Encounters: Preteens

"Hey, I know you!"

The twelve-year-old male just gave her a confused look. "Pardon?"

The girl laughed. "Yeah! You're the little kid that kept bumping into me!"

The blue-eyed boy nearly gasped. "Wow. It's been a while."

"Tell me about it," the girl said, sticking out her tongue. "I haven't seen you since I bought you ice cream."

"I still have to repay you for that," The boy told the brunette.

"Well, I was never looking to be re-payed," The girl said slowly. "But, if you insist!" With that, she took the boy's hand. She didn't hold it, but merely tugged a bit to get him moving, then let his hand go. "Let's go get some ramen!"

"You've been shopping."

The boy glanced down at his bags, then back at the brown-eyed girl who was standing behind him on the empty sidewalk. "Is it bad for a male to shop?"

"Well..." The girl paused. "It's unusual... unless you're gay..." The boy's breath hitched in his throat and he coughed. The girl just laughed.

"We run into each other a lot," The boy pointed out, eager to change the subject. "Perhaps I should know your name."

The girl pouted playfully. "But then it would be no fun! For now, I still know you as 'the kid who keeps knocking me over'."

"Half of the time, you knock me over."

"Good point." The girl stopped and gasped. "Hey, what if we make up code names!"

The boy blinked. He checked his watch and shook his head. "Well, I must be going."

"Ok!" The girl called as he was leaving. "I'll think of a cool name for you, I promise!

"Hey, College!"

The boy looked up from his book, which he had been reading in the park. "Three days pass and you come up with the nickname College?"

The girl giggled as she walked over to him. "Well, you always talk like an adult, and you always act like an adult, but the nickname Adult wouldn't suit you. So I thought, 'what do adults have in common?'. And they all have college educations!"

"Not really. Most teens that grow into adulthood quit college or try to get a job right after High School."

The girl scowled. "Well, I still like the nickname." She took out a cell phone from her pocket, a new item of hers. "I have to be going. It's your turn to think of a nickname for me!" She walked away, dialing a number and talking to someone on her phone. The boy just stared after her.

"Spark."

The girl looked up from the ground. She had been sitting on a bench, all by herself, in the midst of darkening clouds. College wondered why she was in the middle of the park right before a big storm.

"Huh?"

"Spark," College repeated. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on the front of his shirt. "That's your nickname."

The girl looked confused. "Why Spark?"

College hesitated before he mumbled, "Because you always have a spark in your eye whenever you say hi to me..." He glanced at her, but had to look away. She could see a little bit of pink enter his cheeks.

"Spark..." she murmured to herself. She grinned. "I like it!"

College cleared his throat and shrugged. "So why are you all alone? It looks like you've had a rough day."

Spark stood and stretched. "Yeah, my day pretty much sucked... But I'm better now." She smiled at him, and noticed that his mini-blush grew.