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Flashback - Their Kindergarten Year
The playground was buzzing with the squeals and shouts of kids racing around the jungle gym, daring each other to jump off the swings, chasing each other in games only half understood. But on the far side of the picnic tables, away from the sticky juice boxes and smeared fingers, a little girl with two braids, hair pulled back by colorful butterfly clips, sat alone at the end of the long lunch table. Her shoes tapped softly against the bench as she swung her legs in small, even kicks.
Rafe Cameron noticed Imani Carrera right away.
She was quiet, the kind of quiet that made her seem as if she was somewhere else entirely, lost in her own world. Most of the other kids had formed little groups, buzzing with the kinds of conversations five year olds have: superheroes, snack trading, and loose teeth. But not Imani.
Rafe wasn't quite sure why he felt the urge to go over. Maybe it was the way she looked down at her sandwich, like she wasn't really all that interested in eating it. Or maybe it was because something in her shyness seemed to echo his own, in a way he didn't know how to describe.
All he knew was that he wanted to be near her.
He wanted her attention.
So, he walked over, glancing back at his friends who were busy poking sticks into the dirt and pretending to be knights. They probably wouldn't notice he was gone, anyway.
He plopped down next to her, awkwardly shuffling his sandwich bag. "Hey," he said, trying to sound like he'd done this before. "I'm Rafe."
The girl looked up, surprised at first, then her face softened as she offered a small smile. "I'm Imani," she said, her voice soft but bright, like she wasn't used to talking much but Rafe liked the sound of it.
It was at this moment, Rafe thought Imani looked like an angel.
He couldn't think of much else to say, so he just looked down at his sandwich. It felt weird, the silence between them, but not in a bad way. He peeked over at her lunch — a perfectly cut peanut butter and jelly sandwich sitting on a napkin, with the crusts trimmed off.
"Do you want one?" Imani asked, holding out one half of her sandwich.
Rafe hesitated. He hated peanut butter and jelly. But the way she looked at him, her big eyes a little hopeful, made him feel like he should say yes. He nodded, accepting the half she held out, and took a big bite.
"It's good," he lied, not wanting to upset her for some reason.
Imani laughed, and he felt his cheeks get warm. He didn't know why.
They ate in a comfortable silence for a moment until Imani tilted her head. "Since I gave you mine. Can I have one of yours?" she asked, pointing at the cookie next to his sandwich.
