SIXTEENTH

THREE

                
                      LEONARD PETER

I was two when Mara was born, and all the while her mum was pregnant, she and my mum would always say if it was a boy, then he would be my best friend, but if the child was a girl, I'd be her husband. I was two, so I just giggled and agreed while asking for a pack of cookies. 

Safe to say, she was born in my arms. I was little, but I remember my mum and dad pacing in front of the ER alongside Uncle Dan, and when the doctor came out and excused Uncle Dan, my mum and dad held hands in anticipation. We all jolted at the sound of Uncle Dan holding the doctor's collar and screaming,

"No, you have to save her too, please," in tears.

I was a young child, but I knew he liked his wife. Seeing him cry was new to me, as I thought only babies could cry.

I watched my dad grab his friend and ask him to get ahold of himself. He was shaking, and in that instant, they both looked miserable. My mum wasn't left out; Mara's mum was my mother's best friend. It was a sad period for all the adults I knew.

They led us into the nursery of the hospital, and there she was in the cradle, with her cascade blue eyes and brown hair that sat scarcely on her tiny head. Then and there, I knew I wanted to protect her and care for her. Maybe it was pity, I'm not sure, but since that day, we were inseparable.

I was there when she took her first step, said her first word, and wrote her first letter. I remember when we went to the park one time to play; I was seven, and she was five. Then a group of kids started screaming "ghost" when they saw her because of how blue her eyes were. Poor Mara stood there and started crying; all she wanted to do was play. I don't know why, but I started crying too. I walked up to one of the boys, stepped on his toe, and bit his ear so hard, I made sure he got scarred.

Wondering why the "inseparable" got separated?

Well, two years ago, at my birthday party when I clocked 15, Mara walked through the door all smiles in the most beautiful blue dress I had ever seen on a person; she looked so pretty.

The moment she walked in, all eyes were on her. Nobody even noticed when I walked down the stairs or when I cut the cake. She didn't even hand me my presents because all the kids at my party wanted to play with only her.

"How did she forget so fast that it was my birthday and my party?" I thought we meant the world to each other. The very moment when I needed her the most, she wasn't there, and she didn't care. I missed my party that evening as I stayed up all night crying in my room.

My mum took advantage of my vulnerability and separated us further. Honestly, my mum was never the same after Mara's mum had died. She blamed Mara for the death of her high school best friend. She didn't like her one bit but never showed it because of how much my dad adores her.

Now it was Mara's fifteenth birthday, and like always, I couldn't miss it. My dad had taken me to shop for presents two weeks before her birthday, and honestly, every year I don't break my streak of making sure I gave her the ugliest present and making her feel less of her beautiful self. I have to admit, every time I see her smile at someone across the hall in school, my heart melts and leaps and does whatever.

This year, I decided to get her a red phone case that looked like feet. Yeah, and it was red. Knowing Mara, I knew the poor case wouldn't last a second before it landed in the trash, but I didn't care. I didn't like her anyway.

She wasn't in school today—not like I was looking for her or anything, I just didn't see her in the hallway.

After school, I decided to hang out with some friends at the park. I had just gotten there when I saw her walking towards me—maybe not towards me per se, but in my direction. I froze in my tracks; she looked so heavenly in that purple sundress, with her hair packed into a bun.

Why does she have so much effect on me?

"Hey buddy, isn't she a snack?" I heard two guys whisper to each other.

"If you don't want your bones broken, stay clear of her. She's a child, moron," I yelled at them and tossed the ball towards them to continue playing.

All the while with my friends, I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder to see if she was fine. She was going to meet Josh?

The mixed African boy in school. God only knows what she sees in him anyway. I just made sure my gaze was on her the whole time.

What! Are those tears? What did that boy do to her to make her cry? Who does he think he is to make her cry like that?

I didn't even realize when I left the field and walked up to them.

"Hey," I tapped Josh over his shoulder, and he turned. I slapped him so tight, my palms stung.

"Leo, what is wrong with you?" Mara was screaming at me.

Really?

Oh fuck! What the hell did I just do?!