"Seriously? Again? Dude, this is the third time this week! How many times are you going to cancel on me?" I asked, anger radiating in my voice as I walk down the sidewalk. The heat from the sun pounds down on my back making me feel sluggish and disgusting as I sweat. Reaching up I run my hand over the back of my neck only to have it come away slick.

"Chris, I'm sorry." Mikey said over the phone and I roll my eyes at that apology.

"Yeah, sorry doesn't do shit for me."

"Dude, if I knew you would act like a scorned girlfriend I never would have made plans with you in the first place."

"I am not! Don't even go there." I stop walking and look up at the sky through tree leaves. It's a cloudless day and the sun is brutal. These past few days have been unnaturally hot in Oregon despite it being the beginning of November.

"We'll hang out tomorrow."

"That's what you said last time you rescheduled."

"You sure you don't want to check certain areas to make sure you're still a guy? I'm seriously starting to wonder."

"Mikey!"

"I'm going. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He hangs up before I can utter a single word in retaliation and I huff out in annoyance as I look down at my black phone screen. Blonde strands of hair fall into my eyes and I rake my hands through my hair in annoyance as I look away and shove my phone in my back pocket.

Ditched again.

My eyes scour the scenery of the neighborhood I grew up in until they land on one house in particular. Or, more accurately, one person.

A girl sits on her cement front steps, shaded by her houses shadow. Long, light brown hair sits on her right shoulder and she fans herself with a hand looking like she's suffering in this heat just as much as the next person. Her brown eyes flicker over everything and it's like she never misses anything.

She's there every day.

Memories of walking by this house the last few days and seeing her in the same exact position filter through my mind. Every day. The same spot. The same position.

Does she just never do anything?

I questioned as a strong breeze blows. Her hair whips around her face and she squeezes her eyes shut as her hand lifts to tame the mane running amok around her face. It's hypnotic and I find myself jogging across the street and walking down her cement walkway.

"Hey," I start and she jumps in surprise which has my lips twitching upwards. "I see you here every day. Do you just never do anything?" It takes a moment until she get's her hair under control and, as soon as she has it moved out of her face those beautiful light browns travel up my tall body until they land on my eyes. Just locking eyes with her sends a zap of electricity through me.

They're so clear.

"I do what I want." Her response is humorous and I find it difficult not to laugh, especially when she looks away from me giving a clear signal that I'm not wanted right now. This just spurs me on, even more, to get something from her. It's a strange need that manifests in me.

I want those eyes back on me.

I sit down beside her, stretching my legs out in front of me and leaning back on my hands.

"Oooh, a rebel with a cause. I like that."

I really do.

I find myself thinking and I catch her rolling those eyes as she leans her chin onto her hand. Her eyes narrow as she studies her front yard. A clouded look fills them and it's clear that I'm losing her to the past.

"So," I push. "Why do you sit here every day? Don't you want to do anything?" I asked and she sighs before turning those beauties back on me. It's as if I'm struck by lightning as her eyes meet mine.

"No, I like the quiet."

Oh?

My lips turn up even more.

Is that how you want to play this, darling?

I chuckle under my breath.

Game on.

"But, that probably gets boring after a while," I said and she just shrugs and looks away from me once more. I furrow my brows as I watch the annoyance in her eyes shift to something akin to envy and depression. My gaze follows her path of sight until I end up looking at two kids running around and playing in their front yard. Their laughter carries on a small breeze to our ears and I catch her curling her right hand into a tight fist.

A darkness overtakes her features and my stomach clenches at the sight. It doesn't belong there, not on this girl's face.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

A sudden need to help this girl with whatever's going through her mind sparks to life within me. I find myself hopping up from my seat beside her before turning on my heel and holding my hand out for her to take.

"What?" She asked as her eyes switch between my face and hand a few times. I wiggle my fingers at her, grinning like a fool. She raises one perfect eyebrow and it's the best damn expression I've ever seen on any girls face, even my exes.

"I want you to take my hand, duh."

She snorts and crosses her arms over her chest before saying,

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen." She looks away from me.

You're not getting away that easily, darling.

I reach out and latch onto her wrist, tugging it forward and effectively drawing those clear eyes back to me.

"Come on, I'll show you something amazing!" I start pulling her up. Fear and panic tsunami over her features, startling me.

"Wait, no don't-" Her sentence cuts off as she falls face first onto her walkway. Everything goes quiet around us and I just watch her lying there on the ground. Annoyance flickers to life in me and my smile vanishes from my face. She doesn't move and I ask,

"Why'd you fall? Do you really not want to go that badly?"

She turns her head and I take an involuntary step back as I'm hit with a gaze filled with malice. It's oozing out the seems of this girl who doesn't look like she could even harm a fly. Then, that expression filled with so much hate and anger turns to exhaustion and my stomach tightens and turns over.

What the hell did I do?

I questioned as I crouch down over her.

"No, you freaking idiot! I can't walk!" She continues to mutter under her breath, too quiet for me to hear anything. I watch as she gives a miserable attempt to push herself up, her arms way too weak for it. Pity for this disabled girl washes over me as she gives up and just lies on the ground, looking away from me.

"You're...disabled?" She meets my eyes before looking away once more, shame and embarrassment rolling over her face and I hear her whisper,

"Give the boy a medal."

She needs help.

I find myself thinking and my thoughts shift over to my family and younger siblings. They always need help as well. They always need taking care of. As the middle child of five, it's always been my job to make sure everything is okay and taken care of.

She can't take care of herself.

My eyes travel down to her legs, unmoving, unfeeling.

I can help her.

I reach down, mind made up, as I slip my hands under her arms and lift her from the ground. Shock sweeps through her gorgeous browns and remains there until I set her back down on her steps.

"Thank you." Disbelief fills her voice, mimicking the look in her eyes. I take a seat beside her, my mood more than mellowed out from earlier.

"It's the least I can do." I look down at my hands, clasping them together. My eyes flicker over her way, looking towards her legs before looking away from them altogether. "Sorry," I whispered though I'm not sure if the apology will do much good.

It certainly won't fix her legs. Disabled, geez.

There's more I want to say. More that I want to do, but I'm not sure just what those things are. Before I can figure any of them out the door behind us opens.

"Hey Sandy, lunch is ready." A much older version of the girl beside me looks down at both of us and stops, surprise flickering in her eyes as she looks at the girl and me.

Sandy.

The name filters through my mind a few times until I get a feel for it, my lips tipping up at the corners.

I never thought I'd be so happy about learning a girls name.

"Oh, I didn't know we have company."

I stand up at that giving this woman my best smile since, I'm assuming, this is Sandy's mother. She returns my smile, though I can still see confusion running around in her eyes.

"I was actually just leaving. Have a good day." I turn on my heel and begin walking away.

Sandy.

Her name floats through my mind once more and the image of her lying on the ground so helpless and looking so small and frail appears in my mind. It turns my stomach and I feel like I'm going to be sick.

A new determination sparks to life within me as I jog across the street and back to my side of the road. One quick look over my shoulder and I catch Sandy smiling up at her mother, the mere feature brightening her face and solidifying my plan.

I'm going to help you.