Passing Papers

I Promise.

"Promise?"

I asked in a quiet voice, like I couldn't bare getting it to be any louder. Aspen scooted closer to me in the treehouse. The window wide open to watch the sunrise. He smiled quickly and nodded. We were both only ten. So it was a big thing to promise. I looked to him for an answer.

"Yes."

Aspen said confidently. He was missing one of his molars. I read his lips carefully as he opened his mouth to say more,

"I'll stay by your side forever , I swear." He laughed a little at the suddenness of my question. I felt my face go red in embarrassment and switched to sign, picking my hands up from the wood panel floor. In other circumstances the constant threat of getting splinters in my palms would have bothered me but it didn't.

Cool. I signed, a little too embarrassed to actually say anything. Just hopping he would catch it. He tugged on my annoyingly bright yellow sweater as he pointed at the sky. He, and more importantly his lips weren't facing me so I had no clue what he might've said. I followed his gaze. He turned to me, as if remembering I couldn't just hear him.

"It's pretty." He said simply. He was right. It was just started to peak up from the clouds. The dewy blue lighting on everything shifted to a bright, bright orange. The light shone on his face. The two of us were quickly squinting.

He didn't say anything for a while. He just looked at the sky and all the pretty swirling colors I could hardly comprehend.

"Leo." He said, turning to me.

"Yeah?" He flopped back onto the treehouse floor. The treehouse was in my backyard, but Aspen used it probably more than I did.

"We woke up WAY too early!" He said tilting a head up. I laughed.

"You're such an idiot, this was your idea." I reminded him, helpfully.

"ugHHHHHHH" He groaned. Sitting back up.

"You're such a baby, I'm sure you can handle it."

"I might fall asleep on you and then keep you here forever" He said to me. He went some-what limp and tried his best to lean as heavily on my shoulder as possible.

"aSPEN!" I giggled trying to shove him off of me. "Get off you dingus! " He twisted and turned until he had his face buried in the crook of my neck. He lifted a hand to where I could see it.

No.

He signed playfully. Suddenly his back jolted and he sat up, leaning down to looks at the ground under the tree house. I, confused went to follow his gaze once again. His dad was standing there.

"FINE!" Yelled Aspen. He turned to me. "Dad says I have to go."

"Aw, man."

"Something about us being awake too early." I pressed my lips together as he started climbing out.

"Bye, Leo!" He said before starting to make his way down.

"Bye." I said quietly.

The world seemed to shift.

To a year in the future.

"Bye." I managed to rasp in a quiet voice. Aspens dad is dragging boxes out of his house and into a giant UHAUL truck. He opened his mouth to speak but gave up and hugged me tight.

"Bye, Loser." He said. His eyes looked glossy. I stared at the red friendship bracelet on his wrist.

"Wait!" I said in a panic. "My aunt said you could have- I'll just get it." I ran quickly into the music shop. My aunt stood by a cash register but was looking like she was on her way to go out and say goodbye to Aspen and Mr. Wright. A red electric guitar was leaning against one of the chairs, along with a pick and capo.