Who We'll Be

+Sky's first chapter POV+

I can’t believe I just bought this.

This isso stupid.

What was I thinking?

She won’t take this.

She doesn’t even know me.

Maybe she won’t even like me if shedid know me.

And besides, I’m just nine, and she even looks a year younger. We’re too young to have a relationship if shedid like me.

I guess I better bring this back to the store...

“Sky, c’mon lets play—whoa...what is that you’re holding?”

I almost jumped out of surprise from the bench I was seated when I heard Matt’s voice that suddenly came from nowhere.

I looked around, and saw him standing on the left side of the bench, holding a ball—we always go and play at the basketball court near the playground with other friends every afternoon—and he was looking back at me with a bewildered expression, despite the fact that I’m the one who should be surprised because of his unexpected appearance.

“Nothing!”

I hid the lollipop behind me, but it was too late—Matt had already seen it.

He made a disgusted face.

“Ew dude...that’s for girls! You bought that?”

After a short minute of scrutinizing me, his eyes suddenly grew wide.

“No way...don’t tell me...you’re...”

“I didn’t buy this for myself, idiot!” I blurted out.

Matt chuckled.

“Oh really? For who?”

“For—“

“For that girl over there, near the swing.” Rowena suddenly appeared next to me out of nowhere, and pointed to the girl on the far side of the playground.

Rowena is a good friend of mine, but we don’t always hang out, but we talk a lot whenever we get the chance. She’s really pretty, but don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any feelings for her or anything. She’s like our big sister, despite the fact that Matt and I were a bit older than her.

“Sky always look at her whenever she’s here at the playground,” Rowena sniggered.

“I do not.”

Matt chuckled and punched my arm.

“Ooh, lookie here..Sky’s in love!”

“Shut up.”

“I think Sky’s going to be making a move now, before someone else does!” Rowena said, staring at the lollipop in my hand.

“But I’m not planning to—“

“Okay. See you at the basketball court later!” Matt said, dribbling the ball as he walked towards the basketball court.

“Wait—“

“Sky, holding back will get you nowhere,” Rowena said. “Make a move before it’s too late. Okay…see you later, my friends are calling me on the seesaw.”

She’s got a point...

* * *

Breathe in, Sky...

You’re just gonna give her a lollipop…you’re not asking for a date…

Okay, here goes...

I was about to walk straight towards the girl near the swing, the one I’ve been planning to give the stupid lollipop to...

...when I noticed that she wasn’t by herself.

She was with some boys.

Three boys.

Three obnoxious boys.

Worse, those boys were my enemies at school.

Oh God...not them. Of all the many other boys in the world, she just had to be with those morons. I mean, c’mon, I look more attractive than those peanut-headed bullies. All they do is bully around and act like complete idiots...

…and she’s just too pretty for them.

The boys were laughing so hard but I couldnt see the girls face because her back was turned.

Why are those boys laughing?

Is the girl laughing too?

I want to see how she laughs...

But I couldn’t see her face properly.

I’m too far away...

I tried to wait around for a bit, but she never turned around. She seemed to be focused on one of the boys…

Ugh, why the heck am I even doing this?!

This is very stupid.

And she won’t even turn around…

That’s it.

I give up…

I was about to walk away from them, heart crushed...

...when I saw the girl give a good punch to the biggest of the boys.

Right in his face.

He groaned as he nearly fell on the ground, and something flew away from his hands.

Whoa.

The girl wasn’t with them, after all. She’s against them...

...awesome.

They were a bit far away, but now I could plainly see that smile on her face as she reached for the little pouch that fell on the boy’s hand.

But the boy pushed him away.

What the...

“Why, you...!” the boy shouted.

Suddenly, he raised his fist in the air about to punch back the girl.

What the...!!!

I won’t let you do that to my girl!

I marched straight into the middle of the three idiots and her, and said...

“Hey...are you seriously gonna punch a girl?”

The biggest of the three idiots glared at me.

“Mind your own business, freak.”

“Did you just call me a freak?” I said, cracking my knuckles.

Idiots one, two and three noticed my knuckle-cracking, which gave them a clue about what I was about to do to them.

“Asking for a fight, Winter?” The biggest idiot asked.

I gave him a dark look.

“Bring it...you pile of shit.”

Without even thinking, I hit the boy hard on the face, and the two other idiots tried to fight me too. They weren’t that hard to fight, I fought tougher kids than these wimps.

After defeating them, they started running while holding the little pink pouch…

…until I realized that it must’ve been the reason why the girl was fighting them in the first place.

I ran for it, but they we’re already too far away.

I went back to the girl, and saw that there were tears hastily running down from her little gray eyes.

“Are you alright?” I asked worriedly, to make sure she wasn’t hurt or anything.

To my utmost surprise, she made a face at me.

“I could take them by myself you know!” she yelled as she sat on the swing near her.

I really thought she’d be thankful or very happy and stuff, but right now she was looking very furious and gloomy, contrary to what I had expected.

“Hey…! I saved your butt and that’s how you thank me?!”

Her tears didn’t stop falling as she rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t ask for your help! Now leave me alone!”

“Fine!” I shouted back at her.

I started walking away, but I felt heavy with every step, guilty of just leaving her like that.

At first I continued walking, but her cry made me promptly turn around and go back.

“Hey, stop crying…!” I yelled as I stood beside her.

I really thought she’d stop, but instead her sobs almost became deafening.

“Don’t cry…!” I told her as I looked her in the eyes.

At first I was immobilized, because this was the first time that we were really looking at each other, and this was the first time I realized…

…how beautiful she was.

It was then that I remembered the lollipop I was about to give her earlier.

“Here...have my candy.”

I picked up the lollipop from my pocket and gave it to her, looking away to prevent her from seeing my face turn red.

I handed her the lollipop, and I could feel electric currents shock my entire body as our hands softly touched.

“I’m Sky, by the way,” I said. “Sky Winter.”

“I’m Symmery,” she said, smiling tenderly. “Symmery Belle.”

Now I know her name…

I smiled back at her.

“What a stupid name.”

“So is yours!”

“Hey, I was just kidding!”

She just stared at the lollipop, and was silent for a moment.

“Did you buy this for yourself?” she suddenly asked.

“What? I…”

Her question made my heart pound harder than before, because I had a crazy feeling that she already knew that it was for her.

“Actually, I already… meant to give it to…”

…to you.

“to…t-to…someone.”

Shit. Why did I say that?

“Oh.” Her face fell.

Man...why does she have to look at me like that?

“To who?” she asked.

I looked away, thinking if I should just tell her the truth or not.

I spotted Rowena with some of her friends, giggling on the seesaw. She always give Matt and me some advice whenever we get into fights...maybe she could help me with this case...

“To Rowena,” Symmery suddenly said.

What?! No! FOR YOU.

“Then give it to her,” she said, trying to hand me back the lollipop.

“No, I already gave it to you.”

“But it isn’t for me.”

But it is!

“No, I was…meant to give it to you instead.”

She just stopped and smiled at me. “I-I’m sorry about earlier…and…thank you.”

I replied to her with my widest smile. “No problem.”

“So we’re friends now, right?” I asked, secretly delighted.

“Whatever you say,” she said. “But next time, I’m the one who will beat the crap out of that Kumquat-Faced-Meanie.”

I gave her a surprised but amazed look.

“Okay…so…wanna go to the basketball court with me?”

“Now? Okay! I bet you can't run faster than me!"

She stood up from the swing while still licking the lollipop and ran to the other side of the playground without waiting for me, straight to the basketball court.

It was then that I noticed what she threw on the ground.

I smiled as I picked and stared at the pink little ribbon.

So her name's Symmery...

Oh, man…

…I think I’m in love.