I Fell For You

“So I start the Halfpipe tomorrow.” Shaun said as we walked back to my Hotel room.
“Really? What do you have to do to win Gold?” I asked, not exactly sure how it all worked. I was never really one to watch the Olympics and, though I had gone with Shaun and his family to the mountains many times when we were younger, I had never watched professional Snowboarding before.
Shaun explained to me how you have two runs to get the best score you can get out of 50.
“Well, I’ll be sure to watch you on TV.” I said. He looked down at me and smirked.
“Actually, I was hoping that you could be there.” He said.
“Like, at the Olympics actually watching you?” I asked. He nodded his head.
“But don’t you have to have like tickets or passes or something?” I asked. Shaun pulled a pass out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“I had some extras. Oh,” he pulled another pass out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“That’s for Raine. As long as you guys have those passes, you’ll be able to get in. And those allow you to stand right at the edge.” Shaun said. I smiled and hugged him.
“Of course I’ll be there.” I said as we parted from each other. He gave me directions on how to get there and what to do when I get there just as we arrived to my hotel.
“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked. I nodded my head.
“And don’t be late, or else they won’t let you in.” He said. I smiled and hugged him again.
“Goodnight Shaun.” I said. I walked towards the front door.
“Goodnight Teena.” He said waving at me. I waved back then, as soon I was out of his sight, I ran up to our hotel room. As soon as I burst in, Raine was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the TV.
“RAINE!” I shouted as I jumped onto the couch.
“Gah! Teena, what the hell?” She shouted as I landed almost on top of her. I smiled and bounce up and down on the couch.
“Guess what, guess what, guess what, guess what, guess what, guess what?!” I said. Raine scooted away from me.
“Teena, you do realize you’re twenty-three, not twelve.” She said.
“Well, then, I guess if you’re going to treat me like that, I just won’t take you to the Olympics tomorrow.” I said. She raised one eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.
“What?” She asked. I took out the passes and dangled them in front of her.
“Shaun gave me two passes so that you and I can go see him snowboard tomorrow but if you don’t want to go well, then, I guess I’ll just have to find someone else. Gee, I wonder what Jake’s doing tomorrow.” I said going to stand up. Raine grabbed a pass out of my hand and held it close to her.
“We’re going to the Olympics!” She shouted, a little too loudly if I might add.
“Ok, calm down! We better get to bed soon so that we don’t sleep in too much and are late. Shaun said if we’re too late they won’t let us in.” I said. Raine jumped over the couch and ran towards the room.
“Goodnight!” She shouted slamming her door shut. I laughed and went to my room, changing in my pajamas. I slowly crawled into bed and pulled the blankets over me, hoping to fall asleep quickly so that tomorrow would be here soon.

Twelve years ago

“The lawyer says I have to move in with my aunt and uncle in Canada.” The little girl said as she sat on the sidewalk with her friend. He looked down as his feet that were moving his skateboard back and forth lightly.
“Canada?” He asked when suddenly he looked up at her. She met him, their eyes connecting immediately.
“B-but that’s a completely different country! That’s far, far away!” He said. She couldn’t help but to cry as she watched him panic.
“Isn’t there anything that you can do?” He asked. She shook her head.
“He says that my parents made a will saying that should anything ever happen to them I have to live with my mom’s sister. She’s my only living, closest relative.” She said.
“But what about my mom? She and your mom were best friends! I mean, you’re basically family. I’m sure you can stay with us, can’t you?” He asked. She shrugged her shoulders and he looked down at his board once more.
“Come on.” He said grabbing her wrist and pulling her up. He rushed into the house shouting as he ran in.
“Mom! Mom! Mom!” He yelled, searching frantically for his mother.
“What? What, Shaun! What?” She shouted as she found him, looking just as panicked as he was sounding.
“Mom, can Teena live with us?” He asked his mother. She didn’t know what to say. She could see the hope in both of their eyes but knew there was nothing to do. She squatted down so that she was eye level with the two pre-teens.
“Oh, Shaun.” She whispered, the tears now starting to swell in her eyes.
“She can stay here with us, right mom! I mean she’s family. You and Dad say it all the time! Jesse and Kari get along real well with her so there won’t be any problems!” Shaun begged his mother. She didn’t have the heart to tell them. What parent wants to tell their child that they have to loose their best friend and there’s nothing they can do about it?
“Shaun, sweetie, it’s just not going to happen.” She said.
Shaun continued to beg, hoping that this was just an incident like asking for dessert before dinner; if you begged enough, your parents would finally give in.
“Shaun as much as I would love to let Teena live here, I can’t! Her parents want her to live with her aunt.” She said, stroking her hand through her sons fiery red hair.
“Well then can’t her aunt move down here! You can talk to her, you know her right? You can convince her to move into Teena’s house now so she doesn’t have to leave!” Shaun continued to beg but his mother continued to shake her head no.
“I can’t ask her to just leave her life so that you can keep your best friend! She has a job, a family, and you’d be asking her to leave her friends too.” She said.
Shaun shook his head; the reality that his best friend was leaving was starting to sink in.
“I hate you!” He shouted as he ran out of the house. Teena followed.
“Shaun! Shaun, wait!” She shouted, finally catching up to him halfway down the street.
“No! This isn’t fair!” He shouted. She walked over to him and pulled him into her arms.
“I’ll keep in touch, I promise. I’ll call you everyday. And during summers, maybe I could fly down and stay with you or you can fly up and stay with me!” She said, trying to make things better, though she knew she couldn’t.
“But I don’t want you to leave.” He whispered as he held onto her. They pulled apart just enough to look each other in the eyes.
“Me neither, but I have to.” She said. Shaun looked down at his feet, not wanting to watch Teena cry.
“Promise we’ll be best friends still?” He asked. Teena watched her best friend as she started to cry.
“Promise.” She said, though she knew deep down, this would be where their road came to a halting end.

Present Day

“FFIIRREE!” Someone shouted, making me jump out of my bed. I ran into the living room to see Raine, already showered and dressed, smiling.
“What the crap, Raine?!” I shouted, pissed that she woke me up with a false fire alarm.
“I tried waking you up the normal way, but you wouldn’t budge. So I had to take drastic measures.” She said. I gave her a very sincere and confused look.
“Late?” I asked. She looked at me as if I was the biggest idiot in the world.
“Um, hello? The Olympics? Shaun? Snowboarding? Halfpipe?” She said holding up her pass. Ok, maybe I was the biggest idiot in the world.
“Holy crap I totally forgot!” I said rushing to my room to get ready. I had never dressed as fast as I had in that moment in my entire life. I grabbed my beanie and threw it on over my messy hair; thank God for hats.
“Let’s go!” I said walking into the living room and grabbing my coat. We were decently early so we stopped to get breakfast first before going over there. Once we finished, we rushed over not wanting to miss a thing. Sure I was there to see Shaun, but I didn’t want to miss out on the other competition either.
As soon as I got there, I recognized the older couple immediately.
“Mr. White! Mrs. White!” I said rushing over to them. They looked up at me, taking a second to realize who I was, then screaming at me.
“Teena!” Mrs. White said bombarding me with a huge hug. I squeezed her back, having missed my second family.
“I can’t believe this! Does Shaun know you’re here?” She asked.
“Well of course he does, honey? Remember how he told us to look out for a surprise this morning when we got here?” He asked as he walked over and hugged me. Mrs. White rolled her eyes and let out a soft chuckle.
“That boy, I swear.” She said. We talked for a while, I hugged Jesse when he got there, who was just as shocked that I was there as his parents where. I introduced them to Raine and told them pretty much all that’s happened since I last saw them.
“I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been way to long.” Mrs. White said. I smiled at her, just about to return the gesture, when the announcer announced the start of the competition. I watched closely, waiting for Shaun to go. Finally, he stood up at the top of the Halfpipe. I stood just in front of him at the end, waving and smiling. He put his hand up and waved to the crowd. I stood there in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen next.