Autumn

1: How they met

                                               1: How they met

 

            Theodore never realised how much he hated the nickname Theo until he met Autumn. Autumn called him Theodore.  The way it rolled off her tongue made it sound dangerous and exciting and heroic. Theo was incomplete; uncertain, awkward, weak, a shortened version of his full potential.

            “Do you remember the day we met?”

            He did. But despite how introductions are described in literature and film, there wasn’t much that was clear about the day they met. He could recall the major details, but nothing minor. If asked, Theodore wouldn’t have been able to describe what Autumn wore that day or state the weather conditions. In all honesty, he hadn’t been paying that much attention. Because when you meet someone, you don’t know you’re going to fall in love.

            That, and he had a killer headache.

            “You gave me a concussion.” He remembered that much.

            “Don’t exaggerate.”

            “Don’t underestimate your ability to knock someone out with a basketball.”

            “I have bad aim.”

            “Obviously.” He rolled his eyes, and couldn’t help but smile as he said it.

            “I’d be a horrible addition to the male species. Thank God I was born a woman.”

            “The ability to play sport doesn’t make you a man.”

            “Obviously.” It was Autumn’s turn to roll her eyes. “I was talking about peeing.”

            “Oh.”

            “Do you remember anything else from that day?”

            He did. When the throbbing pain in his skull had stopped rattling his brain, he remembered realising he was on the floor. He remembered seeing Autumn hovering over him, the sun behind her head, making her golden hair glow. If Theodore wasn’t so embarrassed, he would have appreciated the picturesqueness of the sight. But being knocked out with a basketball thrown by his pretty next door neighbour wasn’t one of his proudest moments.

            He wasn’t sure he could get up, so he stayed there, completely still while Autumn apologised. Then, she dropped down next to him and together, they watched the clouds pass. Nearly knocking someone out was a surprising conversation starter which kept them occupied until the sky swirled with hues of pink and purple. The colour soon drained and they were cloaked with darkness and diamonds.

            Theodore didn’t remember what they talked about or how many hours they were outside. He did, however, remember thinking, Holy shit, a really pretty girl just knocked me out with a basketball.

            He didn’t mention it out loud though.

            “I remember you were blonde,” he said instead.

            “Interesting,” she hummed. “Interesting.”