Disobedient Dans Lesson in Listening

Dan, please go slower down the street! I screamed at my

disobedient younger brother as he flew down our steep neighborhood
street on his bike, as if he were a rocket.
No way! replied my bratty brother as he zipped by me.
I couldnt believe my mother had left me in charge of babysitting
my crazy brother. I was only thirteen years old, just a baby myself.
What was she thinking? I looked around me for some helpno
neighbors in sightonly pastel-painted houses with closed doors and
curtains.
Again, my brother headed up the steep hill pushing the pedals
with all of his might, totally disregarding my warning.
Dan, please dont speed down the hill! Im going to tell mom and
youre going to get in big trouble! I yelled at my brother in frustration.
Yet, once again a fuzzy blur zoomed past me and all I could hear
was sinister snickering as my brother purposefully disobeyed me.
What a brat, I thought. What was I going to do? He was out of
control, but having the time of his life.
My brother had made it once again to the top of the concrete hill.
At this point, I was sick to my stomach and scared to death for my
brother. What if he got really hurt? I had to try one last time to be
the responsible older sister.
Daniel Christopher Lukins! Do not speed down the hill again! Im
not going to say it again! I hollered in the loudest voice possible, as if
I were talking on a loud speaker.
I saw a faint sparkle in my brothers pearly white teeth as he
smiled from ear to ear. Then, he pushed off one foot and proceeded
down the hill, the wind pressing back the skin on his face.
Faster and faster he sped down the street laughing aloud as he
went. Suddenly, his handlebars began to wiggle. His hands gripped the
bars tighter as he fought for control of this beast of a bike. His eyes
widened in fear as the front wheel of his bike gave out turning abruptly

to the left. In a flash, my brothers arms and legs flailing about in the
air flipped over the handlebars that betrayed him. In the air for
seconds he flew like a bird dodging bullets until he finally hit face to
concretethose poor pearly whites cracking upon impact.
I screamed in horror as I saw my brother fall, just as I had
imagined it time and again in my worried mind. I ran toward my bloodsoaked brother who was crying salty tears of regret. I carefully
helped him up and guided him into the house as he limped beside me.
Inside, we washed his face clean of blood and rough dirt and
gravel, and my brother stopped crying. Once I had done all I could to
help clean him up, I gave him a hug and asked, Are you alright?
Yes, my brother replied. But it really hurts.
What really hurts? I asked, still a bit worried how my mom
would react to my brothers injury.
My teeth, my humbled brother responded trying to catch his
breath and not cry again. As he said that, I noticed something
missinghis front tooth!
Open your mouth, I hastily instructed my brother.
He opened wide and as I suspected, he had lost his front tooth!
You stay here and rest, I said to my brother calmly. I sprinted
outside and followed the trail of red dots untilAha! My brothers lost
tooth! I felt like a lucky pirate who had found treasure!
I ventured back to my brothers room and presented the treasure
to my brother.
Hey, at least the tooth fairy will visit sooner, I encouraged my
still-shaken brother.
Yah, replied my brother with a toothless smile. Im sorry I
didnt listen to you, my brother apologized.
In the end, my brother learned a valuable lesson in listening, and
I learned to be a responsible big sis.

676 words