Stuck in the moment

“Nice to meet you Brielle!” Adam’s dad smiled as he held out his hand and shook mine “That over there is Adam, he’s 11 and he doesn’t really talk much. He’s a little shy.”

Adam’s mom sat some hot chocolate down in front of me and Adam. His dad got up and started talking to his mom.

“I think she’s the daughter of that family that just moved into Owatonna.” His dad explained “Yeah in fact when I think about it she has to be. 8 years old, fair skin, kinda curly blonde hair, and beautiful blue eyes. I’m gonna go down to their house and tell them she that she here with us.”

“Alright, good. They’ll probably be worried sick when they realize she’s not there. See you when you get back,” Adam’s mom smiled as his dad left the house.

Something beeped loudly a few times.

“Oh that must be my laundry. I’ll be right back.” She smiled as she left the room.

I took a sip of my hot chocolate, and stared down at my cup, but I could still tell that Adam was looking me over curiously. I finally looked up, we met each others gaze for a split second before Adam blushed and looked down at his hot chocolate. We sat there in silence for a little bit longer, until Adam mumbled something unintelligible. I just frowned and looked intently at him hoping that would make him look up or speak up. When he realized that I wasn’t responding he looked up and caught the frown on my face. He cleared his throat and spoke again.

“Umm… you can... umm keep my jacket if you want to.” Adam mumbled softly as he drank some of more of his hot chocolate.

I smiled, suddenly feeling brave in this moment.

“Yeah, Thanks. I’d like that. It’s really warm.” I grinned.

“You’re welcome.” Adam smiled sheepishly. “Oh and welcome to Owatonna.”

“Thanks…” I whispered as I pushed my bangs out of my face.

“Umm... sure no... Problem…” Adam replied. “So you wanna go play in the leaves or something?”

I nodded “Ok.”

Adam turned away and headed out the door excitedly. I followed shyly, and we played outside in the leaves all night until my parents could find the time to come get me. By that time I had felt better like maybe living here I could actually make some friends even if we didn’t talk to each other very much. After that I got enrolled in the elementary school there, but after school or on the weekends I always found myself wandering towards Adam’s house weather I had wanted to or not. Most of the time I’d just go sit by the big oak tree, feeling the best and the safest right there, and most of the time Adam would find me and we’d just sit there in silence together, neither one of us brave enough to actually do much talking. We did this for two months straight as September turn to October and then to November. The chilly air got colder and almost all the leaves had fallen off the trees by this time. A few years passed and every once and a while I’d go over and sit by that oak tree. Sometimes he’d be there too, then we’d talk a bit and other times it would just be me there. When I hit 11 and he was 14 he was almost never out there for his uncle loaned him a guitar and there was no pulling him away from that thing. I stopped coming to the oak tree in Adam’s back yard. He was too preoccupied with his life and I with mine. I’d see him around town every once in while and wondered if he even remembered me at all. 2 more years passed in this little Minnesota town when things were getting really hard for me. My parents were always working, and when they weren’t they spent a lot of time fighting, this wasn’t usual. This wasn’t my life. I sighed and gave up on the homework that I had been doing, as I heard them arguing from their room again. I stuck my curly blonde hair into a pony- tail and headed out the door in my white t-shirt and gray sweat pants. It was November, so it was getting kinda cold out and all the colors were fading but I didn’t really care. I just had to get away from my house somehow. I wandered the lonely quiet streets of the quiet little town of Owatonna, not even knowing where I was headed. That was until I took in some familiar sights. Then I knew exactly where I would end up. I went to the same place I had ever since we had first moved to Owatonna; the big oak tree in Adam’s backyard. I hadn’t been here in so long it felt like I was in a dream that I would soon be awakened from. I sat down by the oak tree, on the cold hard, left covered ground, pulled my knees up too my chest, buried my face in my knees and starting crying. I cried for hours, as hard as I could, not even trying to stop, or not even caring if anyone saw me. When I had finally got my tears under control I lifted my head up and looked to the side half expecting to see Adam sitting there grinning from ear to ear as he tended to do whenever I was down. Instead of Adam I found a bright green post-it note sitting there in the grass. I sniffled, wiped the remaining tears from my face and picked up the note.