Chapter Two - Thaw

July 4th 20XX

It was stupidly hot that day, reaching 95 degrees for the first time that entire summer. The plants on your mom’s windowsill had drooped throughout the heatwave. I still remember the disappointed look on your face when your favorite plant wilted.

My dad invited your family over for a barbeque at 5: 45 to celebrate the Fourth of July. It’s been nearly two months since you moved into the little cream colored house next door, but you never came outside to play with me.

Almost everyday, I could hear the melodies of different piano pieces for hours at a time come from the open window of your living room. You played that thing everyday, your mom sitting next to you, critiquing your movements, flow, and just about everything you did. When your mom played, it felt like the world was dancing along.

The barbeque was practically the first time I saw you outside since May. You stood underneath the shade of the giant Northern Red Oak in our backyard, knees to your chest, watching your older brother talk with our parents.

You didn’t get up at all, your mom bought you all your food on a plate, dropping it off and picking it up when you finished. My mom brought the cupcakes out later, nervous that the buttercream frosting would have melted in the afternoon heat.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I jumped up from my spot on the back porch, skipping towards the table with the food and picked up two cupcakes, one vanilla with red frosting, one chocolate with white and blue frosting. Marching right over to you, I plopped myself down.

Stretching both my hands out, I asked, “Do you want the chocolate or the vanilla one? Both are super yummy and the frosting is super duper tasty! Your grandma used to make cupcakes like this for us every year!”

That caught your attention fast. You whipped your head around, a look of surprise on your face. “You... knew my grandma?”

I looked at you, confused, “Yeah duhh! She was our neighbor and she spent every holiday with us ‘cus your dad and uncles didn’t visit at all. You guys made her super sad but she still loved them lots.”

You just looked at me, confused, concerned, and lost. “B-but my daddy said that he visited grandma every week? I never saw her at all…”

“Oh… I didn’t know. I can tell you about her and give you some of the recipes that she left with my mommy!”

“R-really? I wanna know more about her!”

I turned to you and smiled, “One condition though, you’re gonna be my best friend if I tell you all of this okay?”

You blinked at me, once, twice, then three times. “Sure..? I guess I’ve never really had a best friend before. Mommy doesn’t let me go outside a lot.”

“Okay okay!! You have to pinky promise me, and everyone knows that you can’t break a pinky promise!”

We talked for an hour after that, laughing about anything and everything we could think of. By the end of the night we were dozing off. I just remember looking at your eyes as I watched the ice thaw.