Give In

Intertwined by a Rainbow Slide

The next day I was early to Weiss's house to pick him up. He wasn't there. Not outside waiting like he usually was, and not inside either.

Mrs Thomas said he left early. Something about wanting to get to school early for a project.

I silently accepted my fate and nodded to her before I turned to go, tears already starting to well up in my eyes.

"Wait! Hold on. He gave me something to give you in case you stopped by. I don't know why he didn't just give it to you himself. Maybe he'll finally ask you out! Maybe its a surprise and-" she stopped when she saw the tears streaming down my face. "Oh honey, are you ok?"

I blinked and wiped at my eyes, trying to act like it hadn't happened. "I'm ok Mrs. Thomas. Just a little... Uhm. Cramps. Its just cramps."

"Oh you poor baby. I remember Weiss always had chocolate stashed somewhere to give you when you had cramps. He might have some when you get to school. But don't tell him I told you! He doesn't want you to think he's a mamma's boy, telling me everything." She chuckled and tried to look embarrassed but I could tell she really wasn't.

She was so kind. So funny and sweet. Just like Weiss.

I shook my bead and said "thank you Mrs. Thomas. I have to go to school."

"Of course, honey here." She pushed at me the box that Weiss had left for me. "He's a good kid, Lydia. He really is." She gave me a pained look as I took the box and she closed the door.

I trudged back to my car and put the box on the seat. I'd had to speed to make it to school on time.

The next day, school was canceled. Snow and ice covered the roads.

I sulked inside the entire day, trying to get up the nerve to call him. I chickened out every time. He didn't want me. Not anymore. He doesn't want me the way I want him. And so you don't misunderstand....I want my best friend back.

Hours dragged by. Mom finally told me to stop sulking and go get a pizza or something. The roads were cleared off by now.

I stepped outside to find it raining. It was raining...in January...in one of the most northern states of North America. I couldn't tell if I was ticked or amused.

Soaked, I climbed into my car and started to drive. Mom told me pizza but I wasn't really feeling it.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in front of the park where I first met Weiss. We were young. Younger than school age. I was surprised I remembered.

Even back then I was a brat to him. It was something about...the tower. Yes. The tower that held the entrance to the rainbow slide. I had told everyone it was my slide and would only let select people go down, Weiss not being one of them.

Weiss, being Weiss, decided this was unfair and climbed up the slide to have a talk with me. He scared the living daylights out of me when he popped over the edge. I had been so scared I punched him.

He fell back down the slide, crying. And that was how our lives first intertwined. His parents talked to mine, mine talked to me....and spanked me...and made me apologize.
Weiss had already forgiven me and had asked me to swing with him by the time my parents were barely to "Hi, I'm sorry. She's not usually like this."

From that day on, Weiss and I had been rulers of the Rainbow slide. He had, of course, convinced me to let everyone slide down whenever they wanted, but we were still royalty. And that had been fine by me.