Overprotected

Special Chapter

I remember when I first saw her. We were in third grade. She had just transferred from the special private school across town, because the fees got too high.

I was sitting in the back when she walked in. She was wearing green Converse high tops, blue jeans and a green shirt. She had a solid black backpack, while most third grade girls had hello kitty ones. Her red, fiery hair was done in a French braid, but pieces were already escaping. Her eyes sparkled a bright green that matched shirt and shoes.

She walked like she owned the place. A little toughie who wouldn't be coddled. All the other third grade girls were in ballet flats with bows and clips in their hair. This girl? Nope. A loose braid and Converse.

    The girl choose a desk in the center of the room and leaned the chair back on two legs. She slumped down and stretched her legs out, lolling carelessly.

     The teacher walked in. "Hello Class, my name is Ms. Thornbrook. I'd like to get to know everyone, so please, when I reach you, state your name."

     She walked around and reached the redhead. "Hello, I'm Ms. Thornbrook. And you are?"

    The girl crossed her skinny arms. "Ms. Nahorm." She said defiantly. I stifled a snicker.

    Ms. Thornbrook arched an eyebrow. "Alexis, we need your first name, honey."

    The girl arched her eyebrow. "You won't tell us your first name, I won't tell you mine. And it's Alexia, not Alexis."

    I chuckled at that, and the rest of the third-graders too. Alexia clapped her hands over her mouth, her freckled face going red. I determined that I would be friends with this little character.

Later on the playground, I got up what little nerve I had and approached her.

"H-hi, um, Alexia. I'm Carson."

Alexia's green eyes twinkled and she laughed. "Hiya Carson. Only my mom calls me Alexia. You can call me Lexi." She stuck out a grubby hand, dirt under her fingernails. I shook it uncertainly. And from that moment, our friendship was sealed.

~*~*~

     We weren't really best friends until a almost two years later, when Lexi figured out how to throw a spiral in football. That's when the rest of our friends started to come around.

    It was the summer after fourth grade. We formed a group of kids; Me, Lexi, Bryce, Nate, and Syd. They'd come around my house and there we would play football.

     We'd all take turns in different positions, though it was made pretty clear that me and Lexi were the best quarterbacks, Nate was best at being a runningback and Syd was average all around. Football clearly wasn't Bryce's thing.

       Every time Lexi would throw a nice spiral, she would grin and pump her fist. I guess it was the fact that we were both good at being QB, because she started coming over alone and we would practice throwing to each other.

     It was here I confessed my desire to become a real quarterback when I grew up. I'd expected her to laugh, or say I couldn't, but she didn't. She just crossed her skinny legs and picked at her shoelaces. She told me she thought it was cool, and that she wanted to be a florist. "So I can make people smile, when their hot boyfriend gives them flowers. Or their wife. Whatever."

     It had been an odd matching to me, this tough little girl wanting to arrange flowers. I could more imagine her making them wilt, with her loud voice and none too gentle fingers.