Fly Away

26 - you're the only one who remembered

Song: Taylor Swift - Lover ft. Shawn Mendes Remix   ( slowed and reverb)

~

It was almost the girls birthday, October 14th, and she was nothing short of excited. Every year she would wait to receive greetings and gifts from her family, but she conceded they probably forgot all about it because she never got any special acknowledgment.

Maybe this year will be different, she thought.

That morning, she woke, the house quiet as usual and her room still the same mess as always.

She would be seven this year and for her, it was a big thing because it meant another year older than the last. Every birthday was special to her in its own way.

His birthday was only a week before hers but two years earlier, however she didn't care because they were still friends.

She thought they would always be friends whatever happened.

She didn't know how false that statement would be in only a years time, though.

She got out of bed and listened for any noise at all, but there was none. Everything was silent. Maybe it's a surprise.

She opened her bedroom door and walked around the house, but with each step further into the quietness, hope was lost.

They forgot again.

They whole day was like that. No one in sight.

She was alone. Lonely. Always lonely.

Maybe she would be lonely forever.

A knock at her bedroom door broke her out of her tears. She had let them fall freely in the solitude of her bed without anyone to judge her.

A flicker of hope ignited within her as she creeped towards the door and cracked it open.

A shy-looking boy stood in front of her, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. His dark hair was splattered over his forehead and he hastily tried to swat at it but they wouldn't budge. One arm was hidden behind his back and one was shoved into his jean pocket.

"Hi." His voice was quiet, and she stopped her staring to look at his face.

His eyes were fixed on her, the special brown colour glimmering, but as soon as he looked into hers, a frown took over his face.

He took a step forward, his hand that was in his pocket coming out to touch her arm.

The hairs on her arm stood up at his soft touch. She liked it when he touched her.

"Why are you crying?" He sounded sad, and she didn't like it when he was sad so she waved him in her room and sat down on the bed as he followed. She caught a glimpse of red behind his back, and he placed it on the floor out of her sight before turning towards her.

"I don't like it when you cry." He says, shuffling closer to her so their arms brushed. Her heart fluttered at the contact.

"Don't worry about me. How did you get in?" She didn't think anyone was at home to open the front door to him.

"It's a secret." He's looking at her face so intently she thinks she might shrink, but she only looks away with a small rose on each cheek.

"I got you something." She looks back towards him as he picks up the red package from the floor and hands it to her.

She takes it with tentative hands. The red wrapping paper is thick as if he had done it himself, and it only made her smile.

"Why did you get me something?" She asks, looking up at him as she speaks. His face looks so pretty in the light on her bedroom ceiling and she finds she never wants to look away from him ever.

"For your birthday of course." He says it so naturally like he isn't the only person to remember, and she nearly bursts out crying from his confession.

"You remembered." She stares down at the small square present in her hands, her heart nearly tearing a hole through her chest.

"I would never forget." A single tear slips out of her eyes and she hastily wipes it away with the back of her hand.

"Thank you." It comes out as a whisper, and she can't look into his eyes so she keeps staring at the red wrapping paper in awe. No one had gotten her a present for her birthday before.

"Open it." A sudden curiosity takes a hold of her, and she slowly rips the cellotape off the paper, careful not to ruin the packaging. She wanted to cherish every part of this gift.

She gently places the paper on the bed behind her and runs a small hand over the black box.

She opens it and comes face to face with a necklace.

It's a small silver chain and right at the bottom, as a little pendant, is a cherry.

She stares at it for so long, scared that it might disappear, but it stays, and she reaches out a finger to touch it, feeling the cold metal under her fingertip.

"Do you like it?' He sounds slightly nervous and thats when she looks up at him, a huge grin breaking out on her face. She can feel the tears running silently down her face but this time she doesn't wipe them away.

They're happy tears.

He moves even closer to her, and she can't take it anymore.

She jumps into his arms, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her tears falling on the material of his black shirt that sits on his shoulder.

He's sitting so still, but she doesn't let go, and eventually his arms wrap around her back and he squeezes her once.

She never wants to let go, but she pulls back and swipes away at the tear tracks on her face anyway.

"I love it." An expression of relief washes over his face, and he takes a hold on the box and gently pulls out the necklace.

She can't explain the feeling in her heart right now, but all she knows it that she never wants it to go away.

She turns her back towards him so he can put the necklace on her, and she feels him move her hair to the side.

He reaches around her and begins to clasp the necklace at the base of her neck, his scent engulfing her. It smells fresh like mint and something darker.

She likes it.

He seems to be struggling as he sighs out once, but finally she feels the cool metal drop onto the back of her neck.

She turns around and smiles at him again, watching as he sits on the bed, his ruffled hair and perfect eyes looking at her so softly.

"Thank you. I'll never take it off." She brings her right hand up to touch the little cherry and smiles to herself.

Cherries are her favourite thing now, all because of him, and she truly would never take this off.

He only smiles a small smile at her, but it lights up her day.

She would stare at him forever if she could and never get tired of it.

Maybe one day she could.

Maybe.

                                                ~

what do you guys think so far?