Meet Me Halfway

Present Day

"Melle!" Mom called from downstairs. I took my headphones off, and set them on the table. Walking out of my room, I walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Yes?" I asked while eating a plate of waffles set on the dining table. I grabbed the syrup and squeezed it, topping it off with strawberries. 

"Can you take Mia to the park? She has a play date with Anna, and I have to go to the grocery store. Michael went to play basketball with his friends, and your dad is at work," she asked while joining me at the dining table with a plate of waffles too.

"Alright, I'll text Vanessa and ask if she can come to keep me company." I took out my phone and began texting her. I was lucky my best friend replied in two seconds. She probably replied the fastest out of everyone I knew.

"She said yes, I'll go get ready." I went back upstairs to my room and looked through my closet for clothes. I took out my black TNA tights, plain white shirt, jean jacket, and black and white converses.

I knocked on Mia's door and walked in. She was ready, and was waiting for me while playing with the tea set I bought her. She grabbed her tiny backpack and followed me out of the house. Vanessa had texted me saying she'd meet us at the park.

While walking there, Mia held my hand and started swinging it back and forth.

"Melle? Can you do that thingy where you hold my hands and swing me up in the air?" Mia asked me.

"I can only do that with Vanessa holding your other hand."

"Can I have a piggy back ride then?" I accepted her request and knelt down to the ground.

"Hop on princess," I laughed. She climbed onto my back and I stood up and began walking.

When we reached the park, from a distance I could see Vanessa sitting on a bench, playing on her phone. I texted her to look up, and she got it instantly. She walked over to me, and took Mia from my back to hers.

"Hey princess," Vanessa said.

"Hii queen," Mia said while grabbing Vanessa's long dark brown hair.

We walked over to the playground in the middle of the park, and waited until Mia's friend, Anna, had arrived with her mom. After a few minutes, they finally came, and Mia slid off Vanessa's back and ran to Anna.

As they were playing, Vanessa and I began speaking about our lives.

"Has he spoken to you yet?" She asked me.

She was obviously referring to the boy next door. The one I could see from my bedroom window, which was also connected to his.

"It's been 7 years. We practically grew up together, but not together. He hasn't said a single word to me, even when we walk out of our houses at the same time," I said annoyed.

"He'll crack at one point. Maybe he's shy, or he thinks it's awkward?" She took out her phone and opened up the Instagram app.

"He seems awfully quiet. I do sometimes realize he comes home really late at night though," I said while taking out my phone too. "What are you doing?"

"I'm seeing if he has Instagram. I wanna stalk him," she laughed.

"But you don't even know his name, how are you gonna find his account?" I asked confused.

"Melle, is this your first time meeting me? I'm like the best at stalking someone on social media. You out of all people should know that." She chuckled.

When she did, his name popped up. Itachi Reynolds. His profile picture was him standing by some building. He was on private though, so we couldn't stalk his photos.