Chapter one, part two.
Akira's POV
The playground.
That's where it all began.
One warm spring day.
One trip to the park.
That's all it took to create one of the strongest friendships I've ever had.
I see a little girl on the swings as I open the gate. I had no idea that this girl had the ability to change my life for the better.
Back and forth, back and forth. The wind whipped her hair around as she swung.
Higher and higher in to the air.
Like a bird spreading its wings, getting ready to take off into the bright blue sky.
"Can I have a turn on the swing when you're done?" I ask
The little girl looks down at me.
She hesatates for a moment before flinging herself off the swing. She soar through the air, landing on the scratchy sand below like it was no big deal.
She gets up off her knees and turns to face me, dusting off her skirt as she walks over.
"Hi, I'm Fern. You can have a turn now. Can we share?"
I stared at her, big blue eyes wide with shock.
Not many kids liked to talk to me, let alone let me share a swing with them.
I was the weird kid.
The freak.
The one who was left out of the other girls games.
Never talked to, never played with, never shared with.
Until that warm spring day.
"My name's Akira. And sure" I smile.
"Akira. That's a pretty name."
"You have a pretty name too."
"But it's a plant!" She laughes
"That's why I like it." I say as I hop on the swing.
"Want to be friends?" She asks.
Just like that.
"Yes." I say, swinging back and forth.
Fern decides to go to the monkey bars. I follow.
"I do gymnastics."
"Me too!"
"Can you do the monkey bars?"
"Yep, backwards even."
"That's cool!"
I look at her confused for a moment. She looks familiar...
"Hey, don't I know you?"
"Maybe..." She ponders
"Oh I know, you go to church with me!"
"Oh yeah!"
"I hate going to church."
"Me too. It's boring."
We laugh, because that's what we like to do. Laugh. A lot.
For the next hour we just play. We play princesses and fairies and astronauts and ninjas.
With her, I can be anyone I want.
Ferns mom walks toward the gate of the playground.
"I have to go Akira. I'll see you later!"
And I do. But not for another 7 years.
