I Would Follow You Anywhere

“Why can’t you come to my party tomorrow?” I asked him, discouraged. It was the day before my thirteenth birthday.

“I already told you,” he said. I didn’t respond and silently followed him down the block. “I got you a present, though,” he added, attempting to lighten my mood.

“You did?” I asked, slightly happier. He nodded, and handed over a small, messily wrapped square from his backpack. I eagerly unwrapped it, which turned out to be a Smashing Pumpkins cd. My favorite band at the time. “Thanks!” I said, grinning at him.

He grinned back with that smile that always cheered me up.

We slowly approached my house.

“So I’ll see you Monday?” I asked hopefully. He suddenly came and hugged me tightly. “Adam,” I began, laughing. “You’re only leaving for the weekend.”

He let go, but shrugged and then laughed uneasily.

“I’ll miss you, Lily. You’re my best friend.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” I responded, a little confused at the nostalgic tone his voice was taking. “See you,” I said, heading up my walkway. He waved and began walking in the direction of his house, a block away.

“Bye, Lily.”
*******************************************************

I was unpacking all my things. I had recently moved out of my parents’ house to an apartment with two of my closest friends.

“So how are we celebrating tomorrow?” Dana asked, poking her head into my room. It was the day before my nineteenth birthday. I shrugged.

“I think my parents want to have a cookout or something,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“I mean after that,” she said obviously. I shrugged again.

“I don’t know,” I replied. She sighed as if to indicate how much fun I was. She left my room and went to hers next door, also to unpack. The doorbell suddenly rang.

“Can you get that? Maybe Angela forgot her key,” Dana called from her room. I doubted that it was our roommate. She was the most organized out of the three of us.

“Sure!” I called back, heading for the door. I yanked the door open, vaguely wondering who it could be. We weren’t expecting anyone today.

I opened the door to see a face I hadn’t seen in six years. I stared in shock.

He still had the same sandy-colored curly hair, only cut shorter. Still the same skinny frame and dark brown cheerful eyes.

He still grinned that irrelevant grin I used to know so well.

“Adam,” I breathed, still in a state of shock.

He kept on grinning.

I slammed the door in his beaming face.