Status: I promise it'll be cliche | Reviving!
That Summer
four
He stood still for a moment and looked at her, as if he recognized her face but couldn’t quite place where he knew it from. She knew it hit him though, when he leaned forward and engulfed her in a hug.
“Silken!” he yelled into her ear, excitement growing in his voice. She laughed and returned the hug, pulling away after a second.
“How’s it going, stranger?” she asked as he stared at her, almost as if he couldn’t believe she was really there. The sun shone onto his eyes, making them sparkle and she took in the sight of him as well. She had almost forgotten how many years it had been since they’d seen each other; forgetting that he would have grown up.
“Good, I’ve been good. I can’t believe you’re really here!” he exclaimed, unable to get a handle on the volume of his voice.
“You know each other?” a voice came from behind them, and they both turned towards the ladies sitting in the chairs. Lesley looked confused and Sylvia was scratching her chin, as if to add to the air of confusion surrounding them. Robbie laughed and put his arm around Silken’s shoulder, getting ready to explain the situation.
“I didn’t know you were Sylvia’s granddaughter!” Lesley exclaimed, suddenly recognizing Silken. “You’ve grown up so much!”
Silken smiled and turned to her grandmother and explained everything, all the way from their summer as best friends to the nostalgic feeling at the grocery store. Sylvia nodded, staring intently at the two, before cocking her head to the side and getting up.
“Well, you two have some catching up to do. Why don’t you go for a walk? Robbie can show you the rest of the town,” she said, adding a little wink that was anything but subtle. Robbie chuckled.
“Sounds good, as long as Silken is up for it,” he said, pulling her towards the door. Sylvia jumped up and clapped, not trying to hide anything that she was thinking.
“Great, I’ll meet you at home then, Silken,” she said, turning back to Lesley to finish the conversation that had been interrupted.
The two walked through the house and out the door, only stopping once they were safely on the sidewalk.
“You don’t get much of a choice in these things, do you?” Robbie asked, steering her towards a strip of buildings a few blocks down.
“She means well,” Silken said, shrugging. “Maybe too well.”
“Tell me about it,” Robbie laughed.
They walked in silence as Silken took in the town; the multi-colored houses that lined the streets, shaded by the overgrown trees in every yard; the sounds of children playing in their backyards, oblivious to anything going on outside of their fences. She was shaken from her trance as Robbie stopped and turned towards her. The faraway buildings were now right beside them, replacing the houses that lined the roads.
“Welcome to Main Street,” Robbie said, grabbing Silken’s hand and pulling her into the nearest building.
The door made a chiming sound as they entered and the smell of old books filled her nose. An old man sat behind a desk in the corner of the room, hunched over something she couldn’t see. He looked up when he heard them approach and a smile spread across his face.
“Who do we have here?” he asked Robbie, pushing himself off of the wooden chair he was seated on and limping over to where they were standing. He stuck his hand out and Silken shook it, returning his warm smile.
“This is Silken,” Robbie said, motioning towards her. “And this is Henry, owner of the best book store in town.”
“I own the only book store in town,” Henry said, rolling his eyes.
“It’s still the best,” Robbie said, winking at the old man. Silken laughed and looked around her. There were piles of books stacked everywhere, looking like organized chaos. Every shelf had a different colored label underneath with cursive words written across them. Silken ran her hand over the spines of a stack of books, picking up one and opening it.
The book was soon on the floor though, as a smash came from behind a wall causing Silken to jump back. She stood still for a moment, not entirely sure if she should move, until a voice rang out from the area of the smash.
“Silken!” he yelled into her ear, excitement growing in his voice. She laughed and returned the hug, pulling away after a second.
“How’s it going, stranger?” she asked as he stared at her, almost as if he couldn’t believe she was really there. The sun shone onto his eyes, making them sparkle and she took in the sight of him as well. She had almost forgotten how many years it had been since they’d seen each other; forgetting that he would have grown up.
“Good, I’ve been good. I can’t believe you’re really here!” he exclaimed, unable to get a handle on the volume of his voice.
“You know each other?” a voice came from behind them, and they both turned towards the ladies sitting in the chairs. Lesley looked confused and Sylvia was scratching her chin, as if to add to the air of confusion surrounding them. Robbie laughed and put his arm around Silken’s shoulder, getting ready to explain the situation.
“I didn’t know you were Sylvia’s granddaughter!” Lesley exclaimed, suddenly recognizing Silken. “You’ve grown up so much!”
Silken smiled and turned to her grandmother and explained everything, all the way from their summer as best friends to the nostalgic feeling at the grocery store. Sylvia nodded, staring intently at the two, before cocking her head to the side and getting up.
“Well, you two have some catching up to do. Why don’t you go for a walk? Robbie can show you the rest of the town,” she said, adding a little wink that was anything but subtle. Robbie chuckled.
“Sounds good, as long as Silken is up for it,” he said, pulling her towards the door. Sylvia jumped up and clapped, not trying to hide anything that she was thinking.
“Great, I’ll meet you at home then, Silken,” she said, turning back to Lesley to finish the conversation that had been interrupted.
The two walked through the house and out the door, only stopping once they were safely on the sidewalk.
“You don’t get much of a choice in these things, do you?” Robbie asked, steering her towards a strip of buildings a few blocks down.
“She means well,” Silken said, shrugging. “Maybe too well.”
“Tell me about it,” Robbie laughed.
They walked in silence as Silken took in the town; the multi-colored houses that lined the streets, shaded by the overgrown trees in every yard; the sounds of children playing in their backyards, oblivious to anything going on outside of their fences. She was shaken from her trance as Robbie stopped and turned towards her. The faraway buildings were now right beside them, replacing the houses that lined the roads.
“Welcome to Main Street,” Robbie said, grabbing Silken’s hand and pulling her into the nearest building.
The door made a chiming sound as they entered and the smell of old books filled her nose. An old man sat behind a desk in the corner of the room, hunched over something she couldn’t see. He looked up when he heard them approach and a smile spread across his face.
“Who do we have here?” he asked Robbie, pushing himself off of the wooden chair he was seated on and limping over to where they were standing. He stuck his hand out and Silken shook it, returning his warm smile.
“This is Silken,” Robbie said, motioning towards her. “And this is Henry, owner of the best book store in town.”
“I own the only book store in town,” Henry said, rolling his eyes.
“It’s still the best,” Robbie said, winking at the old man. Silken laughed and looked around her. There were piles of books stacked everywhere, looking like organized chaos. Every shelf had a different colored label underneath with cursive words written across them. Silken ran her hand over the spines of a stack of books, picking up one and opening it.
The book was soon on the floor though, as a smash came from behind a wall causing Silken to jump back. She stood still for a moment, not entirely sure if she should move, until a voice rang out from the area of the smash.