Soul Realm

The start of something new

I walk up the stairs leading to the park, I smile feeling butterflies fill my stomach.

" So after all this time i'm going to finally see him again. " I think to myself, playing with a hand fidget, twisting it around my fingers as I try to mentally prepare myself. For some reason I was more nervous than I thought I'd be, I felt dumb for being this anxious but try to ignore it. 

I lift my leg to take the final step of the stairs and feel my shoe lace under my shoe. 

'Oh crap, I'm about to eat it.' 

I go to grab the rail to steady myself but feel my head slam into something hard and to warm hands grab my shoulders. 

" You could never keep those shoes tied huh? " My heart races as I hear his voice, my face heats up with embarrassment. 

' Oh course I'd do this, I should have known. ' I look up at him, my face getting even hotter.

" You okay? Your face is all red? " I shake my head feeling more stupid, I stare at him. Taking in his looks and how he's grown from when we were kids running around laughing. 

" Yeah I'm okay, I just hit your chest really hard. Are you okay? Did I hurt you? " 

" No i'm okay, you should be more careful, " He bends down and picks up my fidget, " Here you dropped this, " I take it outta his hands. " You still play with those, I remember as a kid you always had on with you. You haven't changed a bit from the girl I knew huh. " He laughs and smiles at me, I feel my face heat up again as I look down. 

" I see you haven't changed either, always catching me off guard and laughing at me. " 

" Well if I wasn't here to catch you, then you'd fall right on your pretty face now wouldn't you, you could at least give me a thank you. " Pretty? Did he just say I had a pretty face? No this isn't the time to think about it, I need to be acting cool and calm, if I don't it'll be obvious I still like him. 

" Well then thank you for catching me. " 

" You're very welcome, wanna go over to the swings, you still like swinging don't you?? " How does he remember all this? I mean I know we were friends as kids but did he pay attention to the things I enjoyed that much?? 

" Yeah I do, I still do every week when I go on walks. " He smiles at me. 

We walk over to the swings. I stare at the flowers along the way, the purple violets and roses looked too lovely to not notice. I come to this park weekly, it always makes me happy looking at the ocean as I swing, or when I go to draw. I watch him bend down and pluck a rose from the bushes, I watch him take out a pocket knife and begin to cut off the thorns before placing it back in his pocket. He looks over to me and notices me watching him, he smirks and hands me the rose, I smile and take it. 

" Here I have a better idea, turn, " I turn and he begins placing the rose in my braid. I feel him adjust it before turning me back around and giving me a soft push to keep walking. " That looks better in hair. " I look away as I feel my warm up. We make it to the swings and I walk to the one I've been sitting in my whole life, even as a kid, if someone else was in it. I'd wait till they were done. Ke keen takes the swing to the right of me and begins swaying back and forth slowly. 

" I've missed you, you know, since you moved away, " His words caught me off guard. I look over to him. " Sorry if that was weird. 

" No no it wasn't weird, you just surprised me, that's all, I missed you too. I didn't wanna move, I didn't have a choice. But I'm happy we got back in contact. " I push my feet forward, swinging more. I love swinging so much, I don't exactly know why, maybe because it felt like flying, maybe it was the feeling of being free. It all sounds so funny, swinging made me feel free. 

" How have you been? I saw you at the burger place the other day with Claire and Emily. Glad to see y'all are still friends. " 

I'm glad we stuck together too. I've been okay, just living and growing really. I work too now. " I pause, he did see me, I know he did but that means he knows that I was staring at him. " I saw you too, with your mom right?? " He smiles, looking out into the ocean. 

" Yeah, I took her out to eat, since I don't have much time left. " I look over to him, " She has cancer, the doctors have done what they can but its to fair long. She has a couple months at most. But even though she's sick and knows what's gonna happen. She stays happy and loving... " I hear the pain in his voice as he talks. I reach over to rub his back. He smiles and wipes his eyes. " I'm okay, just chokes me up a bit to think about, you know?? " I nod my head, I lost my nana the same way, but I didn't know. 

We swing and talk for the next hour, laughing and talking about old times, Our goals in life, Everything. Even after all these years apart it's like we were never apart, like the friendship never ended. 

" Hey it's getting late, you want me to drive you home?? " I glance at him. 

" Ummm I biked here and I don't think you have a bike rack. " 

" That's not an issue, I have a truck so I can put it in the bed. If that's okay with you. " I smile,

" I'd really appreciate it then, thank you. "

We walk down the ocean for a bit, then over to the bike rack, I unlock my bike and watch as Ke keen grabs it. 

" Woah woah sir, do you have a license to drive this kind of vehicle?? " I joke, 

" Well uh no but I can help you move it?? " He looks over at me embarrassed. 

" Do you still not know how to ride a bike? I can teach you if you'd like. " He looks down, his face heating up. 

" Well let's not right now, maybe another time, not in public, it's a bit embarrassing not knowing how to ride a bike. " 

I laugh and smile. " There's no need to be embarrassed, one day I'll teach you and you'll be a pro, I promise. " 

He loads my bike into his truck before opening my door and getting in to start the truck. 

" You still live in the same place? I nod my head and look out the window, I stare at the water thinking about how lovely the day has been. 

He starts driving me home, telling me about his job and how he plans to upgrade his truck. 

We pull into my driveway, he gets out and opens my door for me again, helping me down. I look up at him, feeling short and small under his stare, he really has gotten a lot taller, or I just haven't grown at all. The first thought was the correct answer. He smiles before pulling me into a tight hug, lowering himself to rest his head on mine. 

" Thank you for hanging out with me, I missed you a lot Katie. " 

I bury my face to his chest as my face turns into lava. " Thank you for hanging out with me too, I missed talking to you. " He pulls away before smiling again. " Thank you for bringing me home too. " He walks me to the door, before leaving he hugs me again but places a small quick kiss on top of my head and heads to his car. I smile and wave by to him before closing the door and squealing. I ran up to my room and facetime Claire and Emily, to tell them all about my evening with Ke Keen. We talked for a while. I tell them everything while they tease me and laugh. 

I hang up after a bit to shower and get ready for bed. I hear my phone ring and open it. 

" I got home safe, sleep well! Text me tomorrow and we can plan something " I smile and text back 

" Sleep well too. I will, text me if you wake up first. " 

" Text you first? Kate I always wake up before you. " I type ' Shut up ' before turning my phone off and leaving it on my bed to go shower. 

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Hey everyone! I'm back to writing, I don't have an update schedule yet, but hopefully I will soon, thank you again for reading my story and for everyone that stays to see it progress!!! 

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