Yup, I'm a creeper, going through all of the children's books for ideas. I can't believe so many of you liked that last one (: It makes me feel good with myself.
Olive, My Love
Her name wasn't really Olive, but it was what everyone called her because of her strange obsession of them. She preferred being an Olive to a Mable any day. Mable was a sheep name, not a little girl name.
Olive's birthday was in two days, on Sunday to be exact, and she was in her kitchen cooking cookies. There wasn't a reason for her to cook them, but she craved cookies, so there she stood in the middle of the kitchen beside the black stove, her feet bare and a light sundress on her body, showing all of the flaws on her arms and legs but she didn't care. She was humming one song or another, in a positively bright mood as the scent of oatmeal raison cookies wafted through the air.
Olive loved to cook. It made her momma's kitchen smell warm and sweet, just like her. Her long black hair was up in pigtails, as was expected with an eight year old. Her blue eyes sparkled with sugar and spice and everything nice. When the oven beeped, her heart leapt to her throat and she grinned, slipping the cookies from the oven carefully to the stovetop, setting the oven timer for five minutes.
When the cookies were done, she planned to head over to her best friend's house and share them with him, seeing that he loved oatmeal raison cookies. He hadn't been very happy lately seeing that his parents had left on 'a vacation' as Richard had said, but Olive was determined to cheer him up. Basking in the warmth of the kitchen, she began to twirl slightly, humming sweetly, her pigtails bobbing with her.
Her daddy had told her a year ago that her momma was 'on vacation', but her momma wasn't back yet. Olive knew that her momma would be back though, because daddy never lies to his little angel and she knew that parents always come back to care for their kids. She jumped slightly when the oven went off and a smile fell over her lips. She turned the timer off and grabbed a paper bag and a spatula.
Using the spatula, she gently scooped the cookies from the pan to the bag before sealing it and grabbing a sharpie, writing his name as pretty as she could on the top: Richard. The warmth in the kitchen made her eyes feel heavy though and she paused.
I'm tired…I guess Richard wouldn't be too upset if I came by later… she convinced herself, walking over to the couch.
Her feet still bare, she giggled as the fibers on the carpet tickled her toes as she went to grab a blanket from the basket. Then, with a big quilt in hand, she jumped onto the couch and pulled the quilt over her, tucking herself in so that she looked like a little burrito. She then closed her blue eyes and began to drift off.
Before she was granted the wonders of slumber, she thought she heard someone calling her name. She soon recognized the voice of Richard, but he was singing, and he didn't seem to be really calling for her.
"My love to you…" she picked up next.
She smiled sweetly and pulled the quilt tighter around her, listening to his voice. No matter how much he insisted that he couldn't, she thought that his singing voice was better than Fergie, Justin Bieber and Flyleaf all mixed together.
"All of my love… all of my love," he began to sing again, a careful beat to his tongue.
Olive lip-sync with him, her heart feeling happy in her chest and the smell of the cookies warming her inside and out.
"To you…" he continued, his voice sounding closer.
The song was suddenly cut off by a loud thud. Scared half to death, Olive leapt to her feet, terrified. She ran to the front door where she had heard Richard's voice. On the front steps was a giant heart, at least half the size of her body. She stepped outside.
"Wait, Richard!" she called after him, "You dropped all of your love!"
He was too far away to hear her though. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"This is his love," she thought aloud, picking up the heart, surprised at how heavy it was. "He might want it back!"
But first, she ran inside and grabbed her sack of cookies. She figured that if she was returning all of his love, she might as well bring something to compliment it, and nothing was better at the moment than cookies. Then, using all of her strength, she bent down and picked up the heart and holding it tight, she began to walk down the street after her friend.
She hadn't made it more than 20 feet though before her arms grew tired. She sat the heart down on the sidewalk beside her and collapsed in a huff.
"I have to give Richard his love back! He needs it!" she thought aloud again, angrily.
"Can I help?" a soft voice offered.
Olive turned her head to see her friend Wally standing there. He was 11 now, 2 years older than Richard who was 1 year older than her. His bright red hair sparkled in the sunlight and the freckles on his face gleamed, as did his braces. Olive stood up.
"How? Richard dropped all of his love and it's too heavy for me to carry!" she cried.
When Wally heard that, he smiled to himself, but he didn't say anything.
"Don't worry Olive, I'll help you give Richard," he covered his mouth to hide a chuckle, "all of his love back."
Olive, oblivious to the laugh, smiled gratefully.
"Thank you," she said happily.
She watched patiently as Wally went back into his garage and came back out with his bike with the fancy handle basket.
"Here, let me see 'his love'," Wally requested, a grin still clear on his face.
Olive heaved it up from the sidewalk and handed it to Wally who set it in the handle basket.
"I'll meet you up at Richard's house," Wally waved goodbye and pedaled away.
Olive continued to smile and skipped merrily down the sidewalk after Wally towards Richard's house.
Richard's going to be so happy when I give him his love back! I bet he's worried sick about it!
She caught up with Wally surprisingly quickly, but only because his bike was now halfway through the neighbor's fence and he was sprawled out on the ground, all of Richard's love gone. Olive ran to his side quickly.
"Wally!" she cried, worried. "Are you okay?"
Wally opened his emerald eyes weakly and forced a smile.
"Yeah Olive," he promised, pulling one of her pigtails softly, "you just go give Richard his love back. I'll be fine."
Olive didn't look sure, but she nodded.
"Oh… alright… thanks Wally…"
When she was out of sight, he dropped his smile and clutched his stomach.
Stupid tree he thought angrily. Getting in my way… how dare it?
Olive strode forward, her eyes scanning the road until she saw the giant heart which had landed coincidentally in Richard's yard. She walked up to his door and rang the doorbell. She listened to the sound echo through the mansion before Richard opened the door. He looked surprised to see her.
"Hi Olive…?" he said, confused.
Then he spotted the heart and his confusion widened.
"I brought all of your love back!" she cried happily.
"My love?" he repeated.
"You lost it," Olive insisted as Richard stepped out from inside the house. "You were singing, 'All of my love…'"
"I didn't lose my love," Richard said slowly, taking her by the arm and walking her to the giant heart in the middle of the lawn. Then he looked up at her and smiled. "I gave it to you. Didn't you get my note?"
Now it was Olive's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Note?" she questioned.
Richard ran a hand through his hair.
"Oh… darn…" he thought.
Then he saw something on his shirt sleeve. He peeled it off and grinned sheepishly, holding it up.
It said in bright red and cursive letters: For Olive my love. All of my love, Richard.
Olive smiled and hugged Richard tightly for a moment before she released him.
"The heart is a gift for me?" she asked, surprised.
Richard nodded.
"Come on, look inside!"
Olive eagerly and curiously got to her knees and opened the gigantic heart. To her amazement, there were a billion chocolates lined along the interior. She grinned and pulled out her own little bag for him. Surprised, he opened it and grinned ear to ear when he saw the cookies. Together, the two of them sat down on the lawn.
"What a sweet mistake," Olive smiled, taking a bite of chocolate.
Richard's smile showed that he felt the same and together, the two friends with at least one parent 'on vacation' began to eat chocolate and cookies, eventually joined by Wally who sat down and joined them, bringing stories to share with him. Olive was sad that today wasn't her birthday, seeing how much fun she was having, but she was glad she was here. Most of all though, she was glad for the existence of chocolate, mostly because chocolate tastes good.
So, if any of you care, my birthday is on Sunday… I'm turning Robin's age! I'll be old enough to date him! *tee hee* (JK, I'm happily dating C.A.M) review?
-F.J. III