Swings Are Stupid((Ethan))

[kaddy]

It was a late Saturday afternoon at the Pewter household and guess what? Danielle had nothing to do. All of her friends where out on vacation or were just too busy too talk. So where did that leave her? Laying on her bed reading Down A Dark Hall for the twentieth time this summer. With a sigh and a roll she landed on the floor beside her bed. "Danielle, are you alright?" Her mother called from downstairs. "I'm fine mom, just getting off my bed." She replied as she pushed her self into a sitting position. I really should go outside instead of just sitting here. Danielle thought as she fingered her blue pajama bottoms. I've been wearing these all day...Maybe I could go to the park, yes that'd be perfect! I haven't been on the swings in ages. With those thoughts in mind Danielle jumped in the shower, cleaned up and jumped back out in 15 min.(A personal record.) After pulling her hair back in a high ponytail and covering her not-so-fully-grown bangs with a navy blue headband she made her way back to her room to pick out some clothes. After a whole two minutes of debating she pulled on some jeans, a white tank, and her faithful sneakers.

"Mom, dad, I'm going to the park! I'll be back in a few!" Danielle called, running down the stairs and heading for the door. "Not without a jacket you're not." Danielle's mom said, catching her with her hand on the doorknob. "Yes, how could I have forgotten?" She said with a fake smile. Dumb jacket... "And take some snacks also, in case one of your little friends comes too." Her mother continued as she shoved some candy bars into her hands. "Uh, thanks mom. I'll be back." Danielle said while struggling to shove the candy bars into her pockets. "OK, don't get hit by a car honey. You know we can't afford for a fake leg right now." Shaking her head at her mom's joke Danielle opened the door and stepped outside.

After finally making it to the park(without getting hit by a car) Danielle deposited of her jacket on a bench and headed toward the swings most of them were broken but three were still intact. She got on the nearest one and walked backward with it before jumping on the seat and swinging forward. After a minute or so she had a steady rhythm going. Until some idiot decided to step in front of her that is. She put her feet down to stop but ended up getting thrown out of her seat in the process. "Oh crap!" Danny yelled. She stumbled/ran a few feet until she got her balance back. Once she did so Danny glared at the person who was standing there. "What the heck is wrong with you?!" She yelled. "If I hadn't of stopped I could've frickin took your head off! What are you blind?"

[Ethan Jacobs G5]

"Honey, do you think you could maybe stop by the grocery store and get us some milk? I'm really stressed from work, but I can't have my cofee without milk!"

"MOM!" Ethan protested. "Why can't Marty go get it? He'd be glad to go get us some milk!"

"No, I really prefer the muggle milk, and Marty can't exactly alk into a muggle grocery store, now can he?" Ethan thought for a moment. Perhaps he could find a way around this. He had no ideas.

"Take your skateboard!" His mother suggested. "But if you drop it again, you're buying more...from your pocket money."

"Fine!" She handed him a handful ofmoney and he was off. He grabbed his skateboard, grinded the railing leading down into the park and continued on. He came across the swings, where a little girl was on them. She swung back and forth in a rythmic pattern. Ethan remembered her as Danny, Ezzie's friend. Maybe she would know something about Ezzie's mysterious family. He stepped in front of the swing, hoping she would stop in time so as not to knock him over. She didn't. She noticed him standing there just suddenly to fall off the swing, barely landing on her feet. Ethan soon learned she had a temper, a temper much like Ezzie's.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" She yelled. "If I hadn't of stopped I could've frickin took your head off! What are you blind?"

"Hey, take it easy, Danny! It's me, Ethan...Ezzie's friend? I'm sorry about the swing thing, but I really needed to talk to you."

[kaddy]

"Hey, take it easy, Danny!" Danielle looked confused for a moment. "How in the heck do you know my name!? What have you been doing, stalking me? I'm really flattered but it's still kinda creepy you know? Well, however you know my name I suggest you leave 'cause I can sceam really loud." Danny said, going off topic quickly. "It's me, Ethan...Ezzie's friend?" Ethan? That's odd, don't remember seeing him around here before. She thought while walking over to her swing.

"I'm sorry about the swing thing, but I really needed to talk to you."

Danny nodded before pulling out a candy bar. "It's okay, and sorry 'bout the fit I threw, just a little surprised is all. Chocolate for your troubles?" Without waiting for a reply she tossed it to him. "So...what was it you needed to talk about? Having trouble finding Ezzie a present or something? 'Cause if that's the case I'm pretty sure she'd like a book or something like that. She's uber smart. She makes my cousin Marie look like a dunce."

[Ethan Jacobs G5]

"I'm sorry about the swing thing, but I really needed to talk to you."

Danny nodded before pulling out a candy bar. "It's okay, and sorry 'bout the fit I threw, just a little surprised is all. Chocolate for your troubles?" Without waiting for a reply she tossed it to him. "So...what was it you needed to talk about? Having trouble finding Ezzie a present or something? 'Cause if that's the case I'm pretty sure she'd like a book or something like that. She's uber smart. She makes my cousin Marie look like a dunce."

"Thanks for the chocolate, and the advice, but it's not gift advice I need."

"Do you have any idea where Ezzie goes all those other six days of the week? Or why her parents are always making her get up early to go sing around street corners for spare change, and they don't even go with her?" Ethan paused to scratch his head. "I've seen all the creeps that go by that street corner, and the way they look at her. It really worries me that her parents put her in that kind of danger, and she wont tell me anything so I can help her out. She wont even let me come with her when she sings! That's how I met her, for god's sake!" Ethan sat down on the swing and took a bite of chocolate. He remembered back when he was six, when his older sister was kidnapped out there on that very street at the exact same age as Ezzie.

"Don't you know anything? There's got to be some way I can help her out. It's so weird! It's like she can't accept help from anyone! She doesn't have to go through whatever it is she goes through alone, you know. I just wish she would talk to me for once."

[kaddy]

"Thanks for the chocolate, and the advice, but it's not gift advice I need." Ethan said. Danielle shrugged and pulled out one for herself. "So what do you need to talk to me about?" She asked with a confused expression on her face.

"Do you have any idea where Ezzie goes all those other six days of the week? Or why her parents are always making her get up early to go sing around street corners for spare change, and they don't even go with her?" "Well," Danny said slowly. "I suppose she stays home the other six days of the week. As for her parents I wouldn't know. I've never even seen her house, let alone meet her parents."

Ethan paused to scratch his head. "I've seen all the creeps that go by that street corner, and the way they look at her. It really worries me that her parents put her in that kind of danger, and she wont tell me anything so I can help her out. She wont even let me come with her when she sings! That's how I met her, for god's sake!" Ethan sat down on the swing and took a bite of chocolate.

Danielle shifted in her seat so she was facing him. "Her parents might be out on vacation or something and she's just singing to get some extra cash. And the reason she won't let you come with her might be beacause she's self concious. Oh, and even if one of those sickos tries anything it isn't as if she can't defend herself, she's a witch for crying out loud! And in Gryffindor, you can't get any better than that!" Danny froze and clamped her hands over her mouth. "What I mean is that, uh, um, she's really strong and...Oh crap, I'm in deep touble." She said, slapping herself on the forehead repeatedly.

[Ethan Jacobs G5]

"Well," Danny said slowly. "I suppose she stays home the other six days of the week. As for her parents I wouldn't know. I've never even seen her house, let alone meet her parents."

"Well at least I'm not the only one she keeps secrets from. There's an extremely tiny silver lining." Ethan took another bite. "But if she stays home from Monday through Saturday, then why has she turned down any invite I give her from Monday through Saturday? She loves to come over y house, or hang at the park, but she'll only do it on Sundays! And even then she has to leave by 4:30 to go sing!"

Danielle shifted in her seat so she was facing him. "Her parents might be out on vacation or something and she's just singing to get some extra cash. And the reason she won't let you come with her might be beacause she's self concious. Oh, and even if one of those sickos tries anything it isn't as if she can't defend herself, she's a witch for crying out loud! And in Gryffindor, you can't get any better than that!" Danny froze and clamped her hands over her mouth. "What I mean is that, uh, um, she's really strong and...Oh crap, I'm in deep touble." She said, slapping herself on the forehead repeatedly.

For the first time in his conversation with Danielle, Ethan laughed. "Don't worry about that, I'm a wizard, and I know about her witchiness. We found out about eachother when she was over my house the other day, and my house elf popped into the room." Ethan chuckled as he remembered the day. It was also the day Ethan and Ezzie shared their first kiss together.

"But my sister was a Gryffindor too, and that didn't stop them from taking her way back when...he raped her, then he killed her. I wouldn't be worried either if it wasn't for my sister." Ethan finished the candy, crumpled up the wrapper, and threw it into the garbage. "She won't even sing in a different street! That was the same place where Jessie was taken! I really don't get that girl." Ethan scratched his head again. "She knows about Jessie and everything, she just keeps telling me she'll be fine, and that she can defend herself. I really don't get that girl." Ethan repeated.

[kaddy]

"Well at least I'm not the only one she keeps secrets from. There's an extremely tiny silver lining." Danny smiled brightly. "Atta boy, acctentuate the positive. That's what I always do." "But if she stays home from Monday through Saturday, then why has she turned down any invite I give her from Monday through Saturday?" Ethan continued. "She loves to come over my house, or hang at the park, but she'll only do it on Sundays! And even then she has to leave by 4:30 to go sing!" Danielle was a little confused as well but tried her best to think of a reason why Ezzie would be avoiding him 6 days of the week. "It could be a job." She said in a I-dunno-let's -just-throw-this-out-there kind of voice. "Or she might have to watch her siblings-wait she doesn't have any does she? Huh, I'm stumped then. Why don't you just ask her?"

Danielle shifted in her seat so she was facing him. "Her parents might be out on vacation or something and she's just singing to get some extra cash. And the reason she won't let you come with her might be beacause she's self concious. Oh, and even if one of those sickos tries anything it isn't as if she can't defend herself, she's a witch for crying out loud! And in Gryffindor, you can't get any better than that!" Danny froze and clamped her hands over her mouth. "What I mean is that, uh, um, she's really strong and...Oh crap, I'm in deep touble." She said, slapping herself on the forehead repeatedly.

Ethan laughed for the first time since they had been talking. "Don't worry about that, I'm a wizard, and I know about her witchiness. We found out about eachother when she was over my house the other day, and my house elf popped into the room." Ethan chuckled while Danny, who felt like an idiot, slapped herself and said quietly, "Well, that was a close one now wasn't it? I've really got to be more carefull."

"But my sister was a Gryffindor too, and that didn't stop them from taking her way back when...he raped her, then he killed her. I wouldn't be worried either if it wasn't for my sister." He finished his candy and threw the wrapper away. "She won't even sing in a different street! That was the same place where Jessie was taken! I really don't get that girl." Ethan scratched his head again. "She knows about Jessie and everything, she just keeps telling me she'll be fine, and that she can defend herself. I really don't get that girl." Ethan repeated. Danielle nodded in agreement. "Neither do I. I mean why stay on a street that dangerous when she could be singing on a different one? She confuses me sometimes. But you not getting her could be a good thing, at least now you have an excuse to give her a surprise visit."

((Sorry about this one, my inspiration is running low at the moment.))

[Ethan Jacobs G5]

"It could be a job." She said in a I-dunno-let's -just-throw-this-out-there kind of voice. "Or she might have to watch her siblings-wait she doesn't have any does she? Huh, I'm stumped then. Why don't you just ask her?"

"I've asked her countless times, and if it was something as simple as a job, or babysitting, don't you think she would tell me?"

"She won't even sing in a different street! That was the same place where Jessie was taken! I really don't get that girl." Ethan scratched his head again. "She knows about Jessie and everything, she just keeps telling me she'll be fine, and that she can defend herself. I really don't get that girl." Ethan repeated. Danielle nodded in agreement. "Neither do I. I mean why stay on a street that dangerous when she could be singing on a different one? She confuses me sometimes. But you not getting her could be a good thing, at least now you have an excuse to give her a surprise visit."

"Surprise visit? I've thought of that a million times already. It's too bad I have no idea where to visit her. All I know is she lives somewhere in a walking distance from the park."