13 years ago…
I tap gently on the window pane with the light green dream catcher hanging in it, and it’s only a moment before there is indiscernible movement at the corner of the curtain.
Seconds go by, and I think she’s ignoring me until the curtain is shoved aside completely. Olive is looking at me with the most confused expression on her face as she cracks the window open.
“What are you doing?”
“I haven’t seen you in a few days. I wanted to say hi.”
“You haven’t seen me because you got in trouble for fighting. Again,” she scolds.
We’ve been friends for a few months now, and she’s set me on a better trajectory, but I still have lapses from time to time.
“Bobby was showing off his cousin’s girlfriend’s nudes. Even the principal couldn’t blame me for clocking him.”
She rolls her eyes and leans her elbows against the window frame. I’m standing on an old milk carton, putting our heads nearly in the same place.
“You have to graduate in two months. No more trouble.”
“Trouble finds me, Liv. You know that.” I smirk and watch pinkness creep into her cheeks.
I’m not a stranger to girls’ attention, but I’m older than her. I shouldn’t enjoy seeing her blush like that, and I shouldn’t hope that she likes seeing me as much as I like seeing her.
Liv isn’t like that, though. If she has a crush on me, she’s never said. She doesn’t try to flirt with me, and she’s never trying to get anything from me.
I don’t want anything from her besides friendship.
She’s beautiful, of course, but I know what a girl like Liv is destined for, and it is a whole lot better than anything that I could give her. Friendship is all I’ll let myself hope for.
“What will you do once you graduate?”
“I have a job lined up at Brody’s auto shop. He’s going to let me apprentice with him until I can get all my certifications.”
“Have you always wanted to be a mechanic?”
I laugh. “No, but it’ll pay well enough. I want to save up enough money to hire a trainer.”
“Trainer for what?”
“MMA. Mixed Martial Arts.”
“You want to be a professional fighter?”
“That’s where the real money is. I can make it big, I know it.”
“I believe in you.” She smiles, resting her head against the edge of the window.
“I’m sorry, it’s late. I should let you get some sleep.”
“It’s okay. I’d rather talk to you.” Her lips tip in a smile, but she hides it quickly, shyly.
“You’re something special, Liv. I can’t wait to see the great things you do someday.”
“Like what?” She laughs. “I don’t have a clue what I wantto do.”
“Surgeon?”
She grimaces. “Not a fan of blood.”
