Meant to Be

“David are we going skating today?” I asked as I saw him grab his board. “I thought we were going to the park?”

“I’m not playing with you today Alexis.” David said strapping on his helmet. I looked at him with a confused face.

“Then who are you playing with?”

“My new friends, we’re going boarding today.”

“Can I come?”

“Girls can’t board Alexis!”

“I taught you how and why are you calling me Alexis? I don’t understand.”

“Alexis, I’ll play with you tomorrow.”

“ I won’t be around tomorrow! Or any day after that David, I told you I had to go to the doctor’s.”

“The doctor’s what’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t know they said they had to run tests on me.”

“Is it serious?”

“No, David, hunny it’s not but I’ll be gone for a week. I told you and you promised you’d play with me today.”

“Maybe I can call the guys and tell them I’m not…” at that moment Chuck and Jeff came boarding down the street.

“Those are your new friends?”

“They’re really nice once you get to know them.”

“David what are you doing with that girl?” Jeff yelled.
“If you could even call Alexis a girl.” Chuck yelled.

“Alexis just leave me alone!” David yelled and pushed me down. I got up and punched and kicked David as hard as I could. His baby tooth knocked out and his knee bruised.

“Don’t ever push me again!” I yelled and ran away crying.

Later that day David came back from boarding and came immediately over to my house. I was watching Fraggle Rock so he sat down beside me.

“I’m sorry I pushed you.”

“Don’t talk to me. You let Jeff and Chuck ruin our friendship. I’m going to the dr. tomorrow to see if he can tell me why I faint for no reason. Why I’m afraid of stupid things? Why I’m always shaking.”

“Are you going to die?”
“I shouldn’t be dying but you never know. Death is a tricky subject someone can feel fine and die the next day but then again they can feel bad one day and live for 20 years more.”

“I don’t want you to die. You’re my best friend. I should’ve stayed with you today.”

“I’m going to be gone for a week when I get back I want to board with you. Chuck and Jeff can come too.”

“Deal as long as you’re coming back.”

“I wouldn’t leave you.” I kissed his forehead as mommy had done for me when I got scared.

“You can have my tooth. You knocked it out. Boy can you punch hard.” I laughed at him then fainted and fell off the couch. He ran to get my mom. My mom came in and put me on the couch. She put the smelling salts under my nose and I started coughing.

“Mommy!” I cried and held onto her arm tight, “am I gonna die?”

“NO it’s not that serious did you not listen to Dr. Comeau,” my mom said.

“NO I didn’t. I was too scared.”

“Tomorrow you will have to listen ok if you don’t something bad could happen.”

“Yes mommy.” she left again.

“You scare me sometimes Alex.” David said

“I’m sorry.” I looked at the clock it was almost 6:30 that was the time our families ate dinner. “David hun you should go. It’s dinner time.”

“What time do you leave tomorrow?”

“6:30 in the morning why?”

“Can I come over to say bye?”

“Of course I’d like that.” he left to go back to his house across the street. At that time we were only 6 years-old but we knew death and we knew there was something wrong with me that could end up killing me. We just didn’t know what it was that would kill me. He is my best friend my only friend I had. Maybe that is why it hurt so much to see Chuck and Jeff hanging out with him. I had no one to hang out with if he is hanging out with them. Mom came in with my soup, which is right now the only thing I can eat. Everything else hurts my throat as it goes down. We aren’t sure what is wrong with me but we think it has something to do with the time Daddy locked me outside a month ago. He tied me to the gate and beat me then when inside. It rained the night he did that. They thought it was just pneumonia but now that it is a month later and I’m still sick they think it might be more. Daddy didn’t mean to lock me out I’m sure he didn’t. Mommy and him split up anyway so I don’t have to worry about it now. David’s mom was the one who found me tied and shivering in a little ball.

I ate my soup then went to bed like mommy told me to. The next morning like he told me he would David showed up at 6 o clock. He brought over pineapple juice from his house, which is my favorite, but mommy never lets me have it. We talked and laughed until it was 6:30 and I had to leave. That was the last time I saw him for a month. That was the only thing that got me through the month I spent in the hospital was the image of him waving at me from the middle of the road the sunrise behind him.

It turns out I was sicker then we would of imagined. There was something wrong with my brain. I think they said it was a tumor. But they think they got it all so I should be fine now. And I get to go home. I get to go boarding with David who celebrated his 7th birthday while I was in the hospital. And for once I wasn’t there at 5 o clock to wake him up with a pancake with a candle on it singing happy birthday. I had done that since he turned 3 and I was still 2. But today I get to go home I’m so excited.

“Mom,” David yelled as he woke up, “Is today the day? Does Alex get to come home today?”

“Yes today is the day.”

“Good her birthday is in a week. We need to make plans I need to buy her a present. What do 7 year old girls like?”

“She’s been in the hospital for a while what do you think she wants?”

“Well she’ll want to play with me, she will want to go boarding and she’ll want her stuffed animals.”

“What’s her favorite animal?”

“Cheetahs. Can we buy her a cheetah? A real one?”

“No but we can go get her a stuffed one.” David smiled a huge smile as he went to get his shoes.

“Let’s go,” he said going for the door.

“ You have school.”

“Can’t I miss one day. I want to be the first one to tell her how good it is to have her back.”

“She won’t be home until this evening.”

“ Can we give her new stuffed animal when she gets back?”

“Of course we can. Now go to school.” David walked to school and met up with Chuck and Jeff.

“Hi guys,” David said happily,” guess what Alexis is coming back tonight. She wants to go boarding soon so I thought maybe we all could go this weekend.”

“ Girls can’t board David and they have cooties.”

“Cooties aren’t real,” David started laughing, “she taught me how to board so she can she’s not like most girls. And her birthday is in a week and mom and me are planning a surprise party for her, do you want to come?”

“You don’t get it do you?” Jeff said.

“I guess not. She’s my friend what does it matter that she’s a girl?”

“We’re going boarding tonight with Seb and Pierre do you want to come?”

“Alexis is coming home tonight I can’t go boarding.”

“Have fun with your girlfriend.” Chuck said and he and Jeff walked
away.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” David yelled to no one.

I came home that night and like David told everyone he would be he was on the front step sitting and waiting for me with a stuffed cheetah and a small bouquet of flowers. I saw him and jumped out of the car as soon as it was stopped.

“David I missed you. They have no one to play with in hospitals.” I squealed.

“These are from mom,” he handed me the flowers, “and this is from me,” He handed me the cheetah.

“What’s its name?”

“I don’t know you tell me.”

“Can I call him David?”

“Well he is cute like me.”

“I’m surprised you’re here we saw Jeff and Chuck at the skate park so I figured that’s where you were.”

“Are you kidding I’ve been waiting for you. This was the longest week ever.”

“I was gone for more the a week you know.”

“You were gone for one month, one week, 4 days, 14 hours, and 11 minutes in case you were wondering. I’m seven now.”

“Sorry I missed your birthday but I got you a present.” I ran back to the car and pulled out a brand new skateboard. It had his name written on the grip side and a picture of a dog on the bottom.

“That’s for me,” he asked shyly. I nodded.

“You’re the only David I know. Silly.”

“Can we try it out this weekend?”

“Can I mommy? Can I go to the skate park this weekend?”

“Lets see how these first few days go then we’ll see.” mommy said. “Lets go in for dinner. David have you eaten yet?”

“No ma’am I’ve been waiting for you guys to get home.”

“You want to eat with us tonight?”

“If it’s alright with you.”

“I’ll call your mom for you.” we went inside and my mom called David’s mom then we ate dinner.

“So what was wrong with you?” he asked me after dinner.

“They said it was a tumor in my brain. I don’t know what that means though. But they say it’s gone now so I don’t have to worry about fainting anymore.”

“That’s great you really scared me when that happened.”

“ We should be able to anything now and not have to worry about me just like the old days. You know before my dad locked me out.”

“ I’ve been worried about you. I thought maybe you were really sick when you didn’t come home. Like maybe you were dying and no one wanted to tell me. You said you were going to be gone for a week.”

“I know but I was sick but I’m better now and I’m here with you.”

“David time for you to go home Alexis needs her rest.” my mom said. David got up kissed my cheek and went home. “You guys are the cutest 7 year old couple I’ve ever seen.”

“ We’re not a couple. He’s my best friend.”

“It’s meant to be.” mom helped me up to my room then covered me in blankets. David came and woke me up the next day just like I would wake him up. He had in his hand some pineapple juice.

“Wake up Alex. It’s time for school your mom said you get to go back today.” David said pulling the blankets off of me.

“I just got out of the hospital yesterday though.”

“Get up, you can’t go boarding if you don’t go to school.” I shot up and looked at him. He looked just as sweet as he wasn’t trying to sound. So I got up we went down and ate breakfast then he let me go get changed then we headed to school. Jeff came up to us when we got there.

“David you’re going to get cooties.”

“I told you they aren’t real. Are you going to go boarding with me and Alex this weekend.”

“Alex?”

“Me, silly.” I said.

“Girls can’t board.”

“I can and I can beat you. I’ve been boarding since I was 3. My dad taught me how to do tricks and stuff.”

“Your dad that mental. I really don’t think you can skate now.”

“Saturday then the skate park at 9:30. I’ll beat you at anything.” I was up in his face as if daring him to do anything.

“Fine brings tissues you’ll be crying.”

“I’ll bring tissues for you.” he walked away. I looked over at David who was biting his lip, something he did whenever he wanted to say something but knew he shouldn’t. “Sorry David I tried to befriend him.”

“Try harder he’s my friend now, and so are you. I’m not going to chose between you.” he looked at the ground and started walking to the building. “I can have more then one friend just cuz you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t hang out with me when I hang out with them. You just have to prove it.”

“Ok I’ll be nice. Does this mean I can’t beat him on Saturday?”

“NO IT MEANS YOU BETTER.” he smiled then the bell rang and we ran to our class.

That Saturday I meet Jeff at the park I had my board and he had his. I borrowed David’s helmet because I didn’t know where mine was. On Jeff’s side were Pierre, Chuck, and Seb. On my side was David. I threw Jeff the worst look I had to throw and he tried to do the same. I walked over to him and asked if he had a coin for the toss.

“Ladies first.” he said

“That’s why I’m waiting.” I shot back. He looked me over as if he was sizing me up.

“We’ll play horse. I’ll try the first trick.” he went and did a simple Ollie. Which I was able to do effortlessly. Then he tried to do a rail slide, which he messed up terribly. I did his trick and he got an h. then it was my turn to do a trick so I did a manual, which turned into a wall plant. He tried to do it but fell on his face. So he got an o. I did a simple one next just a rail grind. He was able to do it. Then I went back to challenging stuff a wall plant front nose grind. He followed nicely. He was better then I had guessed. I tried to do a 360 Ollie into a grind but I fell. He did my move so I got a H. he showed no mercy on me and did an Ollie followed by a grind which went into a wall plant which turned into a manual. I did as he did and at the very end chuck hit my board and I lost my balance and fell. On Jeff’s next trick he fell and I took over I landed the move he attempted then went and did a move on the vert which I knew he sucked at. At the end of the game I had won.

“Say I can board!” I said walking over to them.

“I threw a couple of those tricks so I wouldn’t be beating a girl. I’d fell bad if I made you cry.”

“ You can’t say that! I won fair and square and you know it.“

“Jeff you know you have trouble with vert and she rocks at it so just say she can board” David said.

“NO! It was a fluke. A mistake there’s no way she can board better
then me.”

“ I have skills too, I can board just like anyone else. Like I said I’ve been doing it since I was 3.”

“Fine whatever you beat me. Your still a girl.”

“Does that mean I can’t hang out with you guys?”

“ Yeah it does.”

“No it shouldn’t” David said.

“It’s fine have fun. I don’t need losers like you anyway.” I skated away. David started biting his lip and doing his breathing thing.

“David what’s wrong?” Pierre asked. David’s lip was bleeding and yet he continued to bite.

“You guys are mean she beat you fairly and yet you still treat her like a piece of dirt! She’s tougher and braver then any of you and you don’t care about anything but yourself. At least she cares about things.” David yelled

“And you care about her go to your girlfriend.” Jeff said. David full out hit Jeff in the mouth and walked away. Pierre followed him.

“David wait up, you forgot your board.” Pierre yelled. David stopped and looked at him.

“What do you want?”

“Friends you me and Alex we can go to a movie or go boarding sometime ok?”

“She doesn’t like too many people to call her Alex.”

“Then you me and Alexis.”

“I’ll ask her.”

That night he came over to my house. It wasn’t unusual for him to be there but I was still a little mad about what happened earlier. I was still upset that I couldn’t be friends with the people David was friends with. I hated that he tried to seem cool for them he really didn’t need to try to impress them he was cool enough on his own.

“Did you have fun with the guys?” I asked.

“I left right after you did.”

“You didn’t have to you could of stayed.”

“They’re jerks except for Pierre. He wants to hang out with us sometime ok?”

“I guess, we could always use a new person for our group.”

“Perfect, we can tell him on Monday. “

“Sure we can, if I go to school.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I have to go and get a check up to make sure I’m alright still.”

“You feel right though right?”

“I feel fine and I would love to hang out with you and Pierre sometime.” David smiled wide showing the bite marks on his lips. “What happened to your lip? Did you bite it again?”

“I didn’t want to yell at Jeff so I bite my lip and it started to bleed. You weren’t there so I had nothing to say.”

“I’ll try to never leave you again.”