The Magnolia

I sat on my favorite branch in the magnolia in the forest, twirling a twig between my fingers. I looked up at the sky, watching fluffy white clouds float across the blue and felt the cool breeze drift through my long black hair. I picked up a leaf that had fallen on my head and twisted it distractedly.

It was mid day but everything around me was quiet and dark. In the distance I could hear children squealing and playing but I couldn't see them. The tree felt empty and lifeless beneath me, a shell of a once great being.

It used to be filled with the laughter of two best friends who had spent almost every afternoon in its branches.

It used to be a happy place.

Our place.

I picked up the pendant that hung around my neck and held it in both hands, feeling its smooth surface and thinking about everything that had happened. 

All that I had was memories now.

All that I had left were the ghosts that still haunt my heart.

"Norah! Hurry up!" yelled Phineas, his shaggy brown hair flying around his head as he yanked me down the hallway, "It's Taco Tuesday!"

"Hold up! My books are falling!" I yelled back, trying to keep up with the nuclear firecracker that was my best friend.

He had youthful, stormy blue eyes that squinted when he smiled and a strong, clumsy figure that was always falling over itself. Finny was one of the only people I knew who was completely free in almost every way possible and yet still couldn't get away with anything. He was a paradox within himself. He was never afraid to state his opinion, although it could sometimes be rude or get him into trouble. He wore a pendant around his neck every day and always wore a pair of worn out Convese sneakers and his various sweatshirts.

"Come on! Scoot pilgrim, scoot!" He yelled, "You're so SLOW!"

"Shut up! You're being too loud!"

"Hey, that's what friends are for!"

We got into the lunch line to get our tacos and chattered aimlessly about anything that came to our minds, from our dreams to our classes to the weird teachers who do stupid things in class.

Finny loaded his with meat and lettuce and splattering the entire thing with salsa. I put on a little bit of everything and topped it off with sour cream, salsa and cheddar cheese, making it look like a work of art.

Eyes wide and mouth watering, Finny dug into his taco like a savage animal would its prey while I blended all of my ingredients like a professional pastry chief until perfection before taking a huge bite and savoring every morsel in my mouth.

Taco Tuesday was always the day where we didn't talk with our mouths full.

That evening we were walking home from school together and we decided to take a short cut through the forest near our houses.

The late summer sunshine glistened though the leaves above us and a warm breeze blew all around us. Birds sang high up in the trees bringing our surroundings to life.

As I was looking around, Finny reached into my bag and stole the apple that I had smuggled from the cafeteria. There was a rule that stated that we were not allowed to take food that was bought from the school out of the cafeteria but no one paid much attention to it.

"Give me that!" I yelled, grabbing for it as he held it just out of my reach, "Get your own apple!"

"Well Norah, I can't really do that right now," he said, "So I guess I'll just have to take some of yours."