𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 | 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

"hey cake eater!"

The neighbor's lawnmower awoke the residents of North Hennepin Avenue on a summer morning. The cool breeze drifted through windows, the birds chirped, and the sun beamed its warmth onto the prickly, green grass below. Summer of '93 showed early signs of being what some described as perfect.

As his mom would say: Puberty had finally gotten a light kick at Adam Banks. He had grown around 4 inches since the winter. His hair got slightly longer, and his voice dropped. It seemed that ever since the Ducks had won the Minnesota state championship, hockey is all Adam wanted to do. He practiced in his driveway before going to the rink and once he had returned. "I just like hockey," He would simply shrug whenever someone brought it up. 

Adam watched as Rowan Pierce bounced out of her front door -- a small skip in her step, causing her white high-top converse to hit the concrete below her harder. He fiddled with the living room's sheer curtains as she tucked a strand of her brightened blonde hair behind her ear.

"Happy birthday!" He nearly shouted, slamming the door shut behind him as he sprinted to meet her at the end of his driveway.

"I think you're more excited than me," The girl laughed, examining his exhilarated state.

"It's because we're finally the same age again," Adam mentioned.

"If you start on this whole 'I'm older than you' thing, I'm gonna kill you," She warned.

"You can't do that."

"Yes, I can. It's my birthday."

"And to think I was just about to give you a present," Adam scoffed.

"You got me something?" Rowan asked, amusement and surprise lingering in her voice.

"Of course I did," Adam grinned, grabbing onto her wrist and dragging her to his room. 

As she approached the navy-painted room, she caught glimpse of a small, green package. Instantly, he placed his hand over her eyes. "Adam, I just saw it. It's wrapped. Do we really have to do this eye-covering thing?" Rowan questioned, trying to grasp at the fingers that blocked her sight.

"Yes, it's necessary."

He carefully guided her to a seat, keeping her eyes closed as he reached over to grab the wrapped box. Adam gently placed the small package in her hands and took his hand off her eyes. "It's not much but I knew you'd be mad if I did a lot," He said while scratching the back of his neck.

She slowly tore the green wrapping paper, revealing a brown box. She lifted the cover and her eyes fell on a gold, butterfly necklace. Behind the necklace sat 3 polaroid pictures of the two -- the very same ones McGill and Larson had taken the year prior. "Adam, it's beautiful."

"I knew you liked butterflies." 

"I love it," She corrected, lifting the polaroids from the bottom. "How'd you get these? I thought Larson and McGill..."

"They used to slip them in my hockey bag during practices," Adam laughed.

"Sounds like them," Rowan commented.

A comfortable silence fell over them for just a moment as they looked at each other. Adam noticed how June turned her vibrant. Her eyes were greener than anything he'd ever seen. The hair that reached her chest lightened in the sun, glistening like pure strips of gold. Her freckles darkened. And the dimples that surfaced when she smiled began to appear.

"Thank you, Adam," Rowan said, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"It's the big 14, Ro," His voice came out muffled as his chin rested on her head. "Had to start it the right way."