Quandary

Social Strife

The sky was covered with clouds. All sorts of shapes flew above our heads. I looked up in wonder at their soft motions. Our feet gently trotted forward, one after another. The three of us were walking along a commonly used dirt path in the middle of town. I looked at her in quick glances whenever I had the chance. I couldn't help but have my eyes linger over in her direction. I trotted calmly behind the two of them, holding four bags of the items we purchased at the stores from earlier. An enormous grin was slung along my face.

"Where do you want to go next?"

Hailey brought a finger to her lips, as if to assume a thinking position.

"Let's see that ice cream place that opened up last week!"

I stood there clunkily, watching them talk like a couple. Despite all the trouble one might assume would happen with three of us, I managed to go with the flow of things. If they were happy, then so was I.

"You're allergic to like half the things in their ice cream though."

"I'll find something."

"You always take forever to choose."

The two of them snickered quietly and then looked back to me staring at them. Braxton scratched his back swiftly and then spoke to me.

"What about you Don? Where do you want to go?"

A breeze flew into the air, pushing into the three of us. My stance pushed back on the world that was pressing back against me.

"Whatever's good. I'll go anywhere you guys want to go."

I was always the quiet one out of the three of us. I always left the choices to them. But needless to say, I was grateful to be included. We dropped off the bags I held in Braxton's car and then ran down the path to the store plaza. The only thing holding us back was the responsibilities of life and the now simple laws of gravity. We swept into the parking lot of the store, panting. Hailey had let out another laugh as she noticed Braxton lagging behind. She put up her fingers in front of her eyes and made a flicking motion in his direction. Braxton pretended to fall over, as if Hailey had some kind of omnipotent power.

"Slowpoke!"

"It's been a while since I've run."

"Come on, Don even beat you here!" Said Hailey as she ruffled my hair.

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I was satisfied watching Braxton pant over to us. Braxton stared at the various flavors on the menu upon entering the store.

"Banana flavored ice cream? That's new."

Hailey scattered into the store with glee as she looked at the hundreds of choices on the menu. Her face lit up in an adorable manner. Braxton went with Rocky Road after some time of thinking, while Hailey still stood there thinking. She brushed up towards me.

"What flavor do you think I should get?"

I scanned the menu closely. I didn't even know what flavor I was going to get.

"I'm stuck between the cotton candy and pink lemonade." She postulated.

I sheepishly stuttered for a moment and then thought of an idea. I pocketed a coin from my pants and flipped it into the air. I looked down on the result in the palm of my hand. It landed heads.

"Pink lemonade it is."

Her mouth elongated into a large smile. She scuttled over to the counter and began pulling out money. As I contemplated my choice, I looked over at the two of them. Their choices fit their personalities so well. I watched Braxton carefully scooped small amounts of his ice cream. Hailey appeared to be bursting with excitement, unable to contain her joy. She could be seen eagerly awaiting her treat by the counter. She watched the attendant scoop the ice cream onto a cone. The two seemed opposites in comparison. Maybe it was true, that saying: Opposites attract. I ordered a chocolate and vanilla twist. The three of us walked across a small wooden bridge that stretched over a pond. The water glistened in the warmness of the sun's brightening embrace. I could see fish shooting by, swimming beneath the surface of the water. Hailey walked along a thin barrier of the side of the bridge, balancing herself so she didn't fall off. The trees surrounding us gently brustled in the wind.