A Blast from the Past
Twenty Years Earlier
Olivia
It was a day I would never forget for the rest of my life. The trees were blowing and clouds filled the sky. I woke up to the sound of a door slamming outside. Summer had just started. You would think I would've been excited, but I wasn't. I liked school and didn't want to be home for three months. It was one of the only places I was able to get away from home and be myself. Our town was pretty small, and everyone knew each other. I had a couple of friends at school, but my dad didn't let me have people over. Summer was pretty boring for me.
The couple that lived next door to me had just moved out. They were old and said it was too cold for them. I think my mom said they were going to Florida. When I heard a second car door slam, I was afraid to look. Who was moving in, I wondered? Was it more old people, or was it a bunch of bratty kids? I had just turned fourteen and was going to start high school in the fall. There was no way I wanted a bunch of tiny ones running around. It would be so loud. When I heard a third car door close, I knew I had to look.
I moved to my window and opened my shade the rest of the way. When I looked over and saw him, my mouth dropped open wide. He was the cutest boy I had ever seen. How old was he, I wondered? He was taller than me, but that didn't mean anything. I was pretty short compared to the other kids my age. He had short, dark hair. I saw a man and a woman with him. There weren't many cute boys in our town. I had lived there my whole life, so I knew all of the other kids.
The boy walked up to the front porch and shook his head. I watched him look up at my window before he sat down on the top step hanging his head down. What was he like, I wondered? There were a million things running wild through my mind. He could be smart, athletic, quiet, loud, nerdy, mean, nice, or sarcastic. Maybe he didn't want to live there. Parents made all the decisions for us. I didn't want him to feel alone. That was a horrible feeling. His mom walked out and said something to him. He got up, shook his head, and walked into the house.
The next morning, I looked out my window and saw him sitting against a tree with his head in his arms. I wanted to know why he seemed so sad. That was a feeling I knew well sometimes. I knew how guys could be, and I knew I needed to appear confident and in charge. I wasn't sure what I was dealing with and didn't want to end up being bossed around by some boy. I threw some clothes on, brushed my teeth, grabbed some flip-flops, and threw my hair up quickly, as I took off out the door. It was time to welcome him and let him know he was in my territory.
I knew he didn't hear me coming, and when he looked up, I almost stumbled. He was even cuter up close.
"My name's Olivia," I mumbled.
Nice going, I thought. That wasn't confident at all. He put his head back down in his arms without a word. I let out a huff. He was being rude.
"Do you have a name?" I asked.
"Zander," he answered from under his arms.
I leaned down in front of him.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I'm fourteen," he said, as he lifted his head.
"What's your problem?" I asked.
"I didn't want to come here. My dad made us move. He took a stupid job here. I'm not staying any longer than I have to. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm going back to New York."
"Come with me," I said, as I reached out my hand.
He rolled his eyes, and I shook my hand in his face. I heard him huff as he grabbed my hand and stood.
I took him to my spot. It was in the woods behind our houses. I was taking him to the one place I could think and get away from everything, and I hoped it wasn't something I would regret.
"It's not so bad here. I've lived here my whole life. You could at least give it a chance. This is my spot. My parents never come out here. You can come out here by yourself if you want."
He let out a laugh. I had chairs and a table set up. There were a couple of plastic boxes with books and other things in them.
"This is where you hang out," he said with a shake of his head. "Is this your idea of fun?"
"No," I snapped. "I don't like being in the house when my dad gets home from work. He's mean to my mom, and sometimes, he's mean to me. It's my place to be alone without either of them."
"I don't get along with my dad either," he said. "He's too busy telling me what I need to do. Nothing I do is ever right in his eyes."
We sat out there talking for hours. I heard a woman calling his name, and he stood up and looked down at me.
"You coming out here tomorrow, Livie?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Olivia," I snapped with my face scrunched in disgust.
"Whatever," he said.
"I am," I said. "I come out here every day."
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Livie," he said.
I knew in that moment we were going to be friends, even if he was the most irritating boy I had ever met.
When I stood up, I walked over with a smile, ruffled his hair, and cocked my head to the side.
"You're not so bad. I'm going to marry you one day," I said with a huge smile.
I could be irritating too.
"What?" he yelled out, as I walked away.
"See you tomorrow, Z," I called back at him from over my shoulder.
Summer wasn't going to be so bad after all, I thought.
