The Ice Cream Boy

Prologue: That's when I met you - Part 1

Several years ago… 

I was heading towards the autumn leaf park where they held a massive ice cream parade and where it was only an annual event; I wish they’d made it more often. It wasn’t that far away but far enough to keep my mum worried so she said she’d scream and call the police if I didn’t come back in twenty minutes. I sighed; I wish she didn’t have to worry so much. The gentle sun was trailing behind my back, leaving me feeling like an invisible bear was hugging me from behind. With the weather like this, the day being the annual ice cream parade, things couldn’t be more perfect. Well, I thought that. I was almost there, already walking on my favourite footpath with my hands in my pockets, where the trees were greeting me hello, the grass being vivid and lush, and the fallen leaves creating rainbows of beautiful colours under my feet when it all shattered.

It didn’t really shatter, but, that was when I saw the most beautiful thing in my life, not that my mum ever really lets me go outside anyway. But she was a girl that had those pinks cheeks like the girls in you see in the movies, and she had the prettiest smile I’d ever seen on anyone. And with her smile, her chocolate brown eyes twinkled with something that looked like little diamonds in her eye. I’d never seen a girl smile so much before but she was holding some ice cream, and no one can be sad when you have ice cream, and she was twirling and spinning… spinning in my direction. I tried to move. Move away! My body was frozen, but why? I guess mum wasn’t so protective for no reason. Is this why she keeps me away from girls all the time?

 

Move, stupid feet won’t work! Why?! Okay uh, what’s the next best thing? Got it! Avoid eye contact… at. All. Times. And just stand there. Look at anything! OKAY, I need to stop looking at her! Oh wow the, the… the flowers are pretty nice today.

But it was no use. When I thought I could stay in the middle of the path, just before she past me, I smelled something nice; she smelled like marshmallows. Mmmm… huh? Ah, Ah… and then I sneezed so hard I flinched and accidentally knocked her back and almost onto the ground, her chocolate ice cream, staining her blue dress. The smile on her face collapsing into a frown, her rosy cheeks turning into a flush of embarrassing red and her pretty eyes that once twinkled, were now tinged with tears that started to fall on her face. And I realised she started to cry.

 

Oh no. No no no no no! She’s going to hate forever now and I haven’t even said anything to her yet. She doesn’t know me and she already hates me… I feel like crying too! Oh yeah she’s crying! What do I do, what do I do! Oh my gosh, do I ask her to come to my house and let my mum wash that stain? Oh wait! Then what will she wear? She’ll be naked in my house! Calm down! Hm, I gotta think of something!

I could feel my cheeks slowly get red like strawberries and I felt like the water fountain in the middle of the park because I could feel sweat coming across my forehead, I felt it going across my palm and my armpits, and I really didn’t know what to do! This doesn’t look like it’s going well, good job for my first meeting with her, good job. Then I thought of the most incredible plan ever! Well at the time it did seemed awesome. She started making whimpering sounds so I got even more nervous, so I better do it quick.

I didn’t think I should have done that but I did anyway. It’s sounded so much better in my head. Making a fist with my hands and sincerely hoping and praying to God that she won’t slap me for this I looked down at the ground. My cheeks were even redder I felt like my head was about to explode. I wonder if she was looking at me and wondering whether to laugh of be terrified. I lifted my head towards her direction and kneeled to the floor where she sat crying and hugged her tightly.