This small town romance is the story that you should read while wrapped in a comforter with a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night.
When stubborn 10-year-olds, Eliza and Luke, both claim the same towering oak as their personal treehouse...
"Hurry up, or I'll start off this year by telling everyone that you still sleep with your nightlight on. " I call out to Luke as I check the time.
The one thing that I hate is being late and this idiot knows that very well yet he still tries to get under my skin by being late every year on the first day of school.
I watch as minutes tick by one after the other and until there is only twenty minutes before school starts.
I march into his house begrudgingly as I find him sitting on the sofa eating nachos completely unbothered.
"Can't you have that on the way to school?"
"We can leave when I finish my breakfast." He says as he breaks a nacho into six pieces and eats them one by one at a slow pace.
His brunette curls flutter lightly as the wind blows from the open door.
He is just impossible.
God, he is going to make me say it, isn't he?
"Okay, okay, I get what you're doing and it's....... It's working okay. Please just grab your bag and we can leave." I say while gritting my teeth.
He eyes me and raises his eyebrows, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Nope, not doing that. I would rather just have my dignity and walk to school." I say turning around to leave.
"As you wish but school now starts" he looks at his watch "in fifteen minutes and it would take you at least twenty five minutes to walk. If you're willing to be late on the first day itself, then by all means go ahead."
I ball my fists as I imagine sucker punching him into oblivion.
He knows that's my kryptonite.
I take a deep breath and I do it.
I bow to him and say,"I surrender, your majesty. I accept and acknowledge your territory."
A small smile plays across his face and you can kind of see his dimples.
God, those dimples make him look so innocent, if only people knew what an evil jerk he was.
Feeling satisfied, he finally got up and grabbed his car keys as he made his way to the door and gave me a copy smile as he said,"Cranky ladies first."
This was our way of tormenting each other.
This war was waged years ago.
We have a treehouse on a tree that is shared between the two houses.
My neighbour had built that tree house for his children but once they grew up he allowed me to use it.
There were no issues until they moved out and a new family moved in.
They had this annoying boy who on his very first day in this neighborhood claimed the tree house as a part of his Kingdom and proclaimed himself as the majesty.
And that's how I met Luke.
Until one day I waged the war against him claiming that it was mine since I was there before.
I got up early on a bright Sunday morning and equipped myself with weapons.
As soon as Luke tried to climb up I threw pinecones at him and he retaliated with water balloons.
The fight went on for a while as both of our parents were amused by this spectacle and didn't bother stopping us.
We made the local paper that month. "Neighborhood Treehouse 'Battle Royale' Ends in Truce: Local Kids Settle Score with Water Balloons and Pinecones!"
Since then we always used this to rile each other up.
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Author's note
What do we think of Luke and Eliza?
Isn't their treehouse turf battle just the cutest? :)
Do you guys want longer chapters?
This is the picture of the treehouse I was imagining.
Absolutely in love with the idea of having a treehouse. <3
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