Me and the peculiar girl played the whole morning. I showed her around the neighborhood, the tree-ridden areas are where she was unsure to explore but I held her hand as we plowed through thick grass and randomly strewn branches. I kept apologizing repeatedly as she was getting her cane stuck in some of them.
We walked to the loud, flowing river circling the trees and the beaver dam with a family of them on top; hard at work. I always loved going here to just throw rocks and vent silently. The water also soothed my nerves. She seemed particularly interested in the tree trunk with a couple of baby birds on top
Has she never seen a nest before? I thought.
"Let me show you something," I suggested as I slowly knelt on the ground nearby and pointed at a small plant near our feet. She copied in unison, carefully planting her knees near mine.
"This is a Makahiya plant, the books say its scientific name is 'mimosa pudica', but I just call it what it is since mimosa reminds me of the alcohol my mom always used to drink when we would go out on vacation" I jokingly explained, touching the plant softly as it slowly folded itself over.
She laughed in a hearty tone, touching another one and seemingly being impressed by its reserved mechanics.
"Woah," Cassandra exclaimed. "It's like a shy plant." She added softly.
"Yep, kinda' like you" I butted in, laughing silently at her offended expression. Her scrunched up features looked cute under the shadows of the trees above us.
"I-we are not alike!" She frowned, but a smile slowly enveloped her face. She then laughed with me in return.
Walking towards a lone tree, we sat by the trunk, its thick and veiny roots added cushion to our bodies against the harsh dirt ground.
"C'mon Ms. Mysterious, you still haven't said your name to me" I exasperatedly ranted, picking at the small peaks of grass that litter the ground. A long silence enveloped us as she mulled over what to say.
"In one condition" she finally replied. Looking up at the trees above, the shadows enveloping hers and mine with their shade.
"Never call me Ms. Mysterious, ever again" she said as she broke with a laugh. I beamed a smile at her, slowly faking a disciplined soldier expression and putting my hand above my heart.
"I, Luke Watson, solemnly swear with the utmost secrecy of all secrets in the land. That I will keep the promise of never calling you..." I started and stood up, looking at her with a serious, stoic face. Gotta keep the facade up.
YOU ARE READING
Meet Me in the Middle
Teen FictionCassandra Yuan was freed from the struggles of her past when she was adopted out of the foster system; - ready to take on her life anew without looking back. But when she meets Luke Watson, the boy who lived next door, her guard starts to unravel a...
