Lisa

Rescue behind the fence

Summer in the village is a breath of fresh air. Vacation! The village school closed, the world became ours. My friends and I ran around, exploring the nooks and crannies.

They were playing ball by the mill. Suddenly... dead silence. Then - a growl. Low, angry. She. The most vicious dog, everyone was afraid of her. Animal fear paralyzed us.

"Run!" - a hoarse cry. They rushed without looking back. The heart was pounding, barking behind.

I ran, saw a fence. Jumped over it in one go. Friends – after. In the yard, leaning against the boards, they listened to the mad barking outside. They were breathing heavily.

"Phew... We got away..." he wiped away the sweat.

The door creaked. We froze. On the porch was Liza. A quiet classmate from the first desk. But now... Completely different. In shorts, a huge T-shirt, with a cute careless ponytail on top of her head. She was holding half an apple. She looked at us in complete shock. Without her uniform, she seemed surprisingly sweet and defenseless.

Five dirty, out of breath boys stood in the middle of her neat yard. Awkward silence. I burned with shame.

She looked at us, her gaze slid over the beds of greenery. The corners of her lips twitched. A lively, sly smile appeared. She pointed at the beds, looking straight at me, softly, with an apologetic note:
"Oh, Bogdan... You're just in time... Grandma told me to weed, and I... well, I can't cope on my own. Will you help?" - hope and shy cunning shone in his eyes.

She stood with her head slightly bowed. In her eyes, which I had never looked at at school, relief and challenge sparkled. We exchanged glances. The fear was gone. What remained was awkwardness, my stupid grin and understanding: the holidays had begun, and the first "job" had been found. They had outwitted the most evil dog, but fallen into a more cunning trap - made of cucumbers, tomatoes and Lisa's unexpectedly sweet look. She had appointed me.