11 Days With Keira Rudd

9: The Day I nearly froze to death

"The Day I nearly froze
to death"

[Day 9]

The image of her head peacefully resting on my chest while my heart desperately tried to win a marathon doesn't want to vanish out of my mind. The heat which radiated from her body, her soft breathing hitting my skin and the feeling of her being positioned in my arms is still present in my thoughts. It was her who wanted to stay in this position a little longer, but it was me who didn't refuse her request. Honestly, I wanted to pull her even closer, thanking her for everything which she has done so far and kissing her to show her how much I really like her. The need of wanting to know more about her life is steadily increasing until I find myself being frustrated.

How can you keep a butterfly who aims for something more? Butterflies aren't bound to a special place they call home. It seems like they don't need one, instead, they explore the world. They want to find more beautiful flowers to spend time on and there is nothing stopping them from doing so. So how can someone keep a butterfly all to him- or herself? How can I prevent her from flying away?

Google: "How do you keep someone in your life?"

It took me twenty minutes until I realize that I can't find any pleasing answer to this simple question. Does that mean that there is no guide to prevent losing people?

Why am I thinking about this sad topic? Keira seems to enjoy being around me, so why am I so worried to lose her when I'm not even the one owning her? To be honest, it's her symbol of the butterfly that makes me worry. Is there a way that two butterflies explore the world together without losing sight of each other?

"Riley. Get a hold of yourself", I whisper under my breath ere I stand up, grab one of my jackets and leave my house. Today is Friday. A quite enjoyable Friday to be precise. The weather is nice. The sky is clear and the sun is shining, but somehow I can't seem to settle down. There are so many things I want to know about Keira. Would she tell me more about herself if I would ask her? Somehow, I have the feeling that she doesn't enjoy talking about herself. In fact, yesterday was the only time when she revealed a tiny piece of personal information about the story behind Keira Rudd.

My feet carry me to the rundown playground I've spent most of my childhood at. My glance rests on the swings before it wanders to the faded color of the slide. This was the place where we spent hours laying on the ground while being quiet. The silence was comfortable, but I've asked myself over and over again why she didn't say anything. It was rare to see her being quiet like this. Did she regret telling me about herself? About her grandmother and the garden?

Keira Rudd wasn't at school today. Another fact which made me worry even more. Nine days ago, I accidentally bumped into her and she has never missed school once, so, of course, I want to know why she didn't show up today.

"Maybe she caught a cold", I mumble to myself after climbing up into the tree-house which is constantly shrinking due to me growing taller. It is a thought which crossed Jake's mind first.

'Where are you?' - A text from an unknown number appears on the display of my cell phone. No one besides Jake White and my parents are in possession of my number, so who is this?

'Who's this?'

'Me, Einstein.'

My heartbeat drops for a second and I find myself wondering how she always contacts me when she's on my mind. Then, I soon realize that I'm almost always thinking about her which increases the coincidences drastically. Hold on, where did she get my number?