It never hurts….
It was a daily ritual for the two. They'd meet every day after school at the front steps to walk together to the docks that held their transportation over to the island just a few miles off the shore of their home. The two wouldn't talk much, just nod a greeting and hurry over to the island that they escaped to numerous times in their childhood.
The boat ride over was even quieter, (if possible) both too absorbed in their own thoughts to strike up a decent conversation. However, when the two would step onto the dock of their childhood playground they would exchange smiles, dump their school bags on the dock and race for the small incline that was home to a single Paopu fruit-bearing tree.
The girl who reached the tree first would claim the highest branch in the tree for herself while the one who was just seconds behind the other would claim the second highest. Then, there they would sit, content with staring into the gorgeous blue of the calming sea.
"Do you think tomorrow will be the day?" one would ask the other.
The other would smile softly and nod their head. "Tomorrow, definitely." And there the two friends would stay, way after the sun had set and the tiny, twinkling stars took its place and the warm spring breeze which would cut across their skins and through their hair came to play.
Eventually one would convince the other that it was time to take their leave and reluctantly the two friends would make their way slowly back to the docks to climb into the small dingy that would take them back home, each one casting longing hopeful glances back at the soothing waves crashing upon the sand and the twinkling stars in the dark sky.
Tomorrow they would repeat their after school routine. And the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that until the two saw the spiky brown hair accompanied by the goofy smile and the icy blue eyes that led to the confident smirk they knew so well upon the horizon. Tomorrow for sure.
to keep looking for sunshine.