flashback; Harry & Elizabeth, 10 years of age
Harry stuck his foot out for it to land on top of the cliff, finally reaching their destination.
"C'mon Elizabeth, you're so slow," He whined.
"Shut your trap Harold, and help me up."
Harry stuck his hand out for Ellie to grab, and she did, he pulled her up onto the cliff to sit along with him.
She muttered a thanks, she was scrawny for a 10 year old, but never passed on an adventure that Harry asked her to come along on, which he always asked, every single time.
"This is so pretty," Ellie breathed, talking to no one in particular, but Harry heard. Maybe she was talking to the sun, the moon, or maybe even the stars, because they didn't know her love for sunsets, but Harry did.
He knew of her love for sunsets, which was the main reason he even found this cliff and climbed it. He saw the cliff, and just knew she would love it. He thought of it as more of a "thanks for going on my crazy, and sometimes dangerous, adventures with me," than a loving gesture, but now he knows it wasn't, he loved her even back then, at 10 years old. Seems silly for a 10 year old to be in love, but he loved her from when they first met in kindergarten, but he just didn't realize it. At the time, he acted like he was disgusted by her "girl cooties," but deep down, he knew he wasn't. He knew from the start that girls didn't have "cooties." He knew he saw her as more than a friend, even if he acted like she was his sister.
The sunset that night was absolutely stunning, breathtaking, but Harry was too distracted to pay attention. It was the perfect mix of pink, sun yellow & fire orange, they splashed together to form art in its purest form.
The sunset finally set, letting the cool night set in, stars filling up the open sky.
"We should go, it's getting dark, it'll already be hard to get down the cliff," Ellie's voice rang out, filling the silent void.
Harry nodded in agreement.
"I'll go first," He stated, he knew the way better than Ellie did and it was definitely way too dark to be climbing down dangerous things.
Harry started to go down, carefully planting one foot on a stable rock after another, before he finally reached the ground.
"Ellie, you almost down?"
"Yes, Harry, be patient."
But Harry got annoyed, she was still close to the top, where they started their trip down.
"If you're not down here by the time I count to 20, I'm leaving, my mom's gonna be worried."
He started to count, but was cut off by Ellie's scream. Harry ran as fast as his legs could take him to see where Ellie landed.
"El," He shook her. "Ellie, wake up."
But Ellie did not respond. He gathered all his strength, lifting her into his arms as he tried to jog back home, but he was kind of scrawny too, just like Ellie.
"Mom!" Harry yelled, hoping his mom would hear him through the door.
The porch lights turned on as Anne came rushing out.
"Oh my God, Harry what happened?"
"She fell as we were climbing down a cliff, and now she won't wake up," Harry frantically explained.
"Get her in the car, dear."
Anne started the car, taking them to the emergency room, calling Ellie's parents on the way.
• • •
After waking up and being examined, Ellie laid there alone in the hospital room as her and Harry's parents went to get coffee.
"How are you doing?" Harry asked, fidgeting with his fingers.
"Just a broken arm, minor concussion from the fall."
"I'm so sorry about what happened Ellie, if only I hadn't rushed you, I'm so sorry," Harry apologized, standing right next to the hospital bed as he finished.
"No Harry, you saved me, who knows how I could be if you didn't pick me up and take me home."
Harry leaned down to be eye to eye level with Ellie.
"Really?"
"Really," She nodded. She lifted her head off the pillow and kissed Harry on the cheek.
"Thanks Harry."
Harry's cheek turned a light crimson red, a dimple carved into his cheek as he contemplated about what just happened.
Ellie kissed him on the cheek;
Ellie, who he used to think of as a sister.
Ellie.
"What else would I be there for?" He sent her his signature cheeky grin.
And for a while, everything returned back to normal, like it was before Ellie kissed Harry on the cheek, Harry went back to teasing Ellie about everything, and Ellie teased Harry right back. It all might've been normal on the outside, but on the inside, little 10 year old crushes started to grow, which would develop into something more complicated in a couple of years.
-A note from your narrator-
I seem graceful and amazing at first, but I can cause you the deepest pain.
a/n
hello!! if you haven't read the first chapter after I edited it, please do because I have made some changes from when I first posted it.
