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Confused, I watch him walk out of the diner. I apologized for spilling on him, so I don't understand why he's acting all mad. He's a grouchy boy, isn't he?
I probably just lost the best opportunity to make a friend. I even pulled out my list of Questions to Get to Know Someone I found online that I always carry with me.
You never know who might be a potential friend.
Although I didn't get a chance to get too close to Levi, it still stings that he will never be my friend.
Ugh, of course I had to spill my pink lemonade on him!
Remember when I said it was a beautiful day? Well, now it's raining. And I have to walk forty minutes in it, with no jacket and a fuzzy sweater. Which means that when it dries, the fur is going to be crunchy. Not very water-resistant, I must say.
Welp, lesson learned.
To brighten the mood of rain, I jump in any rain puddle I see. My shoes were already dirty, so why the heck not! Plus my dress reaches an inch above my knees, so hardly any dirty puddle drops will land on the fabric.
"Woo!" I cheer, uncaring of any watching, judging eyes. I splash into a clear puddle, smiling brightly.
Oh, how I miss being little.
Dada, momma and I would run outside even if it was just barely sprinkling to play in the rain. We'd get drenched from all the puddle-splashing, and so so cold that we had to sprint inside to warm up. We'd all cuddle under one tiny blanket, surround ourselves with all sorts of junk food, and turn on a movie. Tangled, usually, since I would pout until Momma and Dada would agree to watching it for the thousandth time.
I stop hopping on the rain-covered sidewalk. A frown pulls down my smile.
I miss those days. I miss when momma showed her love to me in a non-hurtful way. I miss when she'd spend time with me, when she'd put everything on hold if I needed her in that moment.
I miss when Dada wasn't gone.
I miss when I believed he would come back.
Suddenly, I realize how cold I am. My hair is damp, sticking to my cheeks. My dress is clinging to my legs, sweater heavy on my shoulders.
Ew! My socks and shoes are wet!
Worst. Feeling. Ever.
I wrap my arms around myself, cringing at the sogginess in my shoes. My house is still thirty minutes away, I can make it.
This time, I dodge the puddles. Each step I take makes a squishy noise. I bop my head to the beat of that squishy noise.
But then a loud, engine-like noise creeps up behind me. My skin goes even colder than before.
I've seen news stories about this. "Teenage Girl Walks Home Alone, Old Creep Steals Her."
