Little Boy Blue

Prologue // Red Meets Blue

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     WELL, IT FIRST STARTED many years ago, back when I was still six. In my younger days, I was loud, very loud — not that my talking habits changed throughout the years, but I'm just saying that I was (and still is) loud.

      Once "classes" were over, I headed to the public park and went to the playground like I always did. With my playmates, I sat on the swing set, attempted running up to the top of the slide, played with the sand on the sand box and other activities. I was basically goofing around with a couple of kids, when I spotted a red blanket that was a lot bigger than me at that time.

     As soon as I got hold of the blanket, I placed it behind me and draped it over my small shoulders, making it seem like it was some kind of cape. "Yay, Superman," I exclaimed, a grin across my face, when a voice startled me.

         And that was when I first met him.

      "You're Superwoman," he corrected, irritated, "you're not a boy."

     I looked over at the direction the voice came from, seeing a boy a year older than me (at that time) sitting at the base of the slide. His leg over his other leg, he had his arm resting on his knee with his chin on the palm of his hand. He had a blue polo shirt and white shorts, paired with blue and grey rubber shoes. And most importantly, he was wearing a scowl on his face.

       "You d'n't know tha'!" I snapped, my Australian accent thick.

       "'Course I do," he said, eyeing me from head to toe.

       "Well, I c'n be boy if I w'nted to!" I retorted.

       "No, you can't," he insisted.

     My brows furrowed, I scrunched my nose. "Well, what d'you know? Leave m'alone," I huffed, my pronunciation of words all messed up.

      I swiveled around and made my exit, when he stopped me calmly. "Stop, thief," he said in a monotonous voice.

      "What?" I looked back at him, puzzled.

     He was still sitting at the base of the slide, his expression still blank and the same, as though he didn't move an inch. He pointed at the red blanket over my shoulders. "That's mine," he stated. "You're stealing it."

      I jerked back. "Nope," I said in my defense, which I believed was a pretty good comeback at that age. I blew raspberries at him, but he kept a blank face on.

     "Give it back," he said.

    "No!" I cried, clutching onto the red blanket defensively.

    "Okay."

    "No— wait," I looked at him funnily. "Wha'?"

    "What?" he repeated.

    "You not 'gonna take it?" I asked, confused.

      The boy shook his head. "Nope," he said. Then he stopped for a moment, thinking for a while, before looking up at me again, his dark eyes locked on mine. "You know what," he began, "that blue hat for my red blanket."

     I looked up to see a blue hat on my head. It was a cheap cap my mom saw at a garage sale. I shrugged, took the cap and threw it to his direction. "Now can'a keep i'?" I asked, gesturing at the red blanket.

      The boy nodded, taking the blue cap and putting it over his head. "I guess," he said. Once he wore the hat, he looked down on the ground and then stayed quiet. I stared at him before he looked back. "What?"

      "Why'you a'ways sad?" I asked curiously, my head slightly tilted to the side. "You'ook um, you look blue."

    The boy cocked a brow. "So?"

    I pouted. "You're like Li'le Boy Blue."

    He frowned. "What do you mean?"

         "Li'le Boy Blue don't like goin' to people and um," I stammered, "uh, he only like bein' alone." I knelt down in front of him to get a clear look on his face.

       Dark eyes, pointed nose, thin lips, lines on his forehead and skin tone slightly darker than mine. And most importantly, he had a scowl on his face, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed. Little Boy Blue.

      "What your name?" I asked bravely. I wasn't one to make friends by asking the person's name, but right now, I felt like it was necessary to ask him name.

      Boy Blue crossed his arms. "Why don't you annoy someone else?" he rolled his eyes.

      I frowned. "Meanie," I retorted, but I didn't move an inch. "C'mon! Tell me!"

      Little Boy Blue only sighed in frustration. "If I tell you, will you stop irritating me?" he stared intently at me.

     I grinned childishly, displaying my teeth. "Maybe?" I sang playfully.

      He narrowed his eyes at me, then sighed again, obviously pissed off. "You're like Little Red Riding Hood," he said, "you always take risks and you like living wildly."

       In response, I smiled. "Thanks," I replied.

      Little Boy Blue looked up at the sky, his head rolled back. "It wasn't a compliment," he mumbled, his hands on his lap.

       I huffed, annoyed. "Fine," I snapped before I begin to walk away, my shoes brushing through the grass, when his voice stopped me from walking off.

      "I thought you wanted to know my name?" his voice called out, hushed but loud.

      I swiveled around and turned at him, my eyes on his. He was looking right back at me, dead in the eye. There was pause, and I didn't dare interrupt the sound of silence.

      The silence was deafening, but I loved every single second of it. Then I realized we were alone in the park - just me and Boy Blue.

      "Jay," he began, staring into my eyes, and I felt my back shudder, the hair on arms standing erect. "I'm Jay Evans."

       I paused for a moment, taking in the information. "Athena Fletcher," I said, my voice slightly muffled.

       Jay, which I thought was impossible at this point, smiled a little. "Nice meeting you, Little Red Riding Hood," he said jokingly, displaying his teeth.

       Seeing him — a boy who kept scowling since the second I met him — smile softened my heart. I grinned in response, a genuine smile, at that. "Nice meetin' you," I replied back enthusiastically, "Li'le Boy Blue."

      That was only the beginning of how Little Red Riding Hood met Little Boy Blue.

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Psst. New story. Woot woot :3

- chev