"Joshy no." She said to me as if it was only yesterday.
"It's only a tree c'mon, are you scareddddd?" I said trying to help her up.
"Yes. Now stop it or I'm going home" She said with as much attitude as a little 8 year old could have.
"Fine, stay down here" I started up the tree and just as I got to the first branch she spoke up.
"Wait no. Help me" she whined.
I smiled at my best friend and helped her up.
"Don't you dare let me fall" She said clinging on to me with basically her life.
"Never" I replied as we settled on a branch.
Was it possible to know what love was at age 8... All I knew was that something about this girl, made my insides turn every time I saw her.
"I'm scared" she said looking at me.
"It's fine, see" I said standing on the branch, trying to show off. "Try it you'll be fine" is what I said, all though looking back now I wish I hadn't. She stood with shaking legs trying to steady herself, but before she could reach out to me, her foot slipped and she was on the ground.
I jumped down to her aid to see her clutching her leg in pain.
"Oh no. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry" I repeated over and over again, trying to soothe her sobs.
"You said you wouldn't let me fall. You lied" She finally choked out. I tried to explain how sorry I was until my parents came to check on us and saw the situation. Then she was rushed to the hospital.
She refused to talk to me after this. She was in a cast for about a month, and on crutches. I tried to come around and explain, but she never wanted to hear it. It made moving away the next year even harder. Knowing that even at a young age you love a person that wants nothing to do with you. So why now, why all of a sudden.
"Josh... Josh..." broke me out of my thoughts.
"Did you hear what I said, The turners are moving down to LA with us!" My mom said enthusiastically.
"They're...moving.. here" I said softly.
"Yes! Michelle just called and told us, they'll be here in a few weeks. At the beginning of summer!"
The girl I loved, her name was Ashlyn Turner.
They moved in at the beginning of summer, just as my mother told me, to the house that was next door to ours.
Ashlyn had changed. Extremely. She wasn't the little brunette that was dressed as a tomboy, always wanting to play in the mud, instead of dressing up dolls.
I was nervous when I saw the moving car pull up from my window. I saw sitting on my bed strumming my guitar when she got out of the car.
Her hair wasn't cut all choppy around her shoulders like when we were younger, it was long, flowing almost to her butt, curled literally perfect. She didn't have the Tom boy look to her anymore, she wore a crop top to show her pierced belly button, a pair of ripped skinny jeans with a pair of Toms, I think they're called. She had grown since the last time I saw her, She looks only a couple inches shorter than me. She caught my eye as I was staring and her face turned to a huge grin. The grin I missed so much.
"JOSH!" my mom yelled. "Come outside!" I started for my bedroom door when my appearance caught my eye in the mirror. I look like crap. I can't go outside and see her like this.
Well what do I care, it not like she's going to run into my arms, tell me she misses me and tell me she thought about me the whole ten years we've been apart, aching to tell me she loves me. No that's been me. Maybe I mistaked the grin for a look of disgust. Maybe I'm just overthinking this whole situation.
"Josh!" my dad yelled breaking my thoughts. I put my hand through my hair and hurried to the door. When she saw me exit the house, the grin returned again, she pulled her sunglasses up to rest them on her head, as if she's getting a good look at me. Then she rushed towards me almost as if she was going to blow up in my face for leaving her in Kentucky, with her broken leg and my broken heart.
Instead she opened her arms and threw them around my neck, and said the words I've been dying to hear for the longest time, "Hey Joshy."