One Boy, One Girl

Eight years old
She was wearing a faded blue Disney World shirt that was two sizes too big, and baggy yellow shorts. He was wearing a red t-shirt and jean shorts that used to be his brother's. Their clothes were covered in grass stains from rolling around in the yard and stains from the dripping cherry popsicles that had eaten earlier. Bug bites covered with pink calamine lotion dotted their arms and legs...reminders of spending yesterday back in the shady part of her yard by the woods. Her hair was in a messy ponytail that continued to fall in her face, while his looked like he hadn't combed it in a couple of weeks. They were both barefoot, feeling no need for shoes in the soft grass.

Zak Bagans and Ashlyn Moore: Best friends ever since first grade when a bully had pushed Ashlyn off of the swings at recess. She had scabbed both of her knees and her favorite sweatshirt was covered in mud. Zak had pushed the kid into another mud puddle, the walked her to the nurse and let her wear his sweatshirt for the rest of the day.

It had been what they considered a 'perfect day'. Well...what two eight-year-olds would consider a perfect day. He had woken up early and came over while she was eating breakfast, and they watched cartoons in the family room together. When the cartoons ended, her mom told them to go outside. They covered her driveway with chalk drawings and blew bubbles until the container was empty. He chased her around the swingset and the old maple tree in her backyard. They ate lunch together out on the back steps and waited for the ice cream truck to come down the street. Then they laid out in the grass and watched the clouds float through the sky.

Sure, their day had been scattered with arguments in which she would stomp away, tossing her head with what was sure to be an attitude later in life...

"Mom!" she had screamed when Zak wouldn't let her have the football. "Zak's cheating!"

"What's your mom gonna do about it, Ash?" Zak smiled at her smugly, hugging the football to his chest. When her mom didn't reply, Ashlyn had stomped away to the swingset and sat down on one of the swings with a huff.

"Aw, come on, Ash. It's a stupid ball. You're really gonna be mad at me over it?" he asked. She simply turned her head away from him, almost smacking him in the face with her ponytail, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know you can never stay mad at me." Zak started pushing her on the swing.

"I can try." she uncrossed her arms and grabbed the plastic coated chains to keep herself steady as Zak pushed her. But when she looked back, she couldn't help smiling at his toothy grin. The argument was over, the football abandoned in the grass as their laughter filled the yard.

"Zak?" she asked much later when they were in her backyard again. The sun had gone down, and while his parents and her parents were on the back deck, they were out in the yard with glass jars, catching fireflies.

"Yeah?" he asked, squinting at his jar, trying to count how many fireflies he had.

"Is every day gonna be this fun?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he gave her a funny look as she sat down in the grass.

"What happens when we grow up? I heard my mommy and daddy saying that me and you can't be best friends for much longer. They said we'll have to find new best friends." her mouth turned down at the corners as she watched the yellow lights flare up and vanish before her eyes.

"But I don't want to be anyone else's best friend, Ash. I want to be your best friend. I'll be your best friend forever." he opened his jar and sat down next to her.

"You promise?" she asked, turning to look at him as she stuck her pinky out.

"I promise." he repeated with a smiled and shook her pinky with his.

"I'm gonna catch more than you!" he suddenly picked up his jar and scrambled to his feet.

"No you won't!" she replied with a challenging giggle and jumped up as well.

Seventeen years old

"Mom!" Ashlyn yelled over the radio blasting in the backyard. "Zak's cheating! He's not in the water!" Ashlyn glared up at Zak, standing on the stone tile on the side of the pool, grinning down at her.

"What's your mom gonna do about it?" he smirked. Her mom didn't reply, so she turned around and pulled herself up onto one of the rafts she always used for tanning, ignoring Zak completely as she closed her eyes.

"Aw, Ash. Don't be like that." he walked down the steps and made his way across the pool to her. He rested his elbows on one side and looked at his best friend.

"You know, you could never stay mad at me when we were younger." he reminded her when she hadn't spoken.

"I remember." she replied.

"Then you can't stay mad at me now." he gave her a hopeful grin, even though she couldn't see it.

"I can try." she shrugged. He continued staring at her until she opened her eyes. As much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't help smiling back.

"Freak." she giggled.

"I know." he winked before he tipped the raft over.

"Best friends forever?" he stuck his pinky out when she had resurfaced, her dirty blonde hair matted in her face. A few moments of silence passed before she smiled again and shook pinkies with him.

"Best friends forever. I promise." she grinned, then grabbed an inflatable beach ball and threw it at his head with a laugh.