The Story of Us

one

June and Elliott were two pieces of the same puzzle, and everyone knew it. Their parents, friends, family. Even the universe must've known, because even from the beginning of time, they were being pulled together constantly like magnets. They had nearly crossed paths so many different times, as if the universe were finally trying to string them together but they never seemed to notice the other.

To put it simple, the universe must be very frustrated with them at this point.

Before their bodies became bodies with muscle and bone and tissue, June and Elliott were merely atoms in time and space, drifting along beside each other. Until they were suddenly pulled apart, forming their bodies and minds to go onto their new life on Earth.

Infants June and Elliott were placed in the same hospital after their birth just one room away from each other. June's mother had given birth to a premature, but healthy baby girl. Elliott's mother had given birth to a whopping eight pound baby boy. They even passed right by each other as their parents were escorting them outside the hospital to go home and begin their new life with their first baby.

Six-year-old June and Elliott went to Disney World in June 2004. They both went to Animal Kingdom, where they both stood back to back in a line for popsicles. June, with her rosy cheeks and bushy, black hair so close to crossing paths with Elliott, with his sunburnt cheeks and short-cut dark brown hair. Where June sat in the front of a ride with her father, Elliott sat in the back of the same ride with his mother. They both screamed at the thrilling ride as it took off. When the day ended and they had left the park, they both fell asleep in the arms of their parents on their bus ride back to their hotels.

Eight-year-old June and Elliott lived within one block of each other. Elliott's family moved into the small, blue home at the end of Euclid Avenue. Just seven houses down, June and her family resided in a orange home. Both passed by each other's houses countless times, whether June — still sporting her large, black lion's mane of a head of hair with the freckles that dotted her cheeks — was walking with her Jack Russel Terrier, Jenny, or Elliott — still sporting his sunburnt cheeks from being outside so much, and ditching his short-cut hair for ruffled umber curls — was running past with his friends chasing close behind.

Nine-year-old June and Elliott began school once again in September 2007, both attending Oakville Elementary School to start fourth grade. Their teacher, Miss Hernandez, decided to seat them exactly two tables away from each other. June — short for her age with the same familiar bushy hair — and Elliott — no longer having sunburnt cheeks from all he sunblock his mother made him wear, with the same dark curls — had glanced towards each other numerous times, but never formally met or even knew of each other's names. The year ended without one knowing the other.

Twelve-year-old June and Elliott were not near each other much, since Elliott's family moved from June's block, but they did manage to pass by each other a handful of times. Once, at a local Target, where June — with her hair still large and petite frame — was begging her mother for a new addition to her Harry Potter book collection and Elliott — now with straight dark brown hair — passed by the aisle, begging his own mother for a deck of Pokémon cards. Another, at a grocery store, where June entered the girl's restroom just as Elliott left the boy's. There were more instances to this, of course, but they never met.

Fourteen-year-old June and Elliott passed by each other in a bookstore, their backs to each other in the same aisle, as they scanned the shelves for different books they needed for their English classes. They both left the bookstore with a different book in their hands, oblivious of the other's existence.

And, finally, seventeen-year-old June and Elliott met, and the universe breathed a sigh of relief. Elliott had matured over the years, now with a sharp jawline and long, straight, dark brown hair that curled right under his ears; June, as well, had matured too — she still sported her large, black hair and freckles, but her cheeks had slimmed on their roundness and her lips were slightly fuller. Elliott enrolled at Oakville High School as a transfer from another high school, and began at Oakville High one cold, January morning. June was late to school that day and accidentally shoved past Elliott in hopes of reaching her class in time. Instead, she made Elliott stumble and drop his schedule and school map. She instantly turned to face him as he quickly gathered his things and stood to look up at her, saying her apologies, but he waved it off.

He smiled. "I'm Elliott."

She smiled. "I'm June."

The universe smiled with them.