Chapter one
I raced though the tall grass, my feet hitting the ground hard. My heart
raced and I could hear it loud in my chest. My long brown hair twirled
behind me in a brown tail. The familiar path of yellow blurred past as I
ran. I looked to my right and saw the huge and never ending maze of
corn and wheat fields. I reached a little puddle and took a wild leap and
landed safely on the other side. I ran faster now, knowing I was near my
destination. Only one image appeared in my mind, Bryce, my neighbor
and childhood friend. I live in southern Illinois, out in the country. Here
everyone knows each other. It is a small town. The population is 2,000
people.
Now I reached a little clump of trees so I darted down the dirt path between
the dense woods. Tblurred as I sprinted past. Slowly, I ran to a halt, and
came to the lake; there on the bridge was Bryce. He had light brown hair
that curled out at the end, freckles, and blue eyes. Bryce was good at
sports and was funny, kind, and fun to be around. Bryce and I had been
friends for a long time, but these days he seemed more than a friend to me.
I walked slowly up to him, trying silently to catch my breath. My heart
almost pounded faster around him then when I was running. He turned
around, “Hey Amanda.”
“Hi,” I answered. “What are you doing out here?”
Bryce looked off the bridge and into a place far away from here.
“Nutin’ jus’ relaxin’,” he said. “Isn’t the lake beautiful?”
“Yeah,” I answered staring into the blue green water calmly flowing
under us. The bridge was old and wooden, with a rail on the side where
we were standing. Bryce leaned on it looking straight ahead, and I
wondered what he was thinking about.
He reached down and grabbed my hand, looking at me now. Just
then my little sister zoomed by on her bicycle. “Oh, hi Paige,” Bryce said,
rubbing the hand he used to hold mine, in his hair.
“Go home Paige!” I shouted. Sometimes my little sister could be such
a pain.
“No, mom said to come get you, it’s time for dinner.” Sneered Paige
and she rode off before I could protest any longer; all she left behind was a
trail of dust.
We stood there for a minute more, and watched the water flow under
us in silence. I remembered years ago, how Bryce and I splashed in the
water. We giggled and talked, but now there seemed nothing to talk about.
“I better go.” I said.
“Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.” He answered.
“Yeah, tomorrow.” And with that I waved good bye and ran swiftly
