the Apple Pie
Copyright 1999
All rights reserved. May not be used without permission.
Just then Anna came in. Sam just stared at her. She was several inches taller than him and looked 16! She was wearing large gold earrings and lots of make up.�
�Oh it�s a fox!� she exclaimed. Then she seemed to notice Sam for the first time. She stopped in her tracks and stared. �Are you Sam?� she finally managed to ask.
He nodded without a word.
�Nice to meet you,� she smiled. �I�m Anna. I�m almost 13, how old are you.�
�Twelve.�
�That�s cool. We�re the same age. Is that fox yours.�
Sam nodded.
�Where�d you get him? I didn�t know people could have pet foxes. I�m glad you brought him. We�re gonna have fun together. Think maybe I could hold him?�
�HER,� Sam corrected Anna. Then he shook his head and hugged Trixie closer.
Anna shrugged and said, �That�s alright, I guess. Maybe you�ll change your mind.�
Mother and Mrs. Jackson went into the kitchen together; chattering about a wonderful new fruit salad recipe Mrs. Jackson had recently been given.
Mr. Jackson led Dad out to the back yard to show off his new BBQ grill on which they would cook the hamburgers.
That left the three children in the living room together. Jacob smiled at Sam in a friendly way and asked, �Would you like to play a game? We have Chess and Monopoly and Backgammon.�
Sam shook his head, wishing they would go away and leave him alone. He stood up and walked out the back door into the shady fenced yard. The two men were firing up the grill and did not appear to notice Sam. "I know where we�re going, Trixie,� he murmured to his dear pet. �We�re go to hang out in that tree house.�
He hurried over to the latter which went high into the tree. He set Trixie down and said thoughtfully, �Now how am I going to get you up there?� Then he smiled with satisfaction as a plan came to him. He took off his shirt and tied it into a little backpack. He put Trixie in it and tied it around himself. Now Trixie hung safely on his back. She did not seem to mind for he often had carried her this way.
Sam carefully climbed the latter and when he reached the top, he took Trixie off his back and sat with his legs dangling below. A cool summer breeze rippled through his hair and felt refreshing against his bare chest. Trixie sat beside him, seeming to enjoy herself as well.
Suddenly Sam heard the back door of the house open. He quickly drew his legs up against his chest and slipped one arm around Trixie. Peering down through the tree branches he could see Anna had emerged, carrying a plate of raw hamburger patties. �They�re ready to be cooked,� she announced as she handed them to her Father. He smiled and thanked her and then she asked, �Where did Sam go?�
Sam held his breath as he waited for a reply. Mr. Jackson voice came clearly. �He�s up in the tree house.� So he had been seen!
Sam ducked quickly, trying to decide how he was going to get out of this? He certainly didn�t want to be trapped up here with Anna!
Sam began crawling out on a thick tree branch. Trixie followed right behind him. He heard Anna climbing the latter. He kept on crawling.
Suddenly Anna called out, �Hi Sam! How do you like our tree house!� Then she exclaimed, �Sam! What are you doing out there?�
Sam didn�t turn around to look at her. Neither did he answer. He kept on going. He could tell that Trixie was still right behind him. Then the branch became to thin go any further, so he stopped, trying to decide where to go next. He glanced behind him and much to his horror; Anna was crawling along the branch towards him.
