nerd.

dix

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Mason Richards 

 I regain my balance with Arielle clutching at my T-shirt, holding on for dear life. I hoist her up onto the rung above me, and she continues to climb. Thankfully, the rest of the rungs stay on the ladder as we make our way up to the treehouse above. We finally get to the top, and Arielle crawls into the large treehouse. She immediately plops down in a chair, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Peachy." She replies sarcastically, and I chuckle softly. "This place is amazing." she compliments.

"Thanks. I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. Ash and I found it when we were like, five." I chuckle at the memory.

"That's really cool. For the longest time, I thought populars met up in middle school and just made their group there. But you and Ashley..." She trails off.

"We go way back." I finish for her. She remains silent, so I think about when we discovered the treehouse.

*Flashback*

I heard shouts coming from the house next door. I peered out my bedroom window and saw my neighbor's parents in a heated argument in their living room. Her mom was screaming things, and her dad was yelling too, his face red. Ashley, whose name I had learned not even two days before, was sitting in the corner of the room, simply observing. Her brown hair was messy and tears were streaming down her rosy cheeks as she watched the two adults argue. I frowned and told my mother I was going outside to play with the neighbors.

"Okay, honey! I'll be coming out in just a few minutes to watch you!" She called as I exited the house. I stomped to Ashley's house, feeling like a brave little soldier, and knocked on her wooden door. I heard shuffling footsteps before Ashley opened the door, looking frightened.

"Hello." I said.

"Hi. Can I help you?" She bit down, hard, on her lip.

"I was wondering if you wanted to play." I suggested politely, being the cheeky little flirt I was back then.

"Okay." she said. "Mom, Dad, I'm going out to play!" She yelled. Her parents didn't respond, and she shrugged as she closed the door behind her. "They never listen anyway." She told me. I nodded, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. She took my hand confidently and took big strides next to me as we walked to my front yard. My mother was tending to the roses in the front bushes, and she smiled at us.

"Momma, we're going in the backyard." I announced.

"Okay, honey. Be careful." She told me as usual. I nodded, my fluffy brown hair puffing up, and took Ashley past the side gate into the backyard.

"Whoa. That's a big forest." Ashley marveled. "Can we go in?"

"Sure." I said, shrugging my shoulders. We went, hand in hand, past the small creek, deeper and deeper into the woods until I started hearing animal noises. "Ashley, maybe we should go back." I said cautiously.

"Just a little bit more. C'mon, be adventurous." She says, leading the way. I follow like a puppy, not wanting her to think I was chicken. I kept my gaze on my feet as we walk, looking at the mud stains forming on the sides of my sneakers.

"Oh my gosh!" Ashley squealed. I looked up and gasped when I saw the treehouse standing in front of me. I knew immediately that this was where we would hang out all the time."