Irrevocably Forever

I could feel the sun’s intense summer heat against my bare shoulders, slowly burning them to a crisp. Suddenly I was regretting not putting on the sunscreen my mother had offered me before I had left nearly a half hour ago. Behind me my little brother dragged his feet against the ground, each step an audible scrape against the dirt path we walked on.

“Luke,” I growled. “For the last time, pick up your feet when you walk.”

“It’s too hot to walk,” he complained.

“It’s too hot for whining.” I snapped back.

Luke was silent for a few seconds.

“It’s not fair that I had to leave Derek’s house,” he said angrily.

I whirled around to face him. “What’s not fair is that I had to get up from my favorite T.V. show to walk my nine-year-old brother home from his friend’s house. You’re old enough to walk home by yourself, but no ‘It’s scary walking home by myself!’” the last part of my sentence I mimicked my brother’s high, reedy voice.

Luke glared at me.

“I thought it was too hot for whining.”

“It’s too hot for little brothers.” I replied while turning back around.

It was silent for a while, save for the sound of Luke’s feet shuffling against the ground. I tried my best to ignore it, and think about the television and air conditioner that awaited me back home. We were almost there, just half a mile away from our own street now.

“Did you hear that?” Luke asked.

“Hear what?” I replied, still annoyed with him.

“Sounds like someone’s dog isn’t behaving.” Luke’s eyes darted around eagerly. The kid loved dogs.

“Point being?” I replied, but I was looking around now too.

We had been cutting through the small town park as a shortcut to getting home. Now we were back on the street walking past people’s homes, and just a dozen yards ahead of us I spotted the dog. It was a little white thing, anxiously tugging against it’s pink leash to get onto the green lawn in front of it. Attached to the other end of the leash was a girl who looked to be around my age.

“No tinkling on the lawn, Tinkles!” she yelled at the dog.

The dog glanced up at her but then continued trying to pee on the front lawn.

“Yeah, yeah, you need to mark your territory,” the girl said, tugging hard on the leash and nearly choking the dog. “But you don’t need to pee on every blade of grass you see. Stupid thing.” She muttered the last part to herself.

“Hi!” Luke shouted as we walked nearer.

The girl looked up in surprise. “Oh, hey.”

“I’m Luke!” he said happily. “Can I pet your dog?”

“Uh, sure,” she said. “Just be careful, he bites sometimes.”

Luke rushed over to the little dog and stretched his hand out so the dog could sniff it.

“I’m Grace,” the girl said. “And this is Sprinkles.”

She tugged on the leash again to keep Sprinkles from sneaking onto the lawn. Sprinkles coughed and looked at her reproachfully.

“What’s her name again?” Luke asked.

“He,” Grace corrected. “And his name’s Sprinkles, but I call him Tinkles for obvious reasons,” she added. “And because I think it’s stupid to name your dog Sprinkles. My little brother named him.”

I laughed.

“I’m Ana, and this is my little brother Luke.” I said. “Do you live here? I’ve never seen you before.”

“We just moved here, my block’s over that way somewhere, can’t remember the name of it though.” Grace replied, waving vaguely over her shoulder.

“We live a block from here,” I said, pointing in the direction we were facing.

“That’s cool,” Grace said. “Sprinkles! No!” she added in a shout as she tugged on the leash again.

The little dog choked and then stared at the lawn longingly.

“So what is there to do around here?” Grace asked. “I’ve been here two weeks already and you’re the first person I’ve met my age.”

“No idea,” I reply. “I haven’t been out much this summer.”

“Ouch, you get in trouble or something?” Grace asked.

“She doesn’t have friends,” Luke piped up from where he sat on the ground next to the dog.

I glared at him.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Grace studying me. I could feel her gaze wander my face and I forced myself to meet her pale blue eyes.

“I have some friends,” I defended myself lamely.

“Name three.” Luke challenged.

A glare from me shut him up.

“It’s not that I don’t have friends, I just don’t really hang out with people outside school.” I say, turning back to Grace.

She snorted. “Sounds like you and I both could use a friend.”

“I have-“

“Look, you don’t need to defend yourself,” Grace interrupted me. “I don’t care how popular you are, you seem pretty chill to me. Here,” she pulled her phone out from her pocket. “What’s your number?” she looked up at me expectantly.

“Um, 278-9873.” I said.

Grace quickly entered it into her phone. “Do you have your phone on you?” I nodded. “Good, mine’s 873-2984. I have to go but I’ll be in touch with you soon,” she said with a grin. “C’mon Tinkles, you can pee at our house.”

And with that Grace gave a hard tug on the pink leash, sending the small white dog flying forward, waved to me and Luke and turned around to leave.

“Can we go now? I’m hungry.” Luke whined.

“I told you, it’s too hot for whining.” I replied.