I stopped in front of the park, looking around to see if Aaron was already there. He wasn't. Checking the time, I now realize that it was 12:30am and not the prime time to be at a park alone.
Whatever.
I sat down on a bench and browsed my phone. He was 2 minutes away.
Turning my head to the side, I saw the big, old Sycamore maple tree that sat in the corner of the park.
I walked into the shadows, using the flash of my camera to scour the trunk of the large tree.
There it was. The tree had grown a little bit since 8th grade, but it was there all the same. We had carved our initials into this tree, after the end of school year field trip. The whole 8th grade class went to the beach and just had fun.
Flashback
"Eww what are you a dog?" Vinnie was shaking his wet hair all over me. He laughed, continuing to shake out the rest of the beach water from his damp hair. "Golden boy, the sun will dry it soon, be patient." I said, ruffling his hair.
"Fine... ya know I like your hair." He said, putting a piece of my wet hair behind my ear.
I blushed that day on the beach, my hair had pieces of sand and probably seaweed stuck in it's layers, but he still liked it.
"You blushing pretty girl?" He asked. And you just told him you were sunburnt.
Vincent got a text on his phone and answered it quickly. "Ayo El, you want something from Chipotle, my mom's getting me some." He looked me in the eye. "Ooh yes." He knew my order and texted it to his mom.
"Thank you Vinnie." He walked up behind me and hugged me from behind, trapping me in his arms.
"No problem El." We stood with each other's company until his mom came back with the food. We were dry and sun kissed.
"You wanna go to the park with me and the boys?" He asked, taking my face in his hand, wiping a droplet of water from my cheek.
"Totally." I remember responding a little too quickly but brushing it off, just happy to spend time with my crush.
We wound up next to the big Sycamore tree, finding it a good spot to hide from the sun. "This is going to be a day we reminisce about." I stated, staring out to the boys doing their tricks on the pavement.
The air smelled of vanilla cologne and an end of year bbq. The sun was now setting and we smelled a bonfire... probably kids burning their schools supplies.
"Are you excited for high school?" Vinnie asked me, playing with his pocket knife. "I'm scared." I responded quietly, laughing lightly to clear the air.
He pulled me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head before whispering into my ear, "Don't be... we'll be together every step of the way." I just smiled and we stayed in that position for a few minutes before pulling away.
"Come here." He walked over to the tree and started to carve my initials into the tree, EC. "Do mine." He handed me the pocket knife and I wrote next to my initials VH.
"Perfect." I just smiled and looked into his eyes. Looking back I suppose we were about to kiss but the moment was ruined by a screaming Aaron, "GET OVER HERE LOVEBIRDS!" Vinnie turned a shade of red and I'm guessing I did too.
End of flashback
"IM HERE!" Aaron was yelling to me, jogging over to my spot under the tree.
I smiled, enjoying my memory.
"What's up girly." He sat down on the concrete and patted the ground next to him.
I sat down, and pushed my hair behind my shoulders. The skate park was the exact same as it was 4 years ago, a few more stickers plastered on benches, and the benches were a bit beaten up.
"I don't think me and Vinnie can be friends anymore." I looked at the ground... avoiding eye contact.
"What happened?"
"I told him I liked him."
"What happened though..."
"He said he couldn't do this. I guess I just read the relationship wrong."
"He's a bitch. He has literally been in love with you since the 8th grade... why did he push you away?"
The question was rhetorical but I answered anyway.
"If I knew, I wouldn't be questioning our entire friendship right now."
"Let's go home.... I don't want to get kidnapped." He stood up, and held his arms out for me to grab.
I grabbed his hand he pulled me up.
"Can you not tell anyone yet... I don't want any bad rumors going around." I couldn't let this end up on tiktokroom's page.
"Yeah... but if I see him, it's on sight." I laughed lightly and we walked over to his car.
He put on 'telepatía' by Kali Uchis (he's obsessed.) and backed out of the park, driving us home.
"Do you think I made a mistake?" I asked Aaron, still looking at the road. "No... but I know he did." He looked at me, still driving and rubbing my shoulder.
"It's gonna be just fine Ella." I smiled at his words. I continued to think about it, no matter how much I tried not to.
We pulled up and I walked up to my room, immediately hopping in the shower, doing a deep condition on my hair and my whole skin routine.
I guess I'm trying to wash this day off of me.
Getting out of the shower, I patted my skin down and put on lotion, drying my hair and putting it in a bun.
I put on a 'buddy's hard' sweatshirt and some boxer style pj bottoms.
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Exhibit A and B
I walked back downstairs and saw Aaron laying on the couch watching an edit of Chris Hemsworth on tiktok.
"Ayo!" I hit him with a pillow. He looked up shocked. "Send that to me." I pointed to the video on the phone.
He laughed and sent it to me. We rewatched AHS murder house for the fifteen-millionth time and then fell into a slow, peaceful sleep on the couch.
