The Fireflies

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Cody and Jessie loved the woods. They were neighbors with nearly a mile between them if you took Arrow Point road down and around the sharp curve that gave it its name. But if they took the path through the woods, it was only a quarter of a mile, and that wasn't so bad for the likes of them. They were used to walking everywhere anyway. Jessie was fourteen, and Cody, although nearly sixteen and could drive, never saw the point of taking the truck just to go down the road, especially when it was Dad's truck and he always had someplace to be.

They knew the woods better than their own homes it seemed. It never mattered what time of the day or night, nor what the weather was like; They would meet by the giant oak tree that marked the middle of the path, though Jessie was convinced it was closer to Cody's home since he always seemed to get there faster. Cody always insisted it was because he had longer legs.

"You're just too short," Cody would tease.

"I gave up my height for my smarts!" Jessie would always reply.

They would wander all up and down the path, sometimes wandering deeper into the woods to where the creek was to go swimming. There was a nice deep spot where a tree had fallen across, and they could jump off the tree. The current was never too swift, and the water never too cold in the summer. There were no bears or wild cats that they knew of. Their biggest fear was the local skunk that they never saw but could always smell.

The two were inseparable despite their family's differences. Cody came from a worn-down house where the only bedroom belonged to his parents, and he slept in the living room to stay warm by the stove in winter. Jessie had been to the house, and she loved it there. Cody's parents were always so nice, offering food made from whatever they could find in the garden, or whatever they had managed to hunt. Jessie had never eaten deer or rabbit before.

Jessie's home was completely different. Her mother and father had their own room, their own offices, and Jessie had both a bedroom and a playroom. Their house was two storeys tall, bright and clean and modern. They even had someone come out and clean it once a month. Jessie was never sure what exactly the cleaner cleaned, as it was always neat and tidy as per her mother's orders.

"I wish I lived at your house," said Jessie one day as they sat by the creek.

"Why?" Cody asked, "It's always hot in the summer, and cold in the winter, and something is always breaking."

"Yeah but it's always interesting," Jessie said in a near whine.

"I suppose so," Cody admitted.

They shared a moment of silence, as they often did while by the creek. Cody leaned back against the tree, and played with the latest hole in his jeans while he curled his bare toes in the rocky soil.

"My parents are fighting again," Jessie mumbled after a minute.

Cody didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. He was there, and that was all Jessie really needed. Jessie tucked her knees up and sighed.

"Hey..." Cody put a hand on Jessie's shoulder, "So I wanted to tell you... I finally got a cell phone today. It's an early birthday present from the family. They're all going to help me pay for it. It's just an old pay-as-you-go plan, but I can get texts on it. I have a decent signal at my house. You should have my number just in case you ever need to get away."

Jessie lit up with a big grin. She pulled out her phone - one of the latest models - and the two exchanged numbers. Jessie even showed Cody how to put her number on speed dial.

The two friends spent the rest of the day throwing rocks in the creek or wandering the paths. It wasn't until the fireflies came out that they made their way back to the oak tree and parted ways after their usual secret handshake.

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