one day

mark hale thompson ☁

in which caitlyn tells mark something she's never told anyone before

☁☁☁

ten years ago

"Marky, hey. What're you doin' here?" the soft and solemn tones of Caitlyn drifted down gently. eight-year old Mark stopped climbing the tree, looking up curiously at Caitlyn up at the topmost branches. "Something's wrong, ain't it?" he asked. Caitlyn only ever got up the tree when she had problems. The last time she'd come to the tree was six months ago when her mother told her that her parents were separating. Caitlyn had explained to him in her childish way how that meant Daddy was no longer coming home and Mommy was all alone and it also meant you had to see her cry often. Mark worried for Caitlyn sometimes. His friend was always gentle and quiet, but her quietness seemed different when she was sad. "We're moving away, Marky. Next week's gonna be our last." Her words seemed to stumble into each other, each as quiet as the last. "W-what? But that-we still have-" Mark's frantic voice cut through the still afternoon air. It was sunset, nearing dusk, and they were already seated next to each other. Somehow, in the middle of their conversation, Mark had climbed up the top next to Caitlyn. "You're leaving? For good?" 

"I don't know."

"Remember me okay? Please." Mark sighed, feeling not at all like a eight-year-old. 

"Okay."

☁☁☁

ten years after 

Blinking unsteadily, I couldn't believe my eyes. Was it?- it couldn't be- but-no-but-probably.

Pin straight blonde hair? Check

Face full of freckles? Check

Really big unnerving blue eyes? Double check

But still, it couldn't be. Yet I saw it with my own two eyes. Caitlyn Washington, my childhood friend who I had not seen nor heard of in fourteen years, was back. She wasn't noticed by people, mostly no one cared. At first, I hadn't even seen her. I was only alerted by her presence when they told me my locker was right next to the new girl's.

"New girl? And who could that be," I'd thought. Since I was late to school, I hadn't seen her. It was only during first period when I saw her and recognized her. 

While in class, the teacher had announced her name and made her introduce herself. She had said it in a way I remembered- quiet yet confident, just enough to let everyone hear. I had just watched on curiously. You didn't just up and forget childhood friends, didn't you? She had chosen one of the chairs in the middle row, and I found out later on that she was pretty average. However, I didn't think she was average. I mean, I didn't like her, but I certainly hadn't forgotten about our promise years before, during sunset at the tallest tree in our resident 'kid-friendly' neighborhood park. I doubt she'd remember though. She was always quick to forget things.

She'd walked to the cafeteria by herself, and I saw her and started to follow her, fully intending on a good and solid conversation, but James had stopped me and grabbed me along with him. I ate lunch at peace, but there was always a small voice at the back of my mind that wondered if she ever remembered me.

After the teacher had dismissed us, I went to my locker and lo and behold, the ever elusive Caitlyn was there. This time, there was no James to drag me into the cafeteria. So I approached her, tapped her back, gave my most confident smile (which wasn't very confident) and told her "Caitlyn, right?".

She surprised me when her eyes widened and she nodded vigorously. "Marky! Y-you've grown a lot," Caitlyn said, all while her smile slowly grew. Understandably, my eyes widened. "You remember me?" I asked incredulously. "Well, of course I do. You don't just forget your childhood friends after moving, don't you?" she countered. My own eyes crinkled in response- I mean, we'd last met and she still remembered me! That was purely unexpected, but hey, I wasn't complaining. But still, one thing bothered me.