Map out Your Great Escape

I couldn't believe he responded.
Not only did he respond, but he remembered..
me.

I couldn't believe I never wrote back.
Not only did I never respond, but I don't think I never can.

Yes, its been 10 long years.
So no, I'm not the little second grader that fit snugly into the crook of Christofer's neck..
As much as I wish I could be right now.

I felt myself make a face as involuntarily shivers ran down my spine.

"You left ten years ago." I remind myself silently, staring up a the ceiling.

I sighed.
The green symbols of my alarm clock showed a time my eyes weren't used to seeing.

Stretching, I threw back the sheets and made my way out of the still dark room.

"If I ever meant anything to him, he would have talked to me himself." I thought bitterly, walking down the stairs to the kitchen.

But once I flipped the kitchen lights on, my mind took on a softer train of thought.

"January!"
Christofer calls my name in the distance.

Bringing my hands to my lips, I giggle quietly.
The way he calls my name makes my stomach dance.

Finally, I could make out his profile in the leaves.

Quickly, I placed my hands behind me, and leaned back on them. Head down, facing my bare feet, I began to swish them around in the cool river water.

The sound of sticks snapping fill my ears and suddenly he's sitting next to me.
And a little closer than usual.

It's quiet for a moment, while he's settling down into the spongy moss that grew by the river we knew so well.

"So.. how's Willow?"
I broke the silence with a surprisingly unwaivering voice.

Smiling now, I waited for his answer.

"She's with our parents," he whispers. The atmosphere softens with his voice.

"I think they're going to the hospital. All I know is we're supposed to stay here. The grown ups just sent me to stay with you," he continues.

The butterflies seemed to double in my stomach.
We were alone?

"Oh."

A noise of his affirmation hummed from his mouth as he joined me in kicking the water.

For a while, it seemed the world tip-toe-ing around us.

All I could hear was the sound of us splashing, and for the life of me, it took all I got to not to gawk foolishly at the being next to me.

But my thoughts were stilled by cool water running down the side of my shirt and arm.

I looked at him to find a devilish smirk on his lips.

Grinning devilishly myself, I got up slowly.
"Oh, you're so gonna get it."

He jumped up himself and placed his pale white hands on his cheeks in play fear,
"I'm shaking!"

"Oh no, That's it!"

And the race was on.

I don't know how long we ran or how far along the river we went.
What I do know is that somewhere along the line Christofer managed to sneak up behind me and, the next thing I knew, I was standing knee high, sopping wet, in the middle of a river.

Christofer was standing proudly at the bank, hands on his hips and chest poofed out like a super hero, smiling like a fool who just won the lottery.

My mouth was still in a small 'O' when a very odd look passed over his features.
Something along the border of being confused and.. Smitten?

But then a splash was heard and my mouth only open wider.
Christofer was wading through the water, shoes left at the bank and jeans rolled up to meet his knees.

By this point he was stand in front of me.
Just close enough, I could feel the tips of his always messy hair touching my forehead.

Soon enough, ice cold fingers touched my chin, gently pushing.
Once my own mouth was closed, he leaned impossibly closer and looked me in the eye.
"You should close your mouth," the murmur reached my ears was enough to make me stand rigid, "...don't want to catch a fly."

He smirked at me, and I bit my lip to suppress the grin I felt coming on, myself.

But I didn't have to try for long.
After our light laughter died down, the butterflies erupted once again.
Two fold, when another light touch tilted my chin towards him.

And I couldn't even think when the distance was finally gone.

A shiver broke my reverie.

I found myself grinning toothily at the soggy cereal on the counter.
A fresh set of goosebumps had erupted down my arms and legs and I couldn't help the urge I had to rub them away.

Still smiling, I shakily made my way to the sink and dumped my sad excuse of a breakfast down the disposal and filled the bowl with sudsy water.

After a few minutes, I caught myself still staring down into the sink, water and steam gushing from the faucet.

"Oh, stop being so stupid!" I demanded myself silently as I turned the valve.

Slightly annoyed now at my lack of self control, I stood.

Out the kitchen and quickly through the hallway I went, before plopping myself on the dark den's generations old recliner.

Sinking back into the soft fuzz of large seat, I blinked in the darkness.

Not just to adjust my eyes to the clear black, but to cope with a new thought.
For now, I was alone.

"January?"

A hum arose from my throat.
"Yes?" I whispered to the dark sky.

Christofer ducked his 8 year old head through the small glass window and settled down next to me.

I had only known this boy for a year, but in that year he'd managed to steal my first kiss and, interestingly enough, the thing that stopped beating whenever he was near.

"It really sucks that you're moving," he murmured, staring straight forward.

thwack

"Ow! What was that for?" he questioned, gingerly fingering his forearm.

"Watch your mouth," I half smiled to him.

But, I watched as his mouth pursed into a straight line and he lifted himself off the edge and back towards the window.

Panicked, I ran after him, grabbing a firm hold on his wrist.
"Wait, don't go."

Still holding on, I sat, tugging him along with me.

Apologizing, I took hold of his hand and held it.
“Sorry… I’m gonna miss you, you know.”

“Me too..”

Silence.

“You know something?” he asked, turning to me.

I felt my brows scrunch together, ”What?”

He smiled, and crossed his legs Indian style.
“When I’m older, I’m gonna play tennis like daddy or I’m gonna be in a band.”

A wistful look made his eyes glimmer, and I could feel the pink creep onto my cheeks.

“Either way, I’m going to make sure I get to travel the country.” He continued with a determined tone.

“Huh? Why?”

“Why? Well, duh why!” he looked me straight in the eye,

“So I still can see you.”

The second those words left his lips, the smile that erupted on my face was inevitable.

“You really mean that, Chris?”

He made an ‘X’ over his heart, “Swear.”

“Pinky swear?”

He then removed his hand that was still in my grip and, placing it in his own, wrapped our pinkies together again.

My smile grew impossibly bigger and a fresh one found its way to him as well.

But our moment was short lived,
“Christofer? January?”

With suppressed giggles and wide eyes we dashed through the window and into my room.

I clamped and locked the sliding glass as Christofer made his place, cross legged at the foot of my bed.
I joined him a split second before the door swung open.

“That’s where you two kids were! Willow’s been looking all over for you!” my mother smiled at us in the doorway, a 7 year old Willow clinging to her pajama pants.

Willow silently padded across the soft white carpet and sat on her bed to the right of mine. Yawning, she smiled at us and got under the covers.

“Goodnight Willow,” my mother cooed, “You two should probably get to bed too.”

Christofer lifted himself off mine and headed to the left. Lifting the covers, I followed suit into my own sheets.

I shivered as the cold made contact with my arms and legs, but nestled into their comfort anyway.

Once my mother padded out of the room, and the door was closed with a satisfying clink, I whispered into the dark.

“Chris?”

Nothing except for Willow’s light breathing.

“Christofer?”

“Hmm…?”

“Will you come to watch me leave?”

He sighed.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

I roughly wiped my face.
An odd tickling sensation was running down my cheeks and it took a minute to realize from what.

I was.. crying?

“Oh, fuck..” I cursed into darkness.

I hadn’t met this boy in ten years and he already had me tearing at the thought of him.

I’m not even sure if I’m sad, or just downright pissed that he never showed up.

I decided on choice two.

Finally drying the rest of my face with my sleeve, I could feel the rising heat from even the tips of my bare toes.

He promised.
He swore on his heart and our 8 year old pinkies that he’d come back.

I mean, how do you miss your best friend moving away?
What, is your dentist appointment unshakable?
Could you not bear the thought of missing a second of some fucking reality show?

The more time passed that I sat on the old fraying recliner, the more reason I had to run up to my room and delete those emails.

Those stupid emails that messe every-

Ding! Dong!

What the hell?

Glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner, the time read somewhere around 6 in the morning.

“Who the fuck rings my door bell at 6 in the morning?” I thought bitterly.

Thoughts clouded, I stormed into the foyer and flung the door open.

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are bu-“

My eyes widened, then, glared.

“You.”