I end up running to the local park. it's only a block away from Greg's house and it's where my legs take me before I get too tired. There aren't many people here, only a mother with her baby on a swing. I feel a bit awkward, but I'm always awkward.
Greg and I first met at this park. This is where we got to know each other. where we became best friends. We used to play I spy, that was our game. Greg was in fifth grade and I was in third. He told me my dress was ugly and I pushed him down the slide. He is still the same brutally honest curly headed kid.
I hear his footsteps crunching the leaves. It's a sound of fall, but I don't find it very soothing. I'm sitting up and the jungle gym and Greg joins me. It takes him a minute to get up there, but when he does we sit there in silence. Greg brings the bag with the McDonald's. I'm always forgetting my stuff. He's always bringing me my stuff. Usually when I'm in so much pain I can't think I run to him, now he is my pain.
"Why do you have to go?" I say involuntarily.
"Melanie this is an amazing opportunity. If you were offered a role on Broadway I would tell you to go for it because I know it's your dream and you love it." He says.
"I would only be an hour away." I say defensively.
"And I'll only be a phone call away." He says and I sigh, he's right.
"I'm sorry I just-" I start.
"I know." He cuts me off. "Now let's go eat this." He says shaking the bag. We start taking the food out. "Do you remember when we used to come here in elementary and middle school."
"Yes of course!" I say. "We started with games like I spy and 20 questions while swinging then we progressed to sitting on this jungle gym making fun of kids."
We both looked at each other and laughed. I dipped a French fry in the ketchup and wiped it on Greg's nose. He playfully punched my arm and I started wobbling on the bar I was sitting on. He was to busy laughing to notice me falling. It was only about three feet so I didn't break and bones, but I will definitely have some bruises and it'll hurt to get up. To add insult to injury the ketchup spilled all over my shirt.
"Oh my god, Mel are you ok?" Greg said throwing the food and jumping off the jungle gym to my side.
"Before I die," I coughed milking the attention, "I wanna tell you I hate you for throwing the rest of our food because I wasn't done."
Greg laughed and helped me up. I brushed myself off. Greg reached out his hand to me and I pinched his palm. He shook his hand off and we walked along the trail in the park. Greg and I decided to sit at the bench where neither of us could fall off. We sat their for a while in silence. Not awkward silence, but a sad silence.
"I'm gonna miss you." I said breaking the silence.
"I'm gonna miss you." He replies.
"I just said that." I say.
"I just said that." He says.
"So we're doing this?" I ask.
"So we're doing this." He copies me with an evil grin.
"So we're doing this." I say now copying him.
"So we're doing this."
"So we're doing this."
"So we're doing this."
"So we're doing this."
"You're annoying." Greg says breaking the chain.
"You started it." I say sticking my tongue out.
We start back towards his house and my mom passes us in her car. She pulls over and we hop in the car. She drives Greg home and as soon as he gets out I burst into tears.
