August 1998
The crunch of the grass tickled his bare feet as he took off in a sprint. Running fast straight to- wards her. He was always running to her. Her blue dress whipped in the wind and her golden hair, being blown furiously into her face, blocked her view. By the time she had heard his sprint: he had flung his arms around her waist and tossed them both to the ground. Mud smeared at her dress, ruining her perfect beauty. As he tumbled on top of her, he could feel the air whoosh from her lungs and her squeal of surprise rang in his ears. Without intention he buried his head further into her neck and breathed in her scent. She smelled like summer. A warmth crept across his body as she began to laugh. Pushing her palms against his chest she tried to move him. He didn't budge.
"No fair, Dyl. You're stronger than me." The little girl giggled. Extending her arm, she reached for the water balloon that had dropped from her grip and burst it against his chest.!
He jumped to his feet in astonishment, he hadn't expected her to fight back. His top stuck to his chest from the cold water, but the summer sun made it bearable. "You have three seconds to run, Ally Mae."
Not needing to be told twice, Ally lunged to her feet and, turning on her heels, she began to run as fast as she could. Picking up his discarded water pistol, he followed her. He knew exactly where she would be. She'd be at her favourite hiding place. The place that only the two of them knew about, the place they spent most of their time. He dived through the back garden's bushes and smacked into her back. She wasn't a very fast runner and he had caught up to her before she had had a chance to hide. Aiming the pistol straight at her, he squirted the water into her face. A look of shock morphed her features but she quickly burst into sobs, the water from the pistol disguising her tears. She moved away from him until her back hit her hiding place. Cowering, she crawled into the wooden shed they had built together. Guilt immediately drowned him and he dropped his head in shame. He hated seeing her cry. Hated seeing her sad. When she cried his heart always hurt. It was a pain he didn't understand. He dropped to his knees and, and treading through the mud, he entered after her.
She sat in the corner, hugging her legs against her chest as she quietly cried. Creeping into the confined space, he placed himself next to her. His side pressed against hers, the bare skin on their arms sticking together.
"Please don't cry." He begged. "I hate it when you cry."
Through her bloodshot eyes she looked up at him. "You're always so mean to me, Dylan."!
He dropped his gaze and stared at the floor. She was right; he was. He didn't know why and most of the time he wouldn't realise he had upset her until it was too late. He always took it too far. One minute he would like her and the next he would think of her as stupid. He wanted to tug on her pigtails as much as he wanted to hug her. Wanted to cover her in mud as much as he wanted to breathe in her lovely scent. His emotions were always at war and he had no control over which one won. But this time the guilt overwhelmed him and his need to look after her took over. Before he could stop himself he put his arms around her sagged shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.! "You're my best friend, Ally. I never mean to make you sad." He said, he voice barely above a whisper.
"You're my best friend too." She looked him square in the eyes, standing her ground. "But, I don't like it when you're mean to me. You need to stop it."
He loved the fierceness in her voice. Ally was shy and always needed looking after. He had long made it his responsibility to make sure she was always safe. But when it came to him, she was tough. She saved her fierceness for him alone.
He took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. He always loved holding her hand. "I know you don't, Ally Mae." He began to stroke her thumb against hers. "I promise I'll stop." And without thinking, he leant forward and pressed his lips against hers. They touched only for a second but it was enough to learn she was the sweetest of tastes. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and acting on his twelve year old instincts he jumped to his feet and pegged it from their shed. Running to the comfort of his home, he left her sitting alone, her face still damp from his prank. As he opened the back door he smiled at the thought of their kiss. His first kiss.
