it's so much fun to get under his skin every chance possible.

"You are just jealous you can't get away with it though, Echo. I mean, they dolls belonged to you first." The teasing becomes more heated. His voice is along the lines of hatred even more. I can tell that he's holding back more than usual and since he is, I find it easier to egg him on more than usual.

"It's a free panem, isn't it? I thought it was, at least. Do you want me to send a telegraph to Snow telling him that you are keeping portions of the fish to yourself?" That's when I realize that the rope he did have off the side was gone. I shrug. "Then again, you can't catch them anyways. Oh, maybe a letter to the president stating you can't do you part to supply him what he needs? Negligence. Tisk Tisk." I paddle a little closer to Derecho and try to glance in the boat. "How much you got in there anyways? Got enough for dinner?"

It was just questions. It was just statements. However, he always has to act like a baby everytime I'm around. It's usually playful banter when we get together and we start bickering like we always do.

"Geeze Bro. Are you on your period or something?" I cop out and stifle a giggle. He's acting so rash about everything and he jerks the boat around just to get away from me. Normally, I woudln't stick around much after this but the water is my salvation. I'm always here to soak up the sun depsite the burn I may get in return later, but nothing could be the sheer tortured look in his eyes to see that I win every time.

"Oh, come on big brother. You would't leave little Ol me out here by myself? What if a wave swallows me up?" He'd be happy, I already know that. I've heard him before so many times that he wants to be an only child. Lucky for him, our parents thought he was rough around the edges and decided to keep trying for a perfect child.

"Makeup. I like Makeup and books." I yell to him as the waves catch his boat and suddenly his only fish returns to the sea never to swim again. My hand covers my mouth. A chuckle escapes still. "Don't leave, Echo. I'll help you catch some fish. How about that, then?" For once, his aggrevation snags a tiny, thin heartstring. Would he dare to let me help?"

I snicker. "Come back..."