The Game

Monica put on the ankle brace she now needed that she got from the dollar store. She had a painful walk but it was okay now. Her ankle throbbed dully as she finished putting her pajamas on and crawled into bed. She pulled the covers over her chest and lay there thinking.

About today.

About Mikey.

About Derek.

About Starbucks.

Then about her new PJ’s she loved.

She sighed as she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

The next morning she showered, got dressed. She sat on her bed as she tied her shoes, she was okay only because Mikey saved her. If he hadn’t been there......she’d be in pieces.

Monica doesn't dwell on the ‘what if’ she only cares about the ‘what did’.

"Monica! Mikey’s here!" Her mom called up the stairs.

"Be right there!" Monica finished getting around and thundered down the stairs.

"Hey!" She greeted him, running into his arms and hugging him. She felt his heart beat under her ear, he pulsed the warmth that came with life.

She held him a bit longer than normal, he held her tightly to him until he felt her let go.

"Where do you want to go today?" He asked.

"You’re the one with the car." She grinned.

He chuckled. "This is true. How about a park?"

"Sounds good. Bye mom!" She called to her mom who was in the living room.

"Bye! Have fun!"

She followed Mikey out and closed the door behind her.

___Driving to the park___
"I.....Thank you for....y’know." She said quietly.

He nodded stiffly and turned up the radio that blared Black Flag.

They jammed out all the way to the park, awkwardness gone.

Mikey parked in the parking lot at playground part of the park knowing Monica would enjoy it.

She smiled and clapped her hands before bolting out and running up a short slide. She giggled and ran to the swirly side and went down it.

Mikey sat on a nearby bench and grinned as he watched her run around playing on everything at least twice.

She stopped and pointed. "SWINGS!" She cried. Mikey smirked and followed her as she ran over to them and jumped on one.

She frowned and swung her feet in the air.

Her feet didn’t touch the ground. So she couldn't swing.

Out of nowhere, two hands pushed on her back making her swing. She laughed and looked back at Mikey who pushed her again when she came back to him.

"Weeeee!" she yelled as he pushed her higher.

He laughed at her childish, care free nature.

After having been at the park for and hour and a half, Monica jumped off the swing landing neatly on her feet in the wood chips.

Mikey went around the swing set clapping.

Monica curtsied, giggling as she did so.

"Let’s go for a walk." Mikey suggested.

"Okay."

They began walking down the winding concrete path that surrounded the plot of land. Trees swallowed them as the stayed on the long path.

A cool wind pricked at their cheeks, blowing Monica’s hair a little as it moved over them.

Unknowingly, Monica migrated closer to Mikey as the walked side by side. Mikey wanted to hold her hand, but thought she may resent him if he did. They joked around and laughed until they’d walked the path 2 times. They made their way back to Mikey’s car. After they climbed in and he turned on the car, it blared Metallica.

He turned it down. "Where to?" he asked, looking over at the girl beside him.

"Uh, Mikey could......we....go to your house?"

He stiffened. In all the 4 months they’d befriended each other, they never one went to his house.

"If your sure." He said, pressing his lips into a hard line.

She nodded.

"Okay." He pulled out of the parking lot and drove to his house uncomfortably.