Tink and Larry sat side by side on a low bench drinking fruit punch to refresh themselves in the heat of the noon sun. They were amidst adults, strangers being the most of them, who pretended to delight in conversing at a garden surrounded with humid air. The women’s bright white dresses gave them the impression of coolness, which no one was feeling at the moment, and the men’s clothing made it hard for them to stand still under the beating of the sun’s touch. Faces were shining with perspiration but the smiles never wavered.

Tincshire--although everyone called her ‘Tink’ for short--was a twelve year old girl who happened to be stuck with her parents in this garden party. Being the youngest of the three girls in the Agely family, she had no choice but to follow her parents’ demand. Her older twin sisters, Merrily and Merrywether were recently married and were away at each of their honeymoons. Having the feeling she might get bored during the event, Tink managed to make her best friend, Larboj ‘Larry’ Moreoli, an Italian immigrant, come along with his parents. He was the same age as Tink herself but somehow he was a bit random. Having no real brother of her own, Tink loved him like her own brother and spent most of her time alongside him.

Tink saw her parents close to a group of people who were speaking in a foreign tongue. She was usually curious about other languages, but at the time, she did not even attempt to guess what they were saying since the heat was going into her head, and quite uncomfortably too. Instead, she shook her head from side to side to get rid of the dizziness but her actions made it worse. She turned to look at Larry, who then, sensing her look, turned to look at her.

“What?” he asked, sipping his fruit punch lazily.

“There is absolutely no one else here that we can play with,” Tink said. She watched Larry scan the area for a few seconds and shrug his shoulders.

“Well, I guess that’s true,” Larry replied before raising the cup to his lips for a drink.

Tink sighed at his obvious lack of interest. “Larry, don’t tell me you’re actually enjoying yourself in this place.”

Larry looked at his best friend, stopping in mid-drink. “I’m not enjoying myself, Tink. Just a little lazy and bored.”

Tink rolled her eyes. “Then let’s go someplace else; explore, wander around.” She looked around excitedly for an exit and smiled when she saw a patio leading out to a nearby forest. She stood up and grabbed Larry’s hand, pulling him off the bench.

“Whoa, Tink, watch it. My drink’s going to spill!” Larry exclaimed. The punch spilled on the grass and Larry pouted.

“Oh don’t be such a baby, Larry. It’s just punch. We’ll go get you another one when we come back.”

“Be sure about that,” Larry warned as he left the empty cup on the bench. He stomped his feet to get the blood going and stretched out his arms and back as if preparing himself for a marathon. “Let’s go then.”