Remembering Shayley- ON HOLD

Chapter 4

I fingered the paper gingerly, and felt a small sticky note on the back. I flipped over the letter carefully and saw a note attached to the back. 

Hey Blake! :) 

Hope you find this. Anyway, since you just finished reading the very first letter, I want you go to that park. I left my very first letter for you there, but it's hidden. You're gonna have to remember something that we did every time we went there. Have fun! Love, Shayley

Shayley wanted me to go to the park. I stood up cautiously and remembered that her parents probably weren't going to like me sneaking into their house while they were at the funeral. I let myself out the window, making sure the letter didn't get bent or torn.

After I dropped to the ground, I pushed the bushes out of the way and started the five block walk to the park. After I passed Bell Street, I came up on a very familiar place. Sawyer Road. I looked around me, memories flashing through my mind. I could almost hear  her laugh, rolling off her tongue and floating through the dreary mist. I smiled thinking about it. I loved her laugh- it made her eyes light up, and she would throw back her head and her hair would swosh back and forth. I could almost smell her too- she always smelled summery- fresh and it reminded me of blue skies. 

I kept walking, thinking about the note she left on the letter. She wrote it so easily, like she was so comfortable with the thought of her own death. Like she knew it was coming, and she'd just decided that it was okay. I could hear her reading it to me, her voice ringing in my head. Blake... Blake... Blake... her voice echoed. 

I brushed the thought of her away. Which was kind of impossible, because I was heading straight for her first letter. 

I arrived at the park after fifteen minutes. I looked around- no one was there. The swings creeked eerily by themselves, and the seesaw twitched slightly, hoovering above the ground. I smiled a little looking at the seesaw- Shay had always loved that thing. She told me once that she felt like she was flying. 

I could picture her on the swings too- she'd run and jump on and start pumping. 

"OW! Man, why didn't I remember to wear shoes?!" she'd exclaim, examining her feet. The playground was covered with mulch and she hated how it felt on her bare feet. 

She'd stand up and hobble over to the swings. "BLAKE! Push me!" she'd demand, frantically pumping. 

I would laugh, then run up and push her as hard as I could. She'd scream as I launched her in the air, and the air would rush against her face, sending her long hair flying backwards. I'd go on pushing her for a few minutes until she jumped off the swing. 

"CRAP! God, that hurt!" she complained, sitting down on the ground and trying to clean her feet. I'd sneak up quietly behind her and grab her by the waist then pick her up, carrying her over my shoulder fireman style. 

"Put me down NOW!" she would command me. 

"Nope," I laughed. I'd carry her all around the playground, spinning her and twirling around. The whole time she'd be screaming and laughing at the same time. 

Finally, I'd get dizzy and run over to our blanket in the shade of our favorite tree. Shayley loved the tree, because the grass was soft and long around it. It was far enough from the playground so we weren't over run with kids, but close enough too. The sun always hit the spot just right, never too much or too little. We'd had countless picnics and camp outs underneath the tree. 

I would roll her off my back and onto the blanket. She'd laugh and slap me playfully on the shoulder. The moms would glare at us for making such a racket most of the time, but I remember once one of them came up to us. 

She was dressed in jeans and a red tshirt. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she carried a baby on her hip. 

"Hi," she smiled. "I just wanted to say how cute you guys are. How long have you been together?" she asked. 

"Oh, we're just friends," I said quickly. "Best friends. Have been since we were younger than this little guy," I added, smiling at the kid. 

"Oh really? That's nice. Well, just thought I'd tell ya'll," she smiled again, looking a little disappointed but otherwise fine. 

"Thanks," Shay smiled and waved as the woman walked away. 

Then I realized something. The tree. That's where the first letter was. I jogged across the field and sat down in my usual spot. The ground, I realized, was a little less firm. She'd buried it, of course. Shay told me once that she'd always wanted to bury treasure. I smiled thinking about it. 

I dug into the deep rich soil and felt a hard box. Shaking dirt off of it, I pulled it out. It was very small, and I imagined the paper folded up inside. 

I opened it carefully and drew out a single sheet of paper, written on notebook paper as well. This one, though, was faded, and the penciled words not as neat. This had clearly been written years ago, and I was nervous reading it. I unfolded the paper and started to read. 

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Cliffhanger, I'm evil. So sorry I haven't update recently, but I've been working on another story! So, what do ya;ll think?! Vomment! 

Love forever, 

<3Aria