The Older We Get

Chapter 81

                When I was 15 years old, I met a boy.

3 years younger than me, hiding behind his mother and in serious need of a friend. It wasn't really me who elected to be that friend, but it was me who did more than embrace the idea.

I'd like to say I took it easy on him and respected that he was shy or a bit of an introvert, but I didn't, and made him sit on a bicycle with me as we rode down a steep hill watching cherry blossoms fly up after the wheels zoomed past them.

I scared him at first, but pretty soon he started laughing and his eyes began to glow and shine.

After that, the following summer we lived through was made up of memories that grew due to how inseparable we became.

Nobody really ever existed when we acted like imbeciles.

It was an unlikely friendship now that I think about it, but back then, it was so very obvious that this 12 year old would be my main man.

Two of a kind.

We both were a little sad when he left, I think he cried, not in front of me though, but since we planned to keep in touch, we both got over being bummed.

However, we didn't stay in touch.

The more time went on, the less we communicated, and it wasn't even a year until everything vanished except for that summer.

Soon it'll be 4 years instead of 3.

I keep thinking about then lately. How it's so similar to the day he came back, beautiful and amazing sitting on my bedroom floor with a blanket over him, changed and a little strange, but it turned out we became closer than either of us imagined we could.

Gone again though.

Just like December and the beginning of January.

Snow is barely a factor, Vernon Oaks will start to bloom again, and I'll be running the charity race near the end of the month along with graduating, turning 19 in February, and still being clueless about what to do with my life.

Not much has changed in a way, yet again, tons of things have.

My lips are healed, my hair is cut shorter drifting at my shoulder blades, layered and still the same shade of blonde, eyes not so tired, energy back in my life, on top of things that get me by day to day, and working again with Jenny and Joshua.

At school, I'm coaching just fine, Katelyn did end up dropping the extra classes but in gym, in the hallways and in the lunchroom, her and Trey have actually drawn away from their fellow students and decided to join me one time since I mostly eat alone now.

It's gotten to the point we're completely at ease with each other and what's more bizarre Katelyn and I even mess with Trey at times, like we're friends.

I guess it's no use pretending not to be anymore.

Logan's back teaching and helping me with training, dads gotten over everything and we're the same as we used to be, mom more or less too, but she's still pissed about me and the forgotten future of being a pro in the medical field.

All of this feels like a person with a life, like everybody, who has some bad points and good points. On the surface and on the general, it does seem like something that would make a soul content, maybe even happy, and I'm better off now than before, but just because I avoid the snow globe and ring doesn't mean I've moved on.