Youth

"Conner, what is your answer for number 4?"

Ms. Grady stares at me with her bright eyes and loving smile. She and the rest of the class wait for my response.

"10?"

"Great Conner!" She shouts as she turns around to write the answer on the board. We are learning how to put two numbers together to make a new one. It's called adding.

Ms. Grady continues on, shouting for an answer to the next question. I look around at my friends. In front of me is Bob, Chrissy, and Matt. They have been good friends on mine this year.

I try to get Bob to look back, seeing what he will do for recess today.

He whispers back to me, "it is wall ball day."

Before I know it, it's time to go outside. But I do not think I want to play wall ball today. I sat down in the common area and watched as people played their games. That is when Carly came up to me.

Carly is nice, but she is not a friend. She is also very pretty.

"Conner, why are you not playing?" She drags her words as she speaks. Like she bites her tongue.

"I do not feel well."

"Come hang out with us playing duck duck goose!" Carly grabs my hand. I blush a little.

"Okay," I hear the "oooh's" and "ahhh's" from my friends. They all know I like her, but I doubt she knows.

We sit in the circle and I watch as people are running and laughing. Soon, it is Carly's turn. I close my eyes and wait to see if she picks me. And she does! We run around the circle. She is laughing and screaming as I am the goose.

Always chasing, but never fully there.