The Charade
Once we got back home, I ran up to my room and shut my door. Harry behind me.
I tore off my shoes and threw them aimlessly onto the ground.
I jumped on my bed and began my searching again. This time Harry sat next to me and rested his head on my shoulder.
"Peterson" was still typed into the search bar, but there were still no accurate results.
After scrolling through all the results, I decided to click the images.
Loads and loads of pictures loaded. Random pictures.
"Stop!" Harry yelled, his head quickly lifting off my shoulder.
My eyes scanned the pictures that were displayed and my heart rate started to pick up.
Another picture of me.
I clicked the image and it took me to a whole other page. To a page that had an article that was in the Michigan Newspaper nineteen years ago.
Harry and I read silently.
Once we got to the bottom of the page, Harry grabbed my hand. "Sky, look. . ." He pointed to a picture of our parents.
Underneath the picture it said their names.
"Should I print it?" I asked.
He gave me an unsure look, "I don't know about that. Mom and dad are downstairs and will hear the printer start up."
"Just tell them it's homework." I convinced him.
Harry stood up and walked out of my room and down the stairs.
I heard the printer start up again and I shut my eyes and hoped my parents wouldn't ask any questions to Harry.
Three minutes passed by and I was really starting to get worried.
I didn't hear any talking, so that was a good sign.
Then, what I was waiting for, I heard footsteps running up the stairs and in came Harry, out of breath.
"I didn't tell you to run a 5k." I teased.
He laughed along sarcastically, "I had to be fast."
I nodded even though i could care less about what he had to say.
He handed me the papers and I took a quick gander at them before shoving them under my pillow, with the others.
"What are you, crazy?" Harry yelled.
"Mom will for sure find those under your pillow."
"Harry, calm down. She knows not to come in my room without permission."
I closed out of all the Internet tabs on my computer and looked at Harry.
He was looking down at the ground, biting his lip. His hair was combed back tonight and it looked really good.
Continuing to look at him, I started to get an upsetting feeling.
It had nothing to do with the certificates or the searching, just Harry.
I remembered his curly ringlets of hair that he had when we were younger. I used to be so jealous of his hair. Now that he's growing up, his hair is starting to straighten out.
The upsetting feeling really is just watching him grow up, even though I'm only a couple months older than he is. I just remember us playing together all the time. I wasn't like the other girls on our street. I liked to build Legos and melt crayons on the sidewalk with nothing but a magnify glass and the sun. I wasn't a typical seven-year old girl.
I was Harry's best friend through our childhood and I think he appreciated me not being like the other girls. He appreciated me doing the things he did and not chasing him around the block with my naked Barbie dolls, like the other girls would.
For not being real siblings, we really did grow up well together.
Harry and I stuck with each other through thick and through thin. We always had each other's backs and I think that's why it's hard for me to watch him grow up and be such an attractive young man. Especially because I look back and remember him wearing khaki shorts, rock band t-shirts, baseball caps and his red sneakers that he wore from when he was seven until he turned ten.
I suddenly woke up from my daydream and noticed Harry sleeping.
He was still sitting up.
I carefully stood, trying not to move the bed too much.
Once my feet were on the ground I walked over to Harry and used my arms to support his back and his neck while I leaned him to lie down.
He didn't wake up once.
I put my favorite blanket over top of him and kissed his forehead.
