The Kings Queen

~Prologue~

~Skylar Williams~
~Memory~

I was awoken early that morning , probably about six-ish. My birthday. I was hopping with joy all the way down the stairs. I was going to see Sammy. Yes I saw him everyday but that day was different. It was my birthday and he said he had a surprise for me. I hurriedly got dressed , tripping at least three times while putting on just my pants.
I was so very excited , until I got down stairs of course. It was quiet. To quiet. Every year they'd wait for me and scare me nearly to death but this year they sat waiting for me with sad expressions. Little did I know when I woke that morning that it'd be my last day there. I'd thought nothing of it as pictures disappeared from the walls over the last few weeks or how boxes had been piled up in corners. It'd never occurred to me that we were moving.

"Ace come on," my dad groaned as I hid behind the counter.

"NO!" I whined ,"I'm not leaving Sammy! I promised him!"

"Well you shouldn't have promised that huh?"

"Jacob that's not nice," my mother slapped his arm and walked around the counter to me in a few swift steps.

She grabbed me up , me kicking and screaming the entire way to the car. I sobbed for almost an hour as we drove around town , a feeling of dread filling me as I saw Sammy's house slowly growing closer. My mom wiped my eyes with her thumb and nudged my glasses back up my nose.

"Just tell him," she advised as though it were the easiest thing in the world,"it'll be okay."

"Uh uh," I hiccuped , a side-effect from crying for so long," you do it."

"It'll be better coming from you."

"He's g-gonna hate me."

"No he won't , now go enjoy your birthday with your best friend."

"Some birthday."

The moment we made it to the door Sammy grabbed my hand and pulled me to show me my surprise. I was dead silent as he pulled me along , not able to look at him. He pulled my hands up to my eyes but paused.

"Were you crying?" I didn't look at him , just shook my head," liar."

"No I yawned ," I lied and looked at him with a smile. I could tell he didn't buy it. For an eight year old he sure was smart.

"Well here , I-I know your not, uh , your not eight yet," he pushed a box towards me," but just a couple more hours and you will be."

I took it and gently lifted the lid. Inside was a white beaded bracelet with a little golden crown. He grinned holding up his wrist , on his was a black bracelet , just about identical to the white one. He took the box and laid it on the table.

"I'm gonna be a king one day. Like from all of our favorite books," he said as he pushed the bracelet over my hand ,"and you're gonna be my Queen."

"Sammy there's no royalty in the United States," I laughed sadly.

"I promise Star," a small smile made its way to my lips at his nickname.

He refused to call me Sky because everyone else did so he called me Star. He always told me it was because I was as pretty as a star and I was born at night so it fit me perfectly. I'd just stick my tongue out at him.

"Sammy," I twiddles with my thumbs.

"Yeah?" He was standing on his tiptoes trying to reach the cookie jar.

"If I left, you'd never forget me right?"

"Why does it matter? You promised you wouldn't ," he grabbed the jar and pulled it to him.

"Sammy , please just answer."

"But... you promised you'd always be my best friend and that you'd never leave."

"I will always be your friend! Just...not here."

"Stop!"

He pushed the cookie jar off the counter and ran away to his room. A stream of tears ran down my face as I heard his door slam shut. All I heard from him , the last words he said to me before I left , was I hate you. I was hurt and for a month while my family unpacked boxes at our new home I spoke to absolutely no one.
Now , eight years later , I'm on my way back to my old hometown. WoodMerry. So many memories but the only thing I'm intent on seeing is him , Samuel Jackson. I've been told it's childish and stupid to keep hope after all these years , and that very well may be true, but I couldn't care less. I have to at least try. I've never forgotten him and I'm not starting now.

I'm coming home to you Sammy.