The Prank

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By Angie Bromeland

Frankly, we should have known better when my big brother Elliot offered to bring Shandi and I drinks. He’s not usually that thoughtful. And he really loves pranks. So we definitely should have known better. Instead, we were just thankful to have a cool drink after our game of tag outside.
Shandi was the first to notice. I guess I was drinking so fast that I didn’t notice. Shandi must have known to be careful.
She only took a sip and then said, “My water stinks. Doesn’t yours, Monica?”
I stopped drinking, and that’s when I noticed my water kind of tasted like pickles. It kind of smelled like pickles, too. I was linking two and two together in my mind. I filled in the blanks, and then realized…
“Vinegar!” I said. That’s what the smell and taste was. Vinegar. Just like in a jar of pickles.
From around the corner, we heard Elliot trying to muffle his laughter. I was really mad now. Nothing rankles me like someone messing with my food or drink.
“Grrr,” I growled in frustration. “You should be spanked, Mr. Elliot-man!” I yelled in the direction of the laughter. That only made him laugh harder and louder. I guess I couldn’t blame him for that. The thought of our parents—who’ve never spanked us—spanking my 12-year-old brother did seem a little laughable. And I guess that thought was all I needed to change my attitude, because suddenly I was laughing helplessly, too. And then Shandi started up. Elliot came in from around the corner and we all stood there laughing until tears ran down our cheeks.
That’s the thing about pranks, I guess. You never know what’s going to make you cry, and what’s going to make you laugh. Or what’s going to make you do both.

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