Arrow Lake dragon’s gamble

He was booored.

That was why he was out on that ledge that mom had told them not to go to, wondering just how close he could get to the edge. His heart pounded in his ears as he nudged his toes closer, feeling his nails leave earth and hang over the precipice.

But then Meerkat was back, announcing that grandma would be coming to them, and Ray scrambled back toward his siblings, hopeful she had not seen him. The guilty light in his eye and the uneasy slant of his grin gave away his misbehaviour no matter how he tried to hide it, but he slid down next to Fish like he'd been there the whole time. No way she'd seen him out there, right? And anyway, she couldn't really get mad at him here in front of everyone, could she? She wouldn't embarrass him like that... Would she?

He lifted his nose to point up the slope, squinting for a first look at those who were coming down, and feeling his tail tick nervously side-to-side.