My Best friends Cousin

Jacy.

It's been four years since Cheryl had stood in this very spot sipping on her glass of homemade lemonade, this time for very different circumstances. She picked up a small framed picture rubbing her scarred hand across the little dusty glass, tears forming in her dark orbs.

'Hey, I'm Cheryl!' She said holding her hand out to a little boy sitting in the sand box.

Cheryl was new to the school after her parent's had passed away in a tragic accident, she was left to be cared for by her nana, a woman her parents hadn't spoken to for many years.

The little redheaded girl didn't know the ins and outs of what happened to their relationship and why it had broken down but she loved her nana dearly.

Her nana wasn't as well off as her parent's so when they passed all the money was left to their only daughter but it was put in a college fund and the remainder of the money was not to be handed to her until she was twenty one.

So public school it was, Riverdale elementary to be precise, no more private school.

Cheryl wasn't too bothered by it she was looking forward to it in fact, being only seven years old it was an exciting new adventure.

Losing your parents at a young age is still just as painful, not fully capable of understanding like an adults but understanding enough that it made her sad to know she wasn't going to see them ever again.

So for Nana Blossom just seeing a glimmer of excitement in her granddaughters eyes was enough to know she was going to be okay, it would take time but that she would be just fine, she was strong.

'H..hi I'm Ja... Jacy'.
'What you doing Jacy?'.
'I'm making a sandcastle... wanna help?'.

From that moment on they were instant best friends wherever Cheryl was Jacy was and vice versa.

They would spend time at each other's houses, have sleepovers all the time, Cheryl loved being at Jacy house it felt like a second home to her.

She loved his parents, they treated Cheryl like she was one of their own.

Jacy was an only child so he was definitely the apple of his parents eye.

The love poured from their hearts into their son and Cheryl felt loved by them too.

It didn't take long for Cheryl to become apart of the family she fitted in just perfectly.

•••

Elementary school was coming to an end for both of the 11 year olds.

The plan was for Cheryl to go away that summer with Jacy and his family to their family cabin at Sweet Lake.

Nana blossom was completely fine with Cheryl going away with Jacy and his family she knew how much they all meant to Cheryl and how important it was for Cheryl to be out enjoying her summer with people she cared about and loved.

Of course the little girl loved her nana but she was not as young as she once was and she would get tired sometimes, she didn't want Cheryl to have to hang around her old grandmother and miss out on fun.

The final bell of the school year rang so loud, the children ran out the classroom doors glad to be leaving school behind them to enjoy the summer that awaited them.