-----
First Grade...
Michael fumbled with his scissors. Time and time again, he'd try it, but nothing ever seemed to work his way. Right handed scissors just didn't go with left hands. But he was determined to make it work. Whether the scissors liked it or not. So holding the pair of child-safe scissors in his right hand, he carefully wriggled the fingers of his left hand into the holes. Then, picking up a sheet of paper in front of him, he carefully began the cutting exercise...
But it didn't work.
Right handed scissors just don't go with left hands.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sweet voice beside him. "Hi."
It was Sydney. "Hi," he answered timidly.
"Need help?" Sydney nodded knowingly towards the paper he clutched.
"Uh, no." He replied quickly. Michael turned back to the paper once again, deciding he'd impress Sydney with his extraordinary talent in cutting along the lines. He'd show the scissors who was boss... And then, Sydney would be really impressed with him, and she'd get him to teach her how to cut like he did. And what's more, maybe the whole class would be in awe of his spectacular talent, and they'd all admire him, and...
"Here, let me show you..." Sydney laughed, snapping him out of his little daydream. She placed her hand delicately over his left, and slid her own thin fingers into the holes with his. Jolts of electricity bolted through his hand at the feeling of her touch and adrenaline ran through his veins. He gulped.
"Mikey? It's a good idea to look at the paper and not at me, silly."
Oops. He cast her a nervous smile, which she returned, showing the gap in her smile where her tooth had fallen out.
Michael's eyes remained glued on her face in shock. "WHERE'D YOUR TEETH GO?!" he panicked.
The whole class of nearly thirty kids, all six and seven year olds turned to look their way, curious as to what caused the sudden outbreak of shouting. Unlike Sydney though, who was blushing furiously, he was oblivious to the eager, prying eyes of their classmates, still transfixed by the gap in her smile.
"It's nothing... Really." She stammered, embarrassed, and within moments, the rest of the class returned to their work and talking amongst themselves.
Michael was still aghast about the gap. "Sydney! Your tooth! It's... It's... Gone!"
"I know," Sydney grinned at his comment. "Daddy says everyone's teeth fall out sooner or later. It's normal."
His jaw remained open as he tried to grasp onto the concept of teeth falling out. Sydney laughed and turned back to the problem at hand; the cutting exercise.
"Come on Mikey. We have to get this done." She advised him. "Concentrate on the lines on the paper, 'kay? And just go with me... We'll be done in no time."
Her hand on his, she helped him cut around the bold outline on the paper that they were to cut on. Michael's gaze however, still remained fixated on her face, at that gap in her dimpled smile. Boy, was he gonna have a hard time getting to sleep tonight...
Meanwhile, Sydney was thinking too, only not about the gap that seemed to haunt her friend Mikey.
---
Flashback...
"Hi Mikey."
"Hi Sydney."
"So I uh..." she mumbled timidly. "I got your letter."
He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. A crimson tinge creeped into his cheeks, and he kept his gaze down to contently stare at his reflection in his shiny black shoes.
"So um... Jimmy's really cute."
"Really?" He asked in disbelief.
"Really. I kinda like him."
"Thanks."
"Jimmy's purple."
"I know."
"How did you know my favourite colour was purple?"
He looked up at her face and smiled gently. "You use the purple crayon alot."
She grinned, and he looked down again at his shoes. "I... I don't have cooties, Mikey."
"Good. I'm glad you don't." He felt relieved.
"So I... IlikeyoutooMikey," she whispered, and stood on her tiptoes, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek.
---
Their eyes met, just as the cutting exercise was completed. Their fingers still remained intertwined, the both of them not wanting to break the contact.
"Eeeeeeeeew! Gross!" Eric shrieked, frantically diving across the table to tear his best friend's hand away from Sydney's. "What are you doing Mike?! You're gonna get cooties!"
-----