Shorts

[secrets]

"Can you keep a secret?" little Mykayla asked Ambrosa.

"Of course, I can," Ambrosa replied.

Mykayla looked around to make sure no one else in the park could hear them, blond hair shaking in her face.

She whispered in Ambrosa's ear her secret.

Ambrosa slowly backed away from her best friend. "No," she whispered. "You couldn't have."

"I did." She held the perfect poker face. No emotion whatsoever. Her green eyes looked dead.

"But you're only six!" she exclaimed.

"Shh, Amy. Age has nothing to do with it." An evil smile crawled across Mykayla's face. "I did it for money."

"Why would you need to worry about money?"

"You see, my innocent friend, I am much smarter than I look. My family has not been doing so good. I did it quickly and put the money in an unmarked envelope which I sneakily stuck in the mailbox. My father was never the wiser."

Ambrosa quickly calmed herself and sighed. "I know you have been having family problems. I will not tell anybody," she swore.

Mykayla hugged her friend. "I knew I could trust you, Ambrosa."

[eleven years later]

He was a new student and saw her immediately. She sat along the wall, shoulders hunched inward, elbows on her denim covered knees. Her black hair covered her face.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to her. She scooted away slightly. He laughed lightly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Her ice blue eyes flashed up to his. They were so light, they were nearly translucent. Her eyes startled him. He thought she would have darker eyes. She had them lined in thick black eyeliner. She searched his eyes for something, but didn't find what she was looking for.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice sounded gravelly. Rough, but kind of soft.

"I'm James Andee. I'm new here."

She looked him over. He has short brown hair and hazel blue eyes. She thought his eyes were beautiful. He has high cheek bones and a strong facial structure. He was wearing a plain white tee-shirt and blue jeans. She could easily see that he was well built. Broad shoulders, strong arms.

"Nice to meet you," she finally said. Just then the bell rang. "I have to get to class." She slowly got up, brushing her red jeans off.

Right before she left, he asked her to wait. "Would you mind helping me out today?"

She sighed. "Let me see your schedule." He handed her a folded piece of paper. "Well, we have homeroom together so I could walk you there. We also have seventh period Art together."

He followed her to classroom J18. She silently took her seat in the back while James talked to Mr. Lishworn.

"Take a seat anywhere," he said, signing his transfer sheet.

"Thanks."

He took the seat in front of the girl he still didn't know the name of. She sat there silently with her hand over her mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She removed her hand a little. "I'm fine." She moved her hand back to its original position.

"I never learned your name." Then the tardy bell rang.

She kept her hand over her mouth. Throughout class, James would turn slightly to peek at the mystery girl.