The Truth About Life

-Benson: Chapter Fifteen-

I jog across our yard to the Parker's. Mrs. P's glass orange roll pan tucked safely under my arm.

I offered to make the return out of the goodness of my heart. Just kidding, I mean let's get real here. I'm hoping that Audrey answers the door so I can spar with her some more.

Her amber colored eyes tilting up at the ends. Her freckle-smattered nose scrunching up in annoyance is pretty adorable.

I look up, see clouds rolling in, a summer storm on its way. The gray and black colors look ominous, but they can't damper my good mood.

I hop up onto the Parker's front porch, the weathered boards groaning in protest as I rap my knuckles on the front door that's a surprisingly bright shade of yellow. The door opens, with Mrs. Parker framed in the doorway.

I smile, trying not to look too disappointed that it's not Audrey standing in front of me.

"Hi, sweetheart, how's everything going, how's the moving-in coming?" Mrs. P smiles, a dimple similar to Audrey's appearing in the corner of her mouth.

I casually glance over her shoulder, see if I can catch a glimpse of Audrey. Mrs. P's staring at me, and I realize I haven't answered any of her questions.

I shake my head a little, say, "It's going great, my mom unpacked the last box today...." I pause, hoping my mom won't kill me. "Actually, in celebration of the last box being unpacked we wanted to invite you guys to a barbecue tonight."

Mrs. P's eyes flare in surprised by the invite. She scrubs a hand through her curly hair, "Umm, sure. That would be great. What can we bring?"

I frantically think of what my mom would want her to bring and remember the pan I'm supposed to be returning still in my hands.

I hand it to her and grin, "Anything as delicious as your oranges rolls would be great, Mrs. P. Umm, is it ok that I call you Mrs. P?" I shrug my shoulders sheepishly.

She smiles brightly and says, "I'd like that......" She pauses a beat, then says with a wink, "By the way, Audrey's in the backyard at the creek. See you tonight, Benson."

Mrs. P quietly closes the door. I stand there in indecision for a second. Do I go to the creek and look for Audrey, looking like an idiot to her or do I head home? I head around back; I've never minded looking like an idiot before.

The wind picks up as I make my way to the creek and I feel tiny drops of rain hit my face. I see Audrey sitting cross-legged, the tall grasses and cattails bobbing gently in the wind around her.

She hears my approach, turns toward me, and jumping a little in surprise when she realizes it's me. She quickly stands up, brushing her pants off as she turns to face me. I can't help but smile. That's what she does, she makes me smile.

Audrey on the other hand, glares at me, which makes me grin even bigger.

"What?" she says sarcastically, "You're a stalker now?" She pushes her wavy brown hair out of her eyes, the wind blowing it right back. Audrey yanks it back, wrapping a band around the locks.

"Your mom told me you were back here. What are you doing?" I walk a little closer, we're about a foot apart now.

I see Audrey hesitate a little before she says, "Just thinking." She turns her back on me and sits back down, facing the slow-moving creek.

The ponderosa pines with their long, pointy needles stand tall, protecting us from the outside world, their sap sharp and tangy. The meadow grass and wildflowers create a vibrant carpet.

I sit next to Audrey on the bank and watch the water tumble lazily over the slick, silvery rocks. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She looks sad, kind of deflated. I decided not to ask her about it, she'll talk when she's ready.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, then "Do you ever feel lost? Like you're not sure who you even are? As a person, I mean." Audrey angles her body towards me in question.

I take my time answering, I can tell this isn't just a mild wondering.

"I think we'll all feel lost from time to time throughout our life. It's just searching and finding out who we are every day. We change and grow all the time, but I think deep down our soul never changes. Truthfully, I think most people have a good soul, we just need to follow our hearts more, maybe."

I see my reflection in Audrey's eyes, and surprisingly, tears pool there. I nervously hitch my shoulders and scrub my hand through my hair.

"Did I say something wrong; my mom's always telling me I need to think before I speak. I didn't mean to offend at all!"

She shakes her head and fists her eyes, wiping the tears away. She looks beautiful to me, pale and fragile. "No, no you didn't offend me," she says quietly. "You just sound like an 80-year-old grandpa is all. In a good way," she says quickly.

I laugh out loud at that; I can't help myself. "Well Audrey, that's a first for me, being called a granddad." I look sidelong at her, grin.

"I'll ask this, I need a friend, seeing as how I'm new around here, and honestly, you look like you need one, too."

I nudge her shoulder with mine and say, "How do you feel about being friends with a senior citizen?"

She bursts out laughing this time and I smile (see, all the time smiling) Audrey turns to look at me, scrunching her nose up like she's thinking seriously about this.

She wraps her arms around her legs and rests her cheek on her knees. "I think I'd like that......" She pauses for a beat, then says, "But I'm not helping you cross the street, old man!"

We shake hands and both say, "Deal!"