The Cherry Trees

Chapter Seventeen: 2013

"Where is Anne?" I heard Lexi ask her mom.

I was standing on a cold, concrete floor, and darkness surrounded me. I could hear Lexi and Ms. Lotter's muffled voices, but I couldn't speak.

"I think she may have gone out to watch the sun rise again," Ms. Lotter said.

Lexi padded her way to the front door, and I heard her wiggling the knob to walk out the door. Obvioiusly, she was going to go find me, and try to apoligize... again. Or, she was going out to make sure that I didn't get lost.

"No ma'am," Ms. Lotter warned.

"What?" Lexi asked.

"You should not have the priveledge to go see your friend after what you did to her yesterday. You are lucky she forgot to call her parents, otherwise, you would be in big trouble with me, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Gallot."

"Aw, mom. So you aren't going to let me see my friend for another week and a day even though we are sharing a room?"

"I'm saying that if she left without you, there may be a reason," her mom replied.

Lexi, being stubborn, evidently didn't care, and she marched out the door anyways. That is when my job came in.

"I've got you now little girl!" I screamed in my manliest voice possible.

Lexi screamed so high, I think dogs from the next town over began to bark.

I pulled her into a bearhug from behind, as if I were really a kidnapper.

"Anne?"

Lexi obviously knew that no man could have my pencil- thin arms.

I sighed. "What?"

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Pranking you. I so got you. But that doesn't even come close to getting you back for yesterday," I said.

"So does this mean I am somewhat forgiven?" Lexi asked.

I thought about this for a while. I mean, sure it was only supposed to be a joke. But it hadn't turned out well. I was scared, alone, and in a place that I barely knew. Heck, I didn't even know what my condo's name was! It was a very cruel prank to pull, just to get back at me for dumping water on her. But on the other hand, how was she to know I would walk two hours in the opposite direction? Well, she had to know I would keep walking, otherwise she wouldn't have moved the blanket in the first place. I knew, though, that she hadn't meant for it to get that out of hand.

"On one condition."

"What is your condition my Queen?" Lexi said sarcastically.

"Oh. Now it is two conditions."

"What is it, Anne?"

"Number One, you take me to the boardwalk tonight, and we get to ride anything I want."

Lexi nodded.

"Number Two, no more pranks. Well... no more pranks that could potentially go wrong."

"Cool. That's easy," Lexi said.

"Number Three-"

"Wait! You only said two conditions!" Lexi cried in protest.

"I changed my mind. Number Three, my parents never find out about what happened."

Lexi nodded quickly. "No problem," she said with a smile.

-

"That. Was. Awesome," I said.