North

Chapter 5 - June

"June, slow down..."

The tired eight year old boy slumped behind me as I kept trying to run and jump up to catch the falling leaves and grab the low-hanging branches of the willow trees lining the pathway, the ground littered in all shades of yellow, orange and red.

My boots crunched against the leaves on the asphalt path, kicking them up as I sprinted through the wonderland people call autumn.

"Isn't this wonderful, Tyler...? Look, see how many leaves you can count, I'll go first...one, two- ".

I lost count of the leaves as a huge gust of wind blew my scarf away and hung it on a tree. My hair whipped around crazily in the air and I quickly regained balance thanks to Tyler grabbing the front of my jacket and pulling me into him. The leaves spun around us in a spiral, enveloping us in a spectrum of colours and shapes, and we looked on in complete and utter awe at the dance the leaves and wind performed for us.

"Isn't this beautiful?! The leaves are dancing!" I shouted over the noise of the wind.

A short while after, and we were standing in front of my front door, me having grazed my knee trying to get my scarf back from the branches of the willow tree.

"But..." I trailed, pouting. "I never got to know how many leaves there were."

Tyler looked away, at the setting sun in the distance, as the gentle breeze rifled through his hair. It might have been just my imagination, but a ghost of a smile arose on his lips.

"You can't count all the leaves in autumn, June, nor the grains of sand on the beach, or stars in the sky."

I lifted the ends of my lips upwards.

"Then let's be the first. Let's see the world together, Tyler. This town is small, I want to go to that city over there."

Pointing towards the city across the sea in the distance, outlined only by a faded silhouette, I glanced at his face. It was bright, and he returned the smile.

"Iriehen? I heard it was pretty cool! Yeah, let's go there when we're older and live there, and we can have adventures together. There's so much time we are still yet to have."

"I can't wait!"

I took his hand and gave it a small kiss on the knuckles before I waved him goodbye and went inside. He was always poetic, even at the tender age of eight. It made my heart warm, and my cheeks flush as red as the leaves scattered on the ground. And we were both so stupid for ever thinking that there is "time we are still yet to have"

~~~

I threw my curtain bangs back, looking at my make-up in the mirror. The red sequin dress I wore glistened in the white lights, my earrings swinging.

Jovan was taking me and Tyler out on a fancy dinner in an expensive Italian restaurant this Saturday night. I had asked if May could come, but Jovan said that it was strictly a business dinner, and not a double date, to which I had rolled my eyes.

I agreed, besides, it would be more awkward for Tyler if he saw May. I slid my phone and purse into my small handbag and smiled at myself in the mirror.

You've got this bestie.

I walked out of my apartment complex, after making sure I had taken my dose of Eregnedor (I did not intend on passing out on some expensive caviar or chicken risotto) and given Fuzzy food and water.

I found Jovan, waving to me from his rolled down car window.

"Winters! Stunning as ever."

I strutted over to the car as he clambered out and opened the car door for me. He was holding a bouquet of tulips as he bowed, an expensive Rolex wrapped around his wrist. His silver tie clip held his gold-coloured tie back against his shirt.