Two days ago

Reeve

Damn. It felt good to be home.

"Man, I can't believe you're here. I actually hoped I'd never see you again," Brody joked as he nudged my shoulder. He dropped the last suitcase next to the three others I brought back home with a thud.

"Of course I came back. I knew you'd miss me too much if I didn't," I countered, smiling as I plopped down on my bed. I was tired from the flight, even if it was only six hours long.

Brody blew air out from the corner of his mouth and used it to push his blond bangs out of his eyes. After stopping to take another breath, he folded up the sleeves of his shirt and replied, "You're lucky I've got these muscles now. Your bags were freaking heavy."

"I guess that's why they say to let the real men do the work, huh?" I paused. "You've still got a few more years to go, kid."

"Shut up." He laughed, and his eyes twinkled in mischief. "You wish you were even half the man your mother is. And even though you're two years older, I could still kick your ass."

I threw my pillow at him, but he dodged it easily, and it hit the frame of the door instead. "Watch it." I grinned. "I might be tired, but I can still beat you to a pulp."

"Bring it," he grunted. He motioned for me to come closer using two fingers and shifted his feet further apart in a mock fighting stance. "My new muscles and I can take you."

"When did you even gain all that? You sure as hell didn't have those when I saw you last," I said as I thought back to his younger, overweight figure.

"These?" he asked, bring each of his biceps up to his mouth and kissing them. "I've always had these babies."

"Yeah right. You used to be fat."

"Shut up. Baby fat runs in the family."

"No one runs in your family, Bro."

Brody picked the pillow up from the floor and chucked it at my head. "Stop bullying fat people, man. We already have enough on our plates."

I chuckled. I hadn't realized how much I missed joking around with him until now. Things were finally starting to feel normal again, as if I had never left.

"I'm going to the bathroom. My bladder feels like it's going to explode," Brody said before running off. "Don't miss me too much!" he called over his shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. He hadn't changed at all.

Suddenly feeling the time difference and jet lag hitting all at once, I flopped face down onto my bed. Dad had kept the original, cobalt blue bedspread that I had when I was six years old, and it brought back a rush of memories.

I flipped over and stretched my arms and legs of my six feet two inch figure. As a kid, this bed had seemed huge, but now, it just felt cramped. The tips of my feet touched the footboard while my fingers hit the headboard.

I stuck my right hand under my head and looked around the room. It had been vacant for the past nine years, so not a lot had changed since I was last here.

The lack of daylight and the slightly pink tint that crept through my open window showed the sun was beginning to set. A gentle breeze was blowing, but I didn't mind. It was a lot better than the sticky and humid Septembers in Philadelphia. The cold hardwood floor was spotless; I knew dad had meticulously swept them before I arrived.

The only differences were that the black desk had shifted towards the right side of my room and now faced the window, and the room wasn't cluttered with my clothes and belongings anymore.

It felt empty.

"Whoa, man. It's only been a few minutes since you've been back. Let's catch up a little bit more before we get into bed together, alright?" Brody advised in a serious tone while raising his eyebrows. A few seconds later, the corners of his mouth lifted up slightly and his shoulders started to shake in silent laughter.

"You're sick," I retorted, lifting my body up and supporting it with my elbows. "You wish you could have a piece of this." I wiggled my eyebrows and pointed up and down my body.

Brody laughed loudly as he shook his head in amusement. Then he asked, "So, what'd you miss most about California? Other than me, of course."

I sighed and went through the mental checklist I had been making since my first day in Philadelphia. "I missed Dad... and not having to worry about freezing my ass off if I forgot to wear seven layers during the winter. And oh God, the pizza. I missed the pizza here."

"What? Don't they have the same pizza chains there?"

"Yeah, but it tasted different there. I don't know why."

"Anything else?" he asked, cocking his head and raising his right eyebrow suspiciously.

"I guess I missed the people the most."

"You mean her?"

"Yeah."

"Have you talked to her yet?"

"Nah." I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I bet she doesn't even remember me."

"You know she still lives in the same house, right? Go visit her. Show off your hot, new body and woo her over again." He wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.

"Good idea, Bro," I said with a laugh. I pictured myself barging into her house, demanding that she remember me while simultaneously showing her my new biceps.

Yeah, right. As if that would make her remember anything!

I scoffed at the image and pushed it away. "It's been nine years, and a lot has changed since then. I've changed."

"Speaking of change, when did you switch your legal name to Reeve?"

"The second I got to Philadelphia. Mom always hated the name Evan, and she kept saying her first choice was always Reeve. So... " I trailed off and let him guess the rest of the story.

"So now you're Reeve Evan Somers."

"Right."

"You'd think you would've thought to mention that to me during one of our phone calls, eh?"

"Didn't think it was that important." I shrugged and yawned, and then stretched out my arms.

"Alright, man. Well, I'll let you get your beauty sleep. You definitely need it," he added with another smirk. "I'll see you at school on Monday?"

"Crap. Don't remind me. It's going to be weird being in the same grade as you little kids," I muttered while sitting up in bed.

"You're only two years older, Somers. You'll fit right in," he said while giving me a thumbs-up. "Don't get up. I'll show myself out."

"Wasn't planning on it," I called out to his back. He walked away and threw a peace sign into the air, and I chuckled.

Once I heard the front door close, I flopped back down on the bed and sighed.

I had so much to do to this weekend-I needed to unpack, get started on the last minute summer assignments, go grocery shopping for the items on Dad's list, pick up some materials and books for school... The list went on and on.

I flipped over so I was laying on my stomach and shoved my head deeper into the pillow.

I needed to get started if I wanted to finish everything by the end of this weekend, but even when I willed myself to get up, I couldn't.

I couldn't do anything until I saw her.

Thoughts of her filled my mind like they always did, preventing me from getting anything done. And like usual, I couldn't help but think back to the first day that we met.

"All first, second, and third graders, please report to the auditorium for the lunch assembly. All first, second, and third graders, please," a female voice boomed over the intercom.

I walked in a single-file line with the rest of my third grade classmates, sighing and rolling my eyes. I had always hated lunch assemblies. It took away time from recess, and I didn't see the point in them, so I never paid attention.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Mrs. Lidec, the principal, beamed at us, nodding at the rows of children. "We're going to start off things a bit differently, because today is a special day." She paused, and then she clapped her hands. "We have a birthday we would like to celebrate! Would our special guest like to come up?"

Everyone looked around to see who it was. I wondered why this person was special enough to get a birthday shout-out from the school.

Then, I saw her.

She stood up from her seat, which was across the room from mine, and inched her way to the front of the room. When she got to the front, she covered her face with her hair and pulled the sleeves of her blue and white long-sleeve shirt over her hands.

"Don't be shy, friend." Mrs. Lidec smiled encouragingly and nudged her forward. I saw the girl peeking out from under her hair while she fidgeted with her jean skirt. She stood there awkwardly and crossed her legs, putting one brown boot in front of the other, then shifted positions again to put the other foot in front.

"Ready, everyone? Let's sing!" Mrs. Lidec clapped her hands in excitement.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." we sang.

In the middle of the song, a woman, sporting a bright yellow blouse with a long, white skirt, and man, who was wearing a bright red shirt with black slacks, walked to the center of the room. Together, they pulled a cart of cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and other goodies behind them.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The birthday girl's face broke out into a huge smile and she ran to hug them.

After they broke apart from the hug, the father smiled down at his little girl, who was hiding behind the mother's skirt. He beckoned for her to step out, but she smiled shyly and shook her head instead.

The mother chuckled and reached down to take the girl's hand. With her other hand, she patted down her own hair, which was tied neatly in a bun on top of her head.

"Hello, everyone!" The girl's father smiled at us, flashing a row of perfect, pearl-white teeth. "Thank you for being a part of our little girl's sixth birthday celebration today! Please, help yourself to as many treats as you want. Don't hold back!"

Everyone, except me, immediately got up to attack the cart of goodies.

Instead, I walked up to the girl's parents and said, "Thank you so much for the treats." I turned to look at the girl, who was still hiding behind her mother's skirt. With a grin, I said, "Happy birthday!"

She looked hesitantly up at her mom with her big, brown eyes, and her mom nodded to her and smiled. Then, the girl turned to me and hugged me. "Thank you!"

From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to be her friend.

Over the years, we grew close-because we only lived three houses away from each other, we walked home from school together and were always making up our own games, handshakes, and secret codes.

We were inseparable.

But one day, two years later, she stopped hanging out with me. She stayed inside her house and didn't come out like she used to, and she didn't talk to anyone at school. She stopped smiling, she stopped laughing, and she stopped having fun.

I tried to talk to her every day after that, but she shut me out. She was no longer the person I used to know.

She no longer considered me as her friend.

I heard the news of what happened from other kids-her mom had another miscarriage. All I wanted to do was comfort her and reassure her that everything would be alright, but she wouldn't talk to me. I didn't know what to do, and even though I tried hard to talk to her, she didn't reciprocate it.

Eventually, we drifted apart.

Then, it happened.

It came so suddenly and caused my parents to start arguing, which eventually led to them separating-my dad stayed in California while I moved with my little brother and mom to Philadelphia. As soon as we got the news, we left. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to any of my friends.

Or her.

I sighed. Pulling myself away from my thoughts, I got up to start unpacking my clothes from the suitcases. I was finishing up the second one when my phone rang.

"Reeve, honey! How was your flight?"

"Hi, Mom. It was fine. Not too long."

"Is your dad there?"

"No, he's still at work. His note said he would be back around nine."

"That's good. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, Mom. I feel better than I have in a long time."

"Make sure you keep up with your meals, alright? Don't overwork yourself. I miss you already," my mom said as she sniffled into the phone.

"I miss you too, Mom. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

After we said our goodbyes, I hung up the phone and continued unpacking. But I couldn't focus -I was too caught up in my thoughts.

The only person I thought about for the past nine years was her, and now that I was back, thoughts of her consumed me until I couldn't think about anything else.

I looked at the clock, which read 8:14pm. Making up my mind, I threw on my jacket and walked out the door.

I was going to go see her. I had to see her.

Haven.