Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 1

Honey
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"One, two, three...ten! Ready or not, here I come!" exclaimed a freckled-faced boy, jumping off the weathered wooden bench. He dashed through the bustling playground, eagerly searching for the other children.

A group of teenagers played in an intense basketball match on the nearby court, while a few others chose to play a game of volleyball in the open field.

Underneath a neem tree, nestled on a pink blanket in the middle of the lush, emerald-cut grass, Honey was engrossed in the last few pages of Nini Simone's novel, "Cold as Ice." Occasionally, she glanced up, her eyes scanning the basketball court in hopes of spotting her boyfriend, Dion Sanders.

Sunday afternoons pulled Honey away from home, drawing her to the park where the excitement was. This was Dion's comfort place, the go-to spot for him and his friends. It was special to them, as it was the only time Honey could have moments alone with Dion. However, an entire week had passed since they last saw one another, because of Dion's suspension following a school fight that he was involved in.

Raising her eyes from the words on the page, Honey glanced at the basketball court. Disappointment settled over her as Dion was nowhere to be found. Feeling lonely, she let out a long deep sigh, trying to ease her longing. On days like these, she wished for a group of friends to hang with.

Between schoolwork and tending to her sickly mother, Honey rarely had the luxury of free time because her mothers health had been declining over the past few years.
The opportunity to simply hang out with friends seemed impossible.

Nevertheless, Honey persisted in watching the basketball court. And then, her eyes finally landed on Dion. There he sat on a bench, in a deep conversation with a group of girls.
Dion had a way with words and his outgoing personality drew people to him especially girls almost begging for his attention.

They met on the first day of their junior year, seated together in their very first class. However, it wasn't until March of that year that Dion got the courage to confess his feelings for Honey. Yet, despite him wanting to be with her, he made her keep their relationship a secret.

Though Honey hated the secrecy, she understood Dion's reasons. Dating was complicated for him, as his parents believed relationships would be a distraction from school.

Honey shifted her focus back to the pages of her book, though her thoughts remained preoccupied by the sight of Dion. Seeing him had left her unable to concentrate on the story unfolding along the pages.

As a few minutes flew by, impatience began to gnaw at Honey. Tired of waiting for Dion to join her, she contemplated gathering her belongings and going home. Just as she started to stand, Dion appeared, strolling across the field from the basketball court.

"What took you so long?" Honey asked, curiously as Dion settled onto the blanket beside her.

Dion was very attractive to anyone who laid eyes on him. With his mixed skin, his features had attributes from both his black father and white mother. Inherited from his father, Dion had a strong jawline that made his face stand out. Dion stood at five foot six, with bushy eyebrows and rounded dark brown eyes. His hair was cut low but very curly, sitting neatly on top of his head.

Dion responded with a nonchalant shrug, "I had something to do. I can't just drop everything and come running just because you want me to."