"Ken! What happened?"
Ravenna was shocked to see her best friend bruised up, his glasses lopsided. He had been late coming over to help plant strawberries. They were the Italian girl's favorite.
"Oh, just Amber and her friends," he smiled cheerfully.
"Are they bullying you again?"
"Y-No! The just wanted to borrow my lunch money. All of it."
Growling, she stormed inside and got the first aid kit. With a sigh, she started working on the big wounds. Ken smiled softly at the lovely black hair, the color of which had been her namesake. Her mismatched eyes narrowed in concentration. He felt so lucky to have such a wonderful girl worrying about him.
"Castiel too?"
"Huh?"he murmured, snapped out of his thoughts.
"Did Castiel bully you too."
"Yeah, but I provoked him first."
"Why?"
"N-nothing. Just my big mouth writing a check I couldn't cash!"
In reality, Ken had been telling him to keep away from Ravenna. She was his girl and nobody else's. Rave didn't need to know that though. He was perfectly content with being friends. After she had patched him up, they began planting strawberries.
Her face was so calm, so lovely; he almost couldn't stand to break the upcoming news to her. It had to be done though.
"Hey, Rave?"
"Yeah, Kenny?" she hummed back.
"Um…nothing. Never mind," the nerdy boy blushed.
"Tell me! You know I hate when you keep things from me."
"Well, you see, dad thinks I need to toughen up. So he's taking me out of regular school."
Ravenna dropped her tool. They had been together since they were little. Even when she moved, he had transferred to be in the same school so they could be together. Heartbreaking tears welled in those blue and brown eyes. His arms held her tightly.
"No! He can't do this! I can't lose my best friend."
There's that word again, friend.
"I'm so sorry, Ravenna. I agree though, need to get stronger."
"Why?"
So I can protect you.
"So I can stand up for myself. Don't worry, I'll be back when the strawberries are in bloom. I promise."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Then I'll be big and strong and nobody will pick on me anymore."
Nobody will pick on us. I promise, Ravenna, I will make you love me.
"Kenny, will you promise to write to me every day? No matter what?"
"Yes, Ravenna."
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, at dawn. Do you want to have a sleep over?"
"Yeah!"
He smiled at her child-like eagerness. It was just another thing that made her so endearing to him. But, he couldn't let her know how her felt. Not just yet. So, Ken settled for an all night marathon of their favorite movies and snacked. Then, at the end of the night, she fell asleep in his arms.
Sadly, when Ravenna awakened the next morning, she was alone with a single note beside her.
Ravenna,
I will keeping writing letters to you, as promised, and I expect them back. Remember, keep track of what happens, because I'll be back when the strawberries are in bloom and will want to hear about your life without me around. Also, please be strong and don't let Amber push you around.
Love, Ken.
It still smelled of him. With a sob, Ravenna fell to the ground in a mess of hair and tears. It felt as if she had just had her heart torn out. As if she couldn't breathe in enough oxygen to survive. At that moment, she realized, she thought more of Ken than just a best friend or little brother. But she couldn't figure out what it was. After mulling over it a bit, she decided to take a shower.
She still couldn't figure it out, so she wrote him a quick letter on her powder blue stationary.
Kenny,
How are you doing? How was your first day at military school? I was a mess when I woke up and you were gone. I wish I could've at least said goodbye. Wishing you the best,
Ravenna.
Happy with herself, she sealed it a yellow envelope with a panda sticker. Ravenna wrote the address on the front and mailed it.
-One year later-
Ravenna sat by the garden, looking at the tiny white flowers on her cherished plants. Sadness flooded her features.
As promised, Ken had written to her every day. But last month, the letters had stopped. She wrote him three times since then, asking why he hadn't been keeping his promise. The last letter had been three days ago, when the strawberries started to bloom.
Ken,
The letters have stopped coming, one broken promise I can live with. But now the strawberries are in bloom, so where are you? Why have you broken your promises?
-Ravenna
It had been tearstained and filled with so much hurt that she almost regretted it. Almost. Sighing heavily, Ravenna went inside to help with dinner. Little did she know, she was being watched by a boy with an army green duffel bag.