Girl On The Run

23

"The giving tree." He mumbled under his breath. Drea took notice of his trembling hands as he scanned their surroundings anxiously. 

They were only in his backyard sitting against a large oak tree, there was no reason to be so afraid. Little did Drea know of the horrors that the young child was forced to bear on his trip.

"Really, how come?" Drea took his small shaking hands in her own and gave him a reassuring look. His once tense body settled down and he gave her a grateful smile. 

Only his Drea can pull him from his darkest spells. 

Drea ran her fingers across his hands and felt a ragged scar on the skin of his hand. She didn't want to say anything about it because the last time she questioned the markings on his body he had a mental breakdown and she didn't hear from him for three full weeks.

"Go on." She encouraged as she attempted to swallow down the concern for the boy she loved since she met him. 

"Because..." His words trailed off and he looked away shyly with a faint blush across his golden skin. The bright sun-glazed across his sparkling eyes and she felt nothing but adoration for the adorable boy that had the softest hands. 

"Because?" Drea giggled. 

Ant brought their tiny interlocked fingers to his face and hid his flushed face.

"It reminds me of you." 

Drea gasped in fake hurt and clutched her chest.

"I'm offended that you think I'm a tree!" 

Ant gave her a huge smile and brought her hands back into his missing her touch. He interlocked their fingers and laughed. 

"You're the kid and I'm the tree." 

Drea rolled her eyes and pouted. 

"So now I'm a boy."

"No!" Ant giggled.

"That story is about a mother and son, Ms. Lewis said." Drea corrected. She loved language arts and paid close attention to everything her teacher stated.

"Okay, know-it-all." Ant laughed. 

"Antonio!"  Drea rolled her beautiful brown eyes and Ant blushed at the beauty this kind girl contained inside and out.

Drea could be green, she could be an alien, a monster, even a shark and he would always love her. Although her beauty was a bonus, it was her character that made her enchanting. 

Her dark brown eyes and dark hair never failed to hypnotize Antonio. But her voice, her laugh, and her dimpled smile made him feel like he was on top of the world, especially when it was a result of him. 

She was his forever and although they were young he was possessive of her nonetheless. But the biggest wish Antonio had was to never hurt her because he was capable of dark things that he so deeply struggled to suppress. 

"Well in my mind I give you as much as you need no matter what because you're my bestest friend."

"Bestest isn't a word dingus." Drea tried to mask the girly smile on her face but failed to do so when Ant squished her rosy cheeks. 

"Cutie." He smiled. 

"Loser." She retorted. 

___

Antonio read that book to me every day of our childhood. And soon that book became my favorite as well. 

I don't know or understand how we went from that to what we are now. Every second of every day I wish I had a time machine.