Nothing lasts forever.
There would come a time when she would shed the boy clothes, not wanting to look like one of us anymore. Blossoming before our very own eyes. Always wearing her long hair down with loose fitting dresses and flip-flops.
Still a tomboy at heart.
The scent of her sunscreen that I knew she put on every morning filled the air all around us. I smiled, enjoying this rare time alone with her. These memories were few and far between. I tried to capture every last detail of her, my hand running wild against the sheet of paper. Peering up at her every few seconds. She just had this natural beauty about her. I don’t know how much time went by. I was in my own little world, and I loved it when that happened. My mind would shut off for a little while, and I could live in the moment.
That didn’t happen very often.
Even at that young of an age.
I always felt older than I was. Even my thoughts were beyond my years, an old soul was what my mom called me. Maybe that’s why being the youngest got to me so much. Having to try and do everything first, proving to the other boys and myself that I wasn’t the last one. Regardless of how much bigger and older they were, I wasn’t going to be the one left behind. It didn’t stop them from trying to order me around, and as we got older, I’d tell them where they could shove it.
Putting an even bigger rift among our friendship, to the point that I no longer called them my brothers. My best friends.
Except with Alex.
Never with her.
She was what held all of us good ol’ boys together, had been since she was born.
I continued to get lost in her, my hand not stopping for one single second. I could see her frustration growing with each passing minute. Not wanting to accept that defeat may be the inevitable, until finally she got a bite. Her face lit up and her body jerked forward from the force. She jumped to her feet for more leverage. I didn’t stop drawing, I couldn’t.
“Austin! I got one! I got a big one, too!” she celebrated, glowing from head to toe.
I laughed as she used all of her strength to reel it in. I could have offered to help her, but that would have only provoked her, and she would have pushed me away. She wanted to do this on her own. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be the cause of her happiness.
The fish put up one hell of a fight; I'm surprised it didn't yank her into the water. It took her a while to reel it in, but once she did, the joy that radiated all around her was enough to make me put my pencil down and notebook aside.
I stood.
“Look! Look how big! I don’t think you boys have ever caught one this big before!” she shouted, jumping up and down in front of me ecstatically.
“Well, I think you might be right about that one. Don't get used to that, Half-Pint," I teased.
She smiled, squatting down to take out the hook, exactly the way I taught her. I opened the cooler for her to stick it in next to my fish, but she hesitated and bit her lip, frowning.
“I don’t think I want to keep it. I mean… it’s so big. Maybe it could help one of the smaller fish fight off a big fish one day.”
I chuckled, nodding.
She shrugged, trying not to look embarrassed as she threw it back in the ocean. She turned back around to look at me, but something else caught her attention. Her eyes widened and she gasped, looking down at the picture I just drew of her. I immediately reached down, closing and grabbing my notebook before she had a chance to snatch it.
She reached out, stepping toward me.
“Austin, please let me see,” she begged with her big dark brown eyes gazing at me.
I couldn’t say no to her.
None of us ever could.
I sighed and handed her my notebook. No one knew this about me, not even my parents. She carefully flipped open the cover, her eyes widening once again as she took in page after page of the pictures that I had drawn over the years.
“Wow,” she breathed out. “Did you draw all these?” she questioned, peering up at me.
I nodded again.
She smiled, shaking her head as she looked back down, turning each and every page until she got to the drawing of her. Shock quickly replaced the smile on her face.
“Oh, wow.” She softly touched the outline of her face and then her hair on the paper, paying close attention to every detail I carefully drew. “I didn’t know you could even draw. How do I not know this? I know everything about you. Do the boys know?”
“No,” I simply stated, nervously rubbing the back of my neck.
She didn’t know how to feel about my response, I could see it all over her expression.
“Why are you hiding this amazing talent? I mean…” she gestured towards the notebook in her hands, “this is such a beautiful gift, Austin. You should share it with the world.”