"Stealing is bad, never do it again, okay, it's not cool, okay?" I placed my hands on my hips and gave them a motherly look.
The children looked down at their feet in guilt. "We'll share the drink we promised."
I nodded and smiled.
"But oh honey," The tall boy disturbed and stood closer to me. "you're the one who kicked the window."
Honey?
My cheek immediately turned to crimson again. "YAH, DON'T CALL ME THAT!"
Somebody's dog barked near us, it webbed throught the area around us as other barks grew.
"Shhhhh." He put his finger on his lips. "You don't want the old man to find us, do you?"
I looked away from him to the children who ran across the street. They turned one more time and mouthed 'thank you' before they pushed the door to their house and disappeared.
I didn't bother looking at the boy again, as the barking went quiet, I walked away, heading home.
"Hoy, what about your drink?" He asked, I looked back at him holding out one soda can.
I walked back and just as I was about to grab it, the old man appeared to our view.
"Hah!" He yelled. "Found you again!"
"It's that annoying old goblin again," I said to myself.
Grabbing the boy by his collar, I tugged him to run with me again.
"And I'm a dog." He mused.
We made another turns until we stopped in front of a stranger's lawn, where we hopped over their fence and hid behind the thick bushes.
I could smell his shampoo and soap as our body touched. We were too close but I couldn't move, one snapped twigs and he'd find us.
"You're very jumpy." He broke the silence.
"Yes, I'm a sportsperson now please be quiet!" I whispered sharply.
Another moment of silence.
Until I was startled by him pulling open his soda can and taking in a loud sip followed by a big satisfactory sigh. I slapped his arm.
"Ah, you're thirsty too?" He offered me the drink, like a sloth of course. I stared at him in disbelief and he smiled again.
"What is wrong with you?" I hissed.
"If I remember correctly," He began, rubbing his chin and then gave me a devilish smile. "You were the one who yelled first."
I blinked. "You odd sloth, who the freak even wears sunglasses at night?"
As I heard the old man walking by, I turned to the boy and grabbed his arm in mid-air, pausing him from taking another sip. We were closer than before, half his face was an inch away, hovering above my head while he stared at me.
His lip could have brushed my forehead.
He pulled away and sneezed.
"An-Choo!" Again.
I looked at him in horror.
His finger rubbed the bottom of his nose. "Ah man, the nights sure are colder."
My heart dropped when the old man appeared in view, still holding his stick. "Ah, there you are, you little trouble-making rats."
"Aight, you geezer, enough of this." The boy said, passing me his drinks and jumped to his feet, he slowly approached the old man as he pulled off his sunglasses.
The old man laughed while excitedly raising his stick but then he froze, his eyes widened as he gulped.
The boy stepped closer and his voice was layered with hundred venoms. "Please step aside sir."
The old man ran away.
He turned back to me and blinked.
My heart stopped, in the absence of his sunglasses, I could see his face in a better light. He had changed. He had grown taller and stronger. He grew his hair long and braided it. He was no longer shy and awkward. But looking at his green eyes, he was still the boy I'd known years ago.
┉
He handed me two sodas and I stared at it.
"Well, goodbye!" He waved, smiled, turned to his heel and jogged away while never looking back, and I stood there, watching him until he disappeared out of sight.
On my way back home, I recollected the events of the night, trying to process and make sense of everything. I saw Dad, Taiga and Atticus far from home, they were worried and on a search for me. I told them the half-truth of breaking the vending machine and being chased by the bull of an old man. Dad reassured me by saying he'll fix it while Taiga hugged me and I gave him his drink and eventually, he headed home.
When we reached home, I put the Sprite soda I received in our refrigerator.
"Dad," I called.
"Yes, sweetheart?" He appeared in the kitchen.
"Under any circumstance, and no matter how long it stays here, don't drink this alright?"
"Why? We can always buy a new one." He prodded.
I pushed the soda deeper. "Just no"
He laughed. "It's like someone very special gave it to you."
"Yes."
"Huh?" His eyes widened before he laughed again. "Who is this special guy our [NAME] had taken a liking to?"
Togame.
Jo Togame.
I said to myself.
The boy who was the spring of my childhood.
⛤
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