Long Time, No See

I: III

Denver

Hmm.... Guess Church must have run over today...

I scoff thinking about Denise going to Church to worship some "all-powerful" and "all-loving" God, while I drag my dirty trainers against the park dirt floor.

We meet at the park all the time now, ever since the day, last year that I made her cry in the hall.

She's alright, I guess.

I'll admit, in the beginning she was just annoying...

A bit clingy at times but she's dealt with enough from Kaden and his group as well as the bitches at school.

She's so harmless, honestly she can't even raise her voice! Only when she's crying have I actually heard her come close to shouting.

She's also very tiny, I tower over her easily.

Dad always tells me I have to look out for those that can't defend themselves, and Denise in my opinion fits that description to a T.

She's got really frail arms and legs.

She doesn't know how to fight.

And she's really innocent.... Like seriously.

The other day I swore in front of her, I swear she almost vomited from the shock. In her defence I guess she's still a kid. I'm almost fourteen, so it's fine when I swear. Mum would go crazy if she heard me swearing though, she tries to stop my father from swearing but I always hear him when he thinks he's alone. Makes for great blackmail.

I watch as a ground beetle crawls up the huge bark of the tree I'm laying against and it takes me back to when I first met Denise.

Denise hates beetles.... I guess I'll move it before she gets here.

I pick up a pale ochre coloured leaf and use it to put the bug in a nearby bush.

When it's safely in the bush, I go to turn around but the sound of light steps are heard from behind me and I tense thinking it's Kaden and his boys. A twig snaps and the faint sound of a girl kissing her teeth however makes me smile slightly, as I realise who it actually is behind me and what she's planning.

I stand still pretending to be inspecting the bush, while listening to her silent steps get closer.

3...

    2...

          1...

"BOO!" She screams from behind me. I feign shock by jumping away from her before turning around to watch her giggle.

"I gotcha Denver did ya see?! I gotcha!" She cheers whilst laughing hysterically to herself. I watch as her head falls back and her small dusty pink lips open up wide to reveal the large gap in her teeth where her two front teeth have fallen out and are painfully slow in growing back.

"Yeah, yeah, you got me Denise." I nod rolling my eyes playfully.

Her laughter fades away and she stands straight looking up at me with a large smile that I return. She looks... cute I guess. Her hair is in its signature tight slicked bun. She's wearing a pink dress that stops at her knees along with small, frilly, white socks that tuck over at the top. Her feet are incredibly tiny I don't even know how the pink ballet flats are staying on her feet.

"Sorry I'm late" she explains dropping her white cardigan on the floor to sit on,  "Daddy did a long sermon on forgiveness and then Aunty Sheena did a testimony on how God healed her scoliosis but she always tells that story, and Grandma always rolls her eyes when she does, and then-"