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Five summers ago.
Five summers ago was a very different time. It was a simpler time for me, I had friends who I was inseparable with, a treehouse we all go to, and a boy I loved.
Love. It's such a harsh word to say, I mean, I was twelve back then and I called the thing that we shared 'love'. And I was sure he called it with the same name.
I guess you could say he and I were different. He was a few months older than me. I was born on September, he was born on July. He was a brunett and I was a redhead. He was the crisp warmth of summer while I was the campy feel of autumn. He was perfection and I was simple. He went away and left me while I stayed and felt a sad pang in my heart.
I can still recall our last summer, it was rather weird. Raindrops were landing on my head as twelve year-old me headed home from her last day of school. Normally, the first day of summer would be scorching, but that day, it seemed like the sun was upset and covered itself with the stormy clouds. I didn't bothered though, it was nice getting a little rain to combat the heat of the summer.
The light drizzle started to turn into a heavy shower. I ran to the nearest place with a roof nearby, and it so happened sheltered, twelve year-old Aiden Sage Whitaker; in his freckled perfection; sitting on a bench as he stared at the rain's showers dripping down from the roof. Little me composed myself for I was beside the effervescent boy who I was infatuated with back then.
He didn't seem to notice me though. Until he called my name, "So Emma," I slightly jolt up from surprise. "Y-yeah?" I turn to him as I curled a small lock of my hair with my index finger.
"It's pretty ironic for heavy rain to show up on the first day of summer, huh?" He jerked a small smile. I look at the rain and saw that it hasn't stopped, "Well, when it's summer here in Virginia, it's very hot. So I wouldn't mind a little rain, even if it's the first day of summer." I answered his question.
Little Aiden chuckled, his laugh was very quirky and childish, it made me laugh too. "So..." He paused for a moment, I looked at him, "... There's this carnival opening up next week..." He paused again, "... And I was hoping if you could..."
"Sure."
"What?"
"Sure."
Then he smiled, I can feel his happiness just radiating because of my response. I smiled back at him, I couldn't lie, I liked it too and I was beyond happy. I was so happy and ecstatic, I really couldn't wait for next week to come. I already picked out a pretty sundress and stole one of my sister's perfumes and kept it with me. I even begged my mom to lend me her little bag that swung across my chest whenever I wear it, she let me only if I let her be my chaperone. Reluctantly, I accepted.
But then the day came, I went to the carnival and waited. But he never showed up. He also didn't show up the day after that, and the day after that.
Since we were neighbors, I went to his house to check up on him. Maybe he was sick when the carnival opened or maybe his mom didn't let him; I know Mrs. Whitaker, she's stricter than my mom, and my mom is very strict. But when the door opened, a woman I didn't know peeked out and looked at me.
Turns out, they moved to another state. His dad got a promotion and it required him to move to Maine. It was sad for me, very sad. And ever since that day, we never kept in touch.
Until today, I wonder, if he'd go to the carnival with me, would he still stay in touch with me. Or what if his dad never got promoted and he never moved, would I have ever been get closer to him. There were a million possibilities and consequences that could be formulated in my head.
All I know is that the past is the past. There's nothing I could do about it. But there was always one question that would run over and over at the back of my head:
Can we still go back to the way we were five summers ago?
