Lightning Bug

Chapter 48

This slide used to be so much bigger. It used to be an epic thrill ride, and it felt like I was on a roller coaster. I used to spend hours squealing in delight with my hands in the air as I went down this thing. Yet, somehow, it now only seems like a short distance between my feet and the ground. Despite the ride being shorter I still find myself enjoying every second of it, as I go down it for probably the millionth time today.

I wonder what the parents sitting on the bench think of me, the seventeen - almost eighteen - year old girl repeatedly going down the children's slide, and squealing every time. I've gotten yelled at by a three kids for not letting them have a turn on the slide already and I can see a fourth one glaring at me now from the swings. I'm sure this would look a lot less weird if I was with some friends, but mine were busy. Jayden is supposed to come around noon, once he is done with his morning workout program.  I got here at ten, so that leaves me another half hour of time to kill while being alone at this park. Honestly though, I don't mind all that much. I played tag and hide and seek with some random kids earlier. They didn't seem to mind that I was older than them, just that I was faster. I did try to slow down, but they eventually  noticed and called me out on it.

I go down the slide one more time before I head over to the swings and hop on an open one. Once I get high enough I start leaning back and tipping upside down, while still holding on to the chains of course. I slow down to a stop to put in my earbuds in and then take off again. Closing my eyes, I slowly loose track of time by getting lost in the music. I still keep tipping back though. I don't have the slightest idea as to why it seems more fun to tip backwards, but I couldn't care less that I remain clueless.

I tip back again and open my eyes. There on the ground lays Jayden, with two popsicles in his hands and the most amused look on his face complete with a devilish smirk and a raised eyebrow. I scream and swing forwards, loosing my ear buds, and almost toppling off the swing in the process.  Jayden's laughter rings out behind me, as I hang on to the chains, and my phone, for dear life before slowly coming to a halt.

Once I know the swing has stopped completely, I put my feet down and hop off before stomping around to Jayden, who is still laughing at me. I stick my tongue out at him and snatch a Popsicle out of his hand.

"You are a jerk," I state as I furiously tear open my Popsicle, revealing a bomb pop.

"And I'm your jerk!" he replies in a much too cheery voice.

"We are fake dating dimwit, you aren't my anything," I remind him, even though the words taste like bile in my mouth. Something shifts in Jayden's face but the shift doesn't last long enough for me to decipher it.

"Keep telling yourself that, Lightning Bug," he replies. I raise an eyebrow in question, wondering what that means, as I lick my Popsicle. Jayden sits up and unwraps his Popsicle too. I reach out a hand to help him up and we make our way to the tree at the top of the small hill, to get out of the sun.

"Thanks for the Popsicle by the way," I say once we reach the top.

"Of course," Jayden replies. We finish our Popsicles in silence, just enjoying the company. Even though it is summer, Jayden and I have hung out just about every other week. Which is perfectly fine by me, but I miss seeing him everyday. That does not under any circumstance mean that I miss school, because I certainly do not. I just miss seeing my friends more often.

"Wait, how come you're not all gross and sweaty? Didn't you just finish a workout?" I ask once we finish our Popsicles. Jayden's eyes widen and for a second he seems caught off guard.

"I uh... took a shower. I was not going to meet you with sweat dripping from my hair, that would be a bit rude," he says after stumbling over his words a bit. I scrunch my eyebrows to together and look at him. "Besides you wouldn't let me do this if I was all gross and sweaty," he adds. Then he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me up against him. I feel my cheeks get warm and pray to the heavens I'm not blushing right now.