November Fourteenth
Birthday
It was November 14th, aka Maddie Smith's 15 birthday. She sat out on her front porch as a gust of wind softly blew past her. It was a chilly Saturday morning, yet she often came out on mornings to relax and just think. The sun was shining brightly, although not much of it's warmth could be felt. In her hands was a cup of hot chocolate, and around her body was a cashmere sweater. It was all total bliss to her at this moment, because she could see the golden red leaves in front of her, and she could catch a whiff of the wafting aroma of pastries emanating from the corner bakery. She took in every detail, every color, every smell, every feeling. The surrounding environment in itself seemed to be a good enough present for her. Maddie sighed, almost wishing that this moment wouldn't end.
"Hey Maddie, can I join you?" She turned and saw her neighbor, Nathan Thomas, standing on the edge of the steps. He lived at the end of the block (about 10 houses down) and he was one of her best friends. She knew he could trust him with anything. Her eyes lingered over his messy black hair and then traveled to his thin, lanky form, his hands in their familiar position- in his pockets, and his worn sneakers.
"Uh...fine, just pull up a chair," Maddie replied, gesturing towards the empty chairs surrounding her. He did as he was told, and smiled.
"It's your birthday today. Finally, you're getting older. Now you're as old as me," he joked, lightly punching her in the shoulder.
"Yep, I'm getting older. So where's my birthday present?" She asked, grinning expectantly. He sighed and looked down.
"Yeah, about that...I forgot to get you something, so..." he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking as if he didn't care. Maddie stared at him.
"Oh, um..okay, well, that doesn't really matter, I mean-"
"Maddie, do you honestly think I would forget? Here." He pulled a colorfully wrapped present from behind him and gave it to her. She opened it excitedly, wanting to see what he gave her, and after getting rid of all of the extra colored tissue paper, she smiled.
"Aw, it's a cute little orange stuffed tiger! Aw, stuffed animals are so cute..." She smiled and began petting its head, laughing at Nathan's confused 'what the hell' expression.
"Man, you girls and your stuffed animals..." he shook his head. He sighed, and stood up. "Well, that's all I came here for. Remember? I'm moving today." Maddie looked up, and sighed. He had told her this a couple of days ago at school. Suddenly the warm and cordial atmosphere disappeared. The cold weather and harsh reality took over.
"Oh yeah, right, I forgot." She stood up slowly, faced him, and looked directly into his green eyes, while he stared right back at her blue ones. "I'm going to miss you a lot, you were pretty much the only guy friend I had that I actually trusted." She smiled weakly, and gave him a hug. She breathed in deeply, wondering to herself why she had taken this boy for granted all these years. He was always there for her, yet she assumed that would always be the case. She never stopped and thought of the possibility that Nathan, the guy she secretly had a small crush on, might actually not be there when she needed him, because as far as she could remember, that never happened. As her arms remained wrapped around him, she knew she'd miss this warm feeling so much. She also knew she had to tell him.
Nathan was the first to let go. He held Maddie's shoulders with his hands and looked at her. "I'm gonna miss you, Maddie. I better go now, my parents said I only had a short time to come here." He saluted her, a familiar gesture that Maddie had always seen but never appreciated until this very moment. It's funny how words said in a matter of seconds could mean such a big deal.
"Bye." She waved goodbye, and watched as he slowly started his short way back home. After about a minute had passed and Nathan was already a quarter way down the path, Maddie came rushing after him, wondering in the back of her mind what was she doing. Her feet pounded down the pavement, and she finally caught him. She tapped the back of his shoulder.
"Maddie?" He questioned, confused. "Do you need anything?"
"Uh...no...I just...I..I have to say..." Maddie stammered, but she couldn't get the words out. She was tongue tied. She knew exactly what she wanted to say in her head, but her mouth wouldn't follow. She sighed. "Nothing...just...thank you, for the present..." she finished, shaking her head and waving her hand. "Thanks." She repeated.
"Ah, no problem." He smiled, and looked at her one more time. He started to head off toward the direction of his house, and Maddie started walking home, hanging her head. "Hey Maddie?" She perked up, and looked around. Nathan walked over to her. "There's just one thing I have to say. But first..." He stopped in mid sentence, causing Maddie to question.
"Yeah? What?"
"You have something on your cheek." He pointed out. Maddie immediately went into a crazed panic.
"Oh, gee, really?" She began wiping her face, trying to eradicate the stain. "I didn't know that, thanks for-" she was cut off, and at that moment, all she could feel was the sweet taste of his lips on hers. He took her by surprise, and she was happy. She put her hands around his neck, and went on kissing him. And even though it was a chilly November afternoon, it felt warm. This kiss had passion, but it wasn't too overbearing. They broke apart, and stared at each other for a moment.
"I will definitely call you, Maddie." Nathan said, smiling and nodding his head repeatedly. Maddie grinned, happy he felt the same way.
"Okay," she said in a high pitched tone. She looked around for a second, gave him one more quick kiss, waved, and walked back towards her house, leaving Nathan to stare.
Ah, November 14th.
"Hey Maddie, can I join you?" She turned and saw her neighbor, Nathan Thomas, standing on the edge of the steps. He lived at the end of the block (about 10 houses down) and he was one of her best friends. She knew he could trust him with anything. Her eyes lingered over his messy black hair and then traveled to his thin, lanky form, his hands in their familiar position- in his pockets, and his worn sneakers.
"Uh...fine, just pull up a chair," Maddie replied, gesturing towards the empty chairs surrounding her. He did as he was told, and smiled.
"It's your birthday today. Finally, you're getting older. Now you're as old as me," he joked, lightly punching her in the shoulder.
"Yep, I'm getting older. So where's my birthday present?" She asked, grinning expectantly. He sighed and looked down.
"Yeah, about that...I forgot to get you something, so..." he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking as if he didn't care. Maddie stared at him.
"Oh, um..okay, well, that doesn't really matter, I mean-"
"Maddie, do you honestly think I would forget? Here." He pulled a colorfully wrapped present from behind him and gave it to her. She opened it excitedly, wanting to see what he gave her, and after getting rid of all of the extra colored tissue paper, she smiled.
"Aw, it's a cute little orange stuffed tiger! Aw, stuffed animals are so cute..." She smiled and began petting its head, laughing at Nathan's confused 'what the hell' expression.
"Man, you girls and your stuffed animals..." he shook his head. He sighed, and stood up. "Well, that's all I came here for. Remember? I'm moving today." Maddie looked up, and sighed. He had told her this a couple of days ago at school. Suddenly the warm and cordial atmosphere disappeared. The cold weather and harsh reality took over.
"Oh yeah, right, I forgot." She stood up slowly, faced him, and looked directly into his green eyes, while he stared right back at her blue ones. "I'm going to miss you a lot, you were pretty much the only guy friend I had that I actually trusted." She smiled weakly, and gave him a hug. She breathed in deeply, wondering to herself why she had taken this boy for granted all these years. He was always there for her, yet she assumed that would always be the case. She never stopped and thought of the possibility that Nathan, the guy she secretly had a small crush on, might actually not be there when she needed him, because as far as she could remember, that never happened. As her arms remained wrapped around him, she knew she'd miss this warm feeling so much. She also knew she had to tell him.
Nathan was the first to let go. He held Maddie's shoulders with his hands and looked at her. "I'm gonna miss you, Maddie. I better go now, my parents said I only had a short time to come here." He saluted her, a familiar gesture that Maddie had always seen but never appreciated until this very moment. It's funny how words said in a matter of seconds could mean such a big deal.
"Bye." She waved goodbye, and watched as he slowly started his short way back home. After about a minute had passed and Nathan was already a quarter way down the path, Maddie came rushing after him, wondering in the back of her mind what was she doing. Her feet pounded down the pavement, and she finally caught him. She tapped the back of his shoulder.
"Maddie?" He questioned, confused. "Do you need anything?"
"Uh...no...I just...I..I have to say..." Maddie stammered, but she couldn't get the words out. She was tongue tied. She knew exactly what she wanted to say in her head, but her mouth wouldn't follow. She sighed. "Nothing...just...thank you, for the present..." she finished, shaking her head and waving her hand. "Thanks." She repeated.
"Ah, no problem." He smiled, and looked at her one more time. He started to head off toward the direction of his house, and Maddie started walking home, hanging her head. "Hey Maddie?" She perked up, and looked around. Nathan walked over to her. "There's just one thing I have to say. But first..." He stopped in mid sentence, causing Maddie to question.
"Yeah? What?"
"You have something on your cheek." He pointed out. Maddie immediately went into a crazed panic.
"Oh, gee, really?" She began wiping her face, trying to eradicate the stain. "I didn't know that, thanks for-" she was cut off, and at that moment, all she could feel was the sweet taste of his lips on hers. He took her by surprise, and she was happy. She put her hands around his neck, and went on kissing him. And even though it was a chilly November afternoon, it felt warm. This kiss had passion, but it wasn't too overbearing. They broke apart, and stared at each other for a moment.
"I will definitely call you, Maddie." Nathan said, smiling and nodding his head repeatedly. Maddie grinned, happy he felt the same way.
"Okay," she said in a high pitched tone. She looked around for a second, gave him one more quick kiss, waved, and walked back towards her house, leaving Nathan to stare.
Ah, November 14th.