Life According to Wyatt Smithers

Summer: Part 4

The sun did what it did countless times before. Its rays of light and radiation descended down upon us, even at 6:47 p.m. We were cautios and alert. Leigh-Anne, Jake, Eric, and I were on the run from Dallas. The first thing we had done at Dallas' party was play Hide and Seek. He was searching for us. "Okay, if he comes running for us I'll act as a decoy why you guys skidattle," suggested Leigh-Anne. "Okay, fine by me," Eric responded.

We were walking down the alley behind Dallas' house. It was grey and eerie, as if no happiness existed here. "Oh shit! Here he comes!" yelled Jake. The four of us ran as fast as our legs could carry us. Leigh-Anne was falling behind us. Soon enough he caught her. I gazed back to see Dallas tag her pokedot dress. The rules were that we were in pairs so if one of our team members was captured then both of us would have to seek out the others. The game ended there when we returned to Dallas' house. Ali and a girl named Lily arrived. Her skin was a shade lighter than Jasmine's and her hair was curly.

I had talked to Lily once an awhile during school. Her blue Catalina Softball T-shirt was matched by blue jeans. Megan and Tiana were here as well. Megan wore a white shirt with roses printed in a fantastic pattern as if they were falling diagonally downwards. Her light blue jeans were rolled up to reveal golden sandals. She embraced Dallas as their newfound love enveloped. "Hey, we need ice for the drinks. Lets go guys. Jake, Eric, Ali," Dallas commanded. "Wait, don't forget about Wyatt," Ali pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. You too Wyatt," Dallas said. Thank you Ali, I thought. I needed more guy friends. I hadn't many. We traveled to the local gas station where they were selling ice. Inside was cold, like the breath of winter. "Do you want anything?" Eric asked me. "I'm fine, thankyou," I replied. He was kind to ask but I required no immediate sustenance. The trek back held near silence from me save for the occasional laughter at Eric and Ali's jokes.

When we had returned we had all decided to play What Are The Odds? Ridiculous feats followed as almost everyone completed the dares. One was from Eric to Lily. "What are the odds that you and Leigh-Anne would ask the guy across the street for sugar?" Then, Ali was next to be asked. "Hey, Ali. What are the odds that you and Wyatt would dance off in a dance battle?" Eric had questioned. That was when I saw the magnificence in Ali's dancing. He praddled about the driveway and spun on the ground for a pose, his fingers postitioned at me."Your turn, Wyatt? he said.

"O-okay," I said shyly. I appeared in view of everyone. Then I did the sprinkler. "This is waste water on you Ali," I said, my arm pointing towards Ali. "Booty bop, booty bop," I continued. My hips bumbed against Lily's multiple times. Ali won and I was happy that he did. It was amazing, he was amazing. Megan departed first. She gave Eric a pat on the head, Leigh-Anne and I a hug, and Dallas a kiss. Ali, Lily, Jake, and Eric left via Jake's mom's Hundai soon after.

The only guests remaing were Leigh-Anne, Tiana, and I, as well as Dallas. We had talked until my mother picked us up. That night was fun. After leaving the girls at Leigh-Anne's house I went straight to bed. Just darkness. Then a voice called out. "I can take you away from this place, from these people. Just take my hand." A pale hand appeared in the darkness. "I want to stay here," I said. "My friends are here and I love each and every one of them." Then the voice answered back. "You may love them," it said, "but do they love you?" There was a silence. I could only see the darkness, like the night sky only absent the stars.

"Th-they do. I know they do. They've made me happy and I will make then happy. Thats what friends do." I was hesitant to answer but I knew it to be truth. "They can never offer you what you truly desire. Only I can. The ones called Leigh-Anne, Tiana, Helen, Dallas, Ali, Megan, Jake, Eric. Even distant aquaintances such as Stanley Jones. You cannot claim them all as your friends. All they bring is chaos, war, conflict. I can take you away from that." I believed that your best and closest friends could always be counted on your hand. Leigh-Anne was on one finger, Tiana another. Was there anyone else. I had gone through the different people I had hoped to call friend. Could it be Dallas, Ali, and Eric? Are they the three left? I had wanted them to be. But it wasn't so. I knew in my heart it wasn't.

"This is what you're left with. Uncertainty. And when conflict and chaos come their way you will be left behind. And once this occurs you will pray that I come to rip you away from all of them and what they will face. All in time, sooner than you think Wyatt Smithers." My skin was wet from sweat and tears. I awoke screaming in my bed. It was just a dream.