//------------------------------// // Chapter V // Story: Family Trip // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// Cheerilee “Wow that’s a nice lake,” Scootaloo commented as we stood on the lake the camping grounds had near our site. Benefits of this being a technically private camp site, we had free reign of the whole place. “Agreed,” Ruby said as she tugged on Berry’s hand. “Come with me.” “I wanna spend time with Minnie, Ruby. I’ll come swim with you later,” Berry said and pulled her hand away as Ruby gave her puppy dog eyes. “Don’t give me those eyes. You know I can’t resist that look.” “I know,” Ruby said and maintained eye contact with my sister. I would say I’m glad none of my daughters give me puppy dog eyes but that’s a lie. Even Sunset does it. “Alright let’s go. Maybe Minnie will join us later,” Berry said as she and Ruby walked into the water. The two gave startled screams as I laughed. “Cold!” I laid a towel on the sand and laid on top of it, pulling my sunglasses over my eyes. I barely wore anything that showed this much skin but it’s only family here so I opted for a pink bikini with darker pink dots. Might as well get some tan here. “Hey,” Silver Spoon said as I glanced up at her. She stood above me in no surprise, a silver swimming suit. “Care if I join you?” “Not at all.” She laid a towel of her own down and laid next to me, crossing her legs. “Why are you up here and not with your sisters?” “Can’t swim.” “You could have told us and we would have taught you,” I said and rolled my head to look at her. “It’s not that hard really. I didn’t learn until I was eight.” “It’s fine. I’m fine not knowing. The lake is dangerous,” Silver Spoon said adamantly. “Dangerous?” “A child can drown in one half cup of water in twenty seconds, an adult in forty. That lake is roughly one hundred and fifteen point two cubic miles so there’s about one hundred and twenty seven trillion gallons of water in it. Don’t even get me started on the potential for a shark, harmful bacteria and potential animals in it. Safer on the shore. Plus, I can get a tan.” I gave her a stunned look as she smirked smugly and looked at the clear blue sky. I was okay enough at math to teach the basics but nothing like that. “How did you....?” “Know all that?” Silver Spoon asked with the same smug grin and I nodded wordlessly. “I guessed. The lake is pretty wide so it must be pretty deep. Plus Google told me it how wide and such it was so it wasn’t hard to do math to figure out how much water is there.” “How are you failing math class if you’re this good at it?” I demanded as her eyes widened. “How the heck do you know that?” “Seriously?” I said and gave her a flat look. “You go to school where I work. Your teachers tell me stuff. All of your teachers tell me stuff. Especially about Scootaloo and Sunset. Now why are you failing math if you’re good at it?” “Too easy.” “Okay yeah that’s not gonna pass anymore. I’ll talk to your teachers then and they can give your more harder math home if that’s what you truly want,” I said sternly and she grinned. “Yes finally!” “Next time just ask. Or I’ll ground you next time till you get your grades up.” “Okay. Sorry.” “It’s fine. Now relax, enjoy the lake and the sun,” I smirked as I watched Scootaloo splash Cherry with water. I rolled my head to the other side, closed my eyes and fell asleep. I stretched out on the tent floor as Sunset’s even breathing filled the tent as she slept. Thank the lord she didn’t snore. Cherry snored so loud when she slept, it was insane. My oldest daughter was curled up under a blanket next to me as I wrapped an arm around her. “Hey mom?” I jumped a bit as Scootaloo opened the tent flap and my jaw slightly dropped. That was the first time she ever called me mom. It was always Miss Cheerilee or Cheerilee. My idea of course. I wasn’t going to force anything she wasn’t comfortable with on her. Ruby hadn’t called Minuette mom either that I can recall. “Yeah dear?” “This is gonna sound weird, alright?” “Okay.” “So you know how Sunset still sleeps with you sometimes?” Scootaloo asked as she sat down next to me nervously. “Yeah,” I said. Originally Sunset didn’t want anyone to know she still occasionally slept with me but Diamond accidentally overheard her asking so just us in the family knew. “Would I hypothetically be allowed to do the same?” Scootaloo asked as I stared at her. Out of all the things she could ask of me, that was the least expected. “Of course. There’s more than enough room in here for the two of us and plus, I have two arms,” I smirked as I gave Sunset’s sleeping form a gentle squeeze with my left arm. She let out a sleepy sound and curled up closer. I'd let all of my daughters sleep with me if they asked. A part of me hopes they do one day. “Okay if you’re sure,” Scootaloo said as she crawled under the sleeping bag with me. “Is there any specific reason? You typically don’t like being touched often unless it’s me or Sunset or Aunt Cherry.” “Uh no?” Scootaloo offered weakly and I sighed. She was an awful liar. “You’re lying,” I pointed out and she rolled her eyes. “I’m telling the truth.” “You realize I live with Sunset, specially after the Fall Formal. I knew when she was lying everytime she said she was okay and tried to cover up her crying. I could easily see through whenever she lied about getting harassed at school so I can see through you too.” “Can we just sleep please?” Not only did I learn to tell when I was being lied to, I also learned when to back off and let them come up to me. “Yeah sure.” She gave me a grateful nod as I wrapped my spare arm around her and we went to sleep.