Walking. Thinking. Thinking of her. Walking with her. Yep. Her graceful strokes. Her light brown hair flowing with the peacefully warm breeze. We're surrounded by the lovely aroma of the bright yellow sunflowers around the trail.
Then I look over to that girl. That amazing, sweet, beautiful girl. She's wearing a bright turquoise Tee glamorously themed "You mad bro?" in bold neon purple. Her eyes are mesmerizing and I'm hypnotized ever time I see them.
I then look down. Glancing at the dusty trail that we're walking on. I look around, I hear mocking birds singing their songs in the distance. I saw a spider web attached to a small rotting shrub with a ladybug caught on one of the anchoring strands. I wanted to help it become free but can't so I watch in slight emotion as the brightly colored yellow spider consumes it.
I hear her voice, "Matthew?" Alice shouts, "Matthew!!"
I realized that I had stopped walking and stood there while she went on in front, "Oh! Sorry." I manage to say.
She walks back to me and stares into my eyes and I ignore the world around me. "Is something wrong?" She asks.
I respond with a muffled, "Nah, let's just keep walking."
"Ok. Come on Matty!" she takes off running -and smiling- along our trail.
I watch at how great she is. I couldn't help chasing after her. I'm gaining on her even though she kicks up dust, I eventually catch up to her, run in front, turn around and slow down, trying to get her to stop. But she doesn't. She grabs me and pushes me into a tree. It didn't hurt though. I actually enjoyed it. We laugh and start walking again.
In a few hundred feet, we'll be arriving at our place in the woods. It's very serine, with a small fresh water stream pooling in a clear pond full of soapstone in all shades. It's an unimaginable sight. She's staring at me. She's smiling. She's blushing. God, I wish she knew how bad I need her here, with me. I want her. I want to wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her. Her soft lips on mine. That would be the best feeling. Ever.
"I swear if you don't say something I'm going to slap you!"
"OH MA GAWD!!!" I yell as I narrowly dodge a lightning fast hand flying at me..
I knew she was just playing with me.
And then it hits me, we're here. There's the pond, its yellows, pinks, and grays glistening in the waters bright reflection of sunlight. It's full of coy fish, and many different kinds of creatures.
Alice and I are captured in a dome of red, orange and yellow leaves. Maple and Birch trees surround us with glory and leaves cover the ground. Bushes and grass surround the borders of this amazing place and obscure the view of any outsiders.
I notice that Alice's sitting by the pond, dipping her bare feet in the warm waters scaring the coy fish and a pod of tadpoles into the soapstone caverns. I sit next to her.
"I love you." I say softly.
"What?" She replies, and to which I blush and foolishly blurt, "Nothing."
"Tell me." She looks at me smiling, "Please?"
"I'll tell you later." I say. She giggles.
"What's so funny Kit Kat?" I say even though I know the answer.
She says, "You always call me that!"
I laugh and reply, "You got a problem with that?" I stick my tongue out at her,"No? Well alright then."
With playfulness in her smile, she pushes me back so I'm lying down with my feet in the pond. After maybe a half hour, Alice gets up, smiling, and starts walking.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
She doesn't answer, so I get up and follow her to a very large, very old oak tree just outside of our serine clearing. As I'm catching up to her, I watch. She's scratching something into the dark brown cork with a sharp piece of stone from the pond. I want see what she's carving but she keeps pushing me away. "Don't worry, I won't look." I say turning around.
I decide to lean up against a maple sapling and look at the sky behind the bare branches of the oak tree, and start to zone out.
I think about her and whisper to myself, "Does she like me? Or does she just like being my best friend? I have to know. I've loved her for so long. I need her in my li-"
"Done!" Alice says unexpectedly.
I spin back into the reality of the forest and nervously say, "What?"
"I'm done." Alice says quietly.
I look at her and smile. She looks at me. Her eyes sparkle with emotion. What's gotten into her? I notice a clear pearly tear flowing down her cheek.
"What's wrong Kit Kat?" She doesn't answer. She walks up to me and hugs me tight.
"Tell me please?" I whisper softly. She's still hugging me, and I hold her head softly on my shoulder.
"I do." She whispers,
"Huh?" I mumble.
"I heard what you said. While I made that carving, I heard you say all of that. I feel just the same way. Look I have to go but please come back here at midnight?" She kisses my cheek, and runs away, back to her house, listening to the fading snaps and swishes of the leaves. I'm alone. I can hear the water crashing into the ground in a waterfall off in the distance.
I stand there amazed, happy, and hopeful that she meant what she just said.
"Oh!" I just remembered the carving! I turn and jog towards the great oak tree, with the refreshing breeze on my skin, and the leaves crunch beneath my shoes. I love this feeling.
I have to see what she carved! I slow down as I'm coming up to the oak. I finally find out what she did. It was carved inside of a large messy heart.
It said 'I love you Matthew.'
