Old friends and New Perspectives

My Perspective: 

Whirling tires and childish cheer floated by on a cool summer’s breeze the day I first caught eyes from the girl in the beige castle. Galavanting on my bike like King Arthur on his steed, narrowly landing bunny hops and cutting my trail short, I waited for her and her friend to notice. They basked beneath the sun, watching my feeble attempts at capturing attention, and suddenly she spoke. 

They emerged from the garden and meandered into the street — a place I envisioned as Evil Knievel’s stunt course — and she chirped. 

“Hey, do you want to come play with us? I’m Angie, and this is Mercedes. If your parents are okay with it you can come to our yard.” 

Angie and I were 6 years old at the time, Mercedes a year younger. Delighted I had finally made contact with the neighbors after moving in a month prior, I accepted. My tires spun slowly, driving me towards a friendship that would stretch from Elementary innocence to routine facetime sessions across miles and states. 

Angie’s Perspective

Her mother always made it a point to tell her when the long-haired boy was playing outside. He was new to the neighborhood, always alone, yet cheerful and energetic as if he had an entourage of kids his age with him. He wobbled to and fro on his bicycle, constantly showing off and tearing through the neighborhood with an exaggerated swagger. His hair was rustled, clothes tattered and knees bloody from one too many spills on the blistering pavement.
Angie sat with her friend and watched the boys parade, confused as to why he had the confidence to wander by every 20 seconds, but no courage to make an introduction.

“Should we talk to him?” Angie said, turning to Mercedes. 

“I’ve talked to him once,” Mercedes answered. “He’s kind of weird though.” 

“Watching him is getting boring, let’s just go say hi.”

The girls confronted him, unknowing of the imminent friendship that would spark long nights of hide and go seek underneath the dim street lights after dark, and seemingly endless summers of wonder and innocence.