It was the beginning of the summer as Madison watched as the neighborhood boys go down to the pond.  The boys had their buckets and fishing poles in hand as they passed. Madison watched with envy wishing they would invite her. Madison was new to town and didn’t have a fishing pole, she didn’t even know how to fish.  She longed for them to invite her.

As they pass, she followed quietly and from a distance. She would hide behind a bush or a mailbox. She knew if they looked back, they would notice her despite her skills in stealth, but the boys continued with their excitement and conversation about the fishing that was yet to come.

Once they had arrived at the fishing hole Madison snuck around to the opposite side of the pond and hid behind a tree. There she watched as they unraveled their lines and soon had a bobber, hook, and worm on each pole. Then one by one they cast their lines into the water making small splashes.

Before long the boys were whispering quietly as not to scare the fish.  Madison struggled to see or hear them as they all sat down on the bank of the pond.  Madison pondered the tree she was behind and soon found purchase among the branches inching out among one which stretch out above the pond. 

Then as if from nowhere a bobber went under the water.  The little boy that was holding the pole that had that line jumped up with excitement. The other kids also excited abandoning their poles to give encouragement to the boy with what must have been a big fish on the line.  Madison had never seen someone catch a fish and before she knew it, she was inching farther and farther out on the branch to get a better view. 

With each turn of the reel, the boy pulled the fish closer to the shore just as Madison inched farther out on the branch.  As the struggle reached a fever pitch a thunderous crack was heard and something happened that no one expected. 

The branch which provided such a great view broke sending Madison scrabbling and clawing as she tumbled toward the water.  With a great splash, she hit the water and soon was soaked through.  She quickly bounded up to the surface and was greeted with another thunderous sound.  The sound of laughter.  Madison with great shame quickly swam the bank and run home all while the kid’s laughter faded behind her.