CHAPTER 8
REUNION
“OOF! Easy, Annie!”
Darren struggled a bit to catch his breath after having it knocked out of him and wriggled in a bid to escape from his sister’s tenacious grip. He was glad to see her, of course, yet also embarrassed at being hugged so tightly and so publicly. He might catch girl bacteria or viruses or amoebas or something else equally nasty.
Gradually freeing himself from his sister’s Anaconda-like embrace, the 12-year-old boy moved to free himself from her embrace. She almost looked on the verge of tearing up over him, he noted with satisfaction. Usually, she just ordered him around like she was the boss of him or something.
“I’m okay, Annie! It’s all right. You’re squeezing me to death!”
Finally breaking free of her grasp, he stood back and looked quickly arou
