Treat Me Right // River Phoenix (on hold)

o n e

It was on September 12th 1988 when I met him. Little did I know that the encounter was going to change my life forever. His name was River Phoenix, and boy was he something else. The way he talked, the way he would get nervous around me, and the way he was around other people. I don't regret one second of the time I've spent with him, not for a moment. But if I could go back and relive those times, then I would, because that's when times were simpler.
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September 12th 1988

I walked through the gates of the Darbury Local Zoo with my little cousin, Amelia.

"Can we go to the Alligators first?" she asked in her little girl voice, she was only 5 years old. I laughed.

"I don't think that they have Alligators at the zoo, Amelia." I told her. She sighed.

"Okay, well then can we go see the Tigers first?" she asked.

"Well of course." I said playfully, then we headed in the direction of the Tigers.

"Wow! Look how big they are!" she squealed, causing me to laugh again.

"I always see them on T.V. but never in real life!" she exclaimed. Amelia had never been to the zoo before, so this was her first time.

She went up to the glass and stared at them with amazement. It was a hot, bright day and it made the Tiger's fur stand out. It was so hot that a lot of people weren't at the Zoo today, making us the only ones in the tiger exhibit. We were standing under a metal canopy thing that had benches lined up about 7 feet from the glass. I took a seat next on one while she examined the Tigers.

"Wow Tegan! Look, they're moving!" she said.

I laughed and replied "I think that's what they're supposed to do."

I felt someone sit next to me, but was to focused on Amelia's amusement to look.

"Is she yours?" the stranger asked. I looked over to him. He had blondish brown hair that went a little past his ears, beautiful eyes and a nice, sweet voice.

"No, she's my cousin. It's her first time at the zoo." I smiled.

"Well, she's adorable." he said then looked at her and smiled.

"Thank you, she loves animals." I told him. I looked over to Amelia to see her jumping up and down yelling "Come here!" to the Tiger walking towards her, and her waving her hand to the Tiger as a signal to come over.

"Really? It's nice to know that kids get a start on a love for animals early. I love animals also, I come to the zoo a lot." he explained. I nodded.

"River Phoenix." he said and held out his hand to shake.

"Tegan Rowchel." I told him and gladly shook his hand.

"Tegan, Tegan! Look! He's coming over here!" Amelia yelled to me. River laughed a little.

"Like I said, adorable." he told me.

"That she is." I said.

"How old are you?" River asked me.

"17." I said "You?"

"18." he smiled.

"Tegan, can we go look at something else? The stupid Tiger won't come to me." Amelia said with a huff and crossed her arms, saying that she was mad at the Tigers behavior.

"Amelia, watch your language. And yes we can go look at something else." I told her, then looked back at River.

"It was nice meeting you River, but it looks like I have to go." I said standing up, which he did to.

"The pleasures all mine." he said.

"C'mon!" Amelia said grabbing my hand and started dragging me away.

"Wait!" River shouted. I stopped and look back to him.

"Will I see you again?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe." I said and he smiled big, causing me to also.

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First chapter, hope you like!