Childhood Love

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»» Carson

  Sweat drips down my head and onto my clothing. I keep racing against Bobby and pass the ball to another person. Coach is, as usual, yelling us commands that I barely process in my head. My way is just kicking the ball to a player and trying not to get trampled by other players - and win. Definitely winning is my top goal. Even though I'm in like excruciating pain.

  That's how later I end up watching my favorite Disney movie, Finding Nemo. I mean c'mon people! It's a classic, if you don't like it, KEEP ON SWIMMING. Once practice ended I decided to take a break from life and watch a movie but I didn't feel an action flick or even a mystery, just something light and fun. The door lock is slid out of place and I know it's Grace coming in.

  "Hey baby." She greets, closing the door again.

  "Hey." I reply back to her.

  She jumps onto the couch next to me and stares at it for a second. "You didn't start the movie without me now did you?"

  I know she's being sarcastic, "well I can't wait that long for nemo now can I?!"

  She smiles and rolls her eyes, "whatever. I don't mind that much anyways, it's your favorite movie, not mine."

  "Uh huh, but it should be." I tease her and she just laughs.

  "Yeah sure, anyways. Do you have popcorn?"

  I nod my head, "pantry. Go ahead."

  She kisses my cheek and hops up to get the food popped. I don't budge from my spot because like I'm going to leave when Marlin and Dory are at a shark party.

  I hear the microwave pop open and the kernels starting to fly around in the bag. For some odd reason, I begin to start to fall into my memories, and I don't stop myself.

 

  "Have you seen a boat?!"

  "Hey! I've seen a boat!"

  "I'm sorry, I suffer from short term memory loss."

  "Mine, mine, mine, mine!"

  We both burst into a fit of laughter as everyone else is busy worrying about the movie going on at church. Mae and I, being stupid and not thinking straight, we keep talking as if we were drunk. The movie actually playing right now is Lilo and Stitch, but Mae and I are discussing our favorite Disney movies. I swear if anyone catches what were talking about, I'm ninety nine point nine percent positive we will be thrown into a mental institute.

  "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming," I begin.

  "What do you do? You keep swimming swimming!" She finishes for me and I'm instantly smiling along with her.

  "This is why your my best friend!" I chuckle and her eyes dazzle even in the darken theatre room.

  "Thanks." She blushes, I can still tell even in dim lighting.

  "Well -"

  "SHHHHHHHH!" People yell and Mae and I shrink back in our seats, clamping our mouths shut.

  But when I glance over at the Nemo loving girl, I can still see her giggling eyes dancing, making me fall for her even harder . . .

 

  "Uh Carson?" Grace pokes my shoulder and I instantly pull away from my deep thinking.

  "Yeah?"

  "Are you okay?" She looks over my face with worry written across her own.

  "Oh yeah! Just got lost in my brain." I half laugh and then shoot my eyes for the tv, trying desperately to loose myself in the hilarious scene of the weird, creepy glowing fish chasing Marlin as Dory reads the mask in the dark.

  "What were you thinking about?" Grace wonders.

  I drop my hand into the bowl of popcorn she popped and stuff a few pieces into my mouth. Chewing extra slow.

  "Um . . . just my past." There! Not entirely a lie!

  "Uh - okay?" She seems to be unsure of my answer but I'm grateful when she settles for just watching the movie instead of digging further into the situation.

  That was close. Too close. I have to stop going back to Mae. Our time has passed, I'm happy with Grace and need to focus on that, not my past with a girl that I shouldn't care about as much as I do. That's what's so hard, I still care too much.

  But as Grace rests her head on my shoulder and sighs, I keep thinking she's meant for me, we're meant for each other - right?