Oranges in the Winter; G.D.

VI

💖listen to the song💖

"Grayson..." I asked him while we sat on a cliff in our abandoned park.
"Yeah Amaryllis?" He asked giving me his full attention.
"Let's run away together and never come back."
I looked up at the sky and let a tear escape.
I wanted to wander the endless space with him.
"Ok."
I turned to him and laid my shoulder on his.
It was silent and snowing slightly.
"Grayson, remember our orange tree?"
He nodded and told me to look up.
It was our tree we planted when we were in Kindergarten.
I was always alone and had no one to be friends with.
Everyone thought I was weird.
Grayson always had something to show the teacher.
One day he pulled out 5 packets of different fruit seeds; cherry, strawberry, tomato, grape, and orange seeds.
He walked over to me and held them out.
"Pick one!" He exclaimed.
Heat rushed to my face and I asked him if he was sure, cause I was a weirdo.
"You're cute. You're not a weirdo! Now pick one so we can plant it!" He said excitedly, his face pink and filled with happiness.
I overlooked them and picked oranges.
"Why oranges?" He asked turning his head.
"Not everything is sweet until you open it. And they're delicious!" I giggled and we laughed.
I made a friend.
My only friend.
My first love.
We planted the tree and watered it before recess time was over.
We stood up.
Covered in dirt we looked at one another.
He looked at me and I looked at him.
I gave him a hug and thanked him for being my first and only friend.
"Everyone needs friends Am-...Ama..?"
"Amaryllis." I giggled.
"See! A cute name too! Why is everything so cute for you!" He held his head and shook it.
I laughed and all of sudden I felt a small pair of lips on my cheek.
Grayson had kissed me.
My first kiss.
From my first love and only love.
We held hands the rest of the day until it was time to go home.
"by Amy!" He yelled from his booster seat.
"Bye Grayson!"

I thought about how good he was to me up until present day.
He lifted my chin and I turned away.
Street lights came on and a dark blue sky had set down.
The snow was coming down more, but not cold.
He turned my chin back and gave me a passionate kiss.
I could taste the sweetness along his lips.
He slowly stuck his tongue in my mouth and I felt the warmth radiate from his body.
We let go and started home.
We intertwined fingers and he rubbed his thumb on the back of mine.
"Grayson..."
"Yeah Amaryllis?"
"You ever why death is such a beautiful thing?"
"No, it's an ugly thing..."

"Think of it as...oranges in the winter. Bitter and cold on the outside, but sweet on the inside."