The Girls Next Door

Chapter 43: Swings

Chapter 43: Swings

Staring out the window. I'm actually starting out the window. On a Friday.

It was boring for the last hour I've seated on that stool to stare out the window, but then... out of the corner of my eye... I saw Robin.

She was in her yard, seated on her old swing, tied to the old tree branch.

Ah... I remember when she first got that swing... I remember it like it was yesterday...

~~ Flashback ~~

"Do you know how to climb a tree?" asked Robin.

"Mmm... No. Why?" I responded.

"Oh, cause, my dad got this cool little swing to tie on the branch of the old oak tree in the backyard."

She smirked at me. "And I figured," she continued. "if you know how to climb a tree, then we can swing on the swing starting tonight!"

"Nope, no way am I climbing a tree. In fact, I would rather die than climb a tree!" I scoffed.

"Oh poor lil Jar Head..." she smirked. "He thinks he has a choice."

~ a couple minutes later ~

"Why the heck did I agree to this again?!" I screamed as I wrapped my arms and legs tighter onto the tree branch.

"Oh, chillax bruh." Robin laughed. "Just tie the rope to the branch already. It's not that hard."

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one hanging onto his dear life!" I yelled, shutting my eyes closed.

And before I knew it, the branch started to shake.

"What the...?!" I reacted as I peeked open an eye.

Then I saw Robin sitting on the branch. Her legs dangled and her hands held her there.

The wind blew her hair away and she stared into the yellow orange sky.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she said with a genuine smile on her face.

"I thought you didn't know how to climb a tree!" I snapped.

She looked at me then back at the sky. She chuckled. "Yeah, I lied." she said. "It was the only way to get you up here."

She placed her hands on top of mine and said, "Let go."

"What?! Are you cra-"

"Just imagine that your letting go of your problems." she interrupted.

And without giving it a second thought, I let go.

My legs clipped onto the branch. If she tells my legs to let go, I am definitely gonna kill her.

She laughed and did the same as me.

"Now lift yourself up." she instructed.

She pulled herself up halfway and clipped her hands on the branch then continued to pull herself up until she was back to her original position.

I did my best to lift up my body weight... But I was never good at gym.

I was halfway through and I could tell Robin was silently laughing at my puniness.

"Remember when you said you'd be strong for me?" Robin chuckled.

Oh look, she remembered a memory from when we were 9.

She stuck her hand out and grabbed hold of my arm. Then she pulled me up.

We both sat there. On the branch of the old oak tree, gazing upon the sky as the sun slowly sank into the horizon.

"It is beautiful." I said.

She smiled.

...

Suddenly, Robin threw her hands in the air and swung down, like a swing.

Then she just dangled there like a possum.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked as I stared down at her.

"Oh you know, it was all too cliché for me. So then I thought, hey, I bet no one in the history of clichés has ever seen the sun set upwards."

I chuckled at her playfulness.

That's my Robin. I thought.

I let go too and clipped my legs tighter on the branch.

"It's kinda cool to see the sun rise at 6 in the evening." I told Robin.

She laughed and jokingly said, "You're welcome!"

Then, suddenly, she jumped down.

She landed on her feet and raised her arms up. "Ta da!" she yelled.

"Hey!" I complained.

Then... I lost my leg grip and fell on my butt.

"Argh." I groaned in pain.

I slowly stood up, rubbing my butt, as Robin laughed her ass off.

"Shut up." I grumbled.

She smirked and pointed to the branch. "You forgot to tie the swing."

I rolled my eyes. "I am not going back up there."

"You promised!" she sang.

I groaned. "Fine."