章 5: Four
I had an awesome first day back to school! Rona Holmgren returned to Tucson, Arizona after ten years and she's even gotten more breathtaking if that's possible.
I remember when we first met. On that first day in kindergarten. I was playing with a group of plastic dinosaurs I claimed as my own. Kat was right next to me, naming some of them after I told her she could when I felt eyes on me. I always knew when someone was staring at me.
That whole goosebumps at the back of your neck feeling I've had for as long as I could remember.
When I looked around the classroom, my eyes connected with Rona Holmgren...and I was gone. I was so far gone, only when Kat touched my arm with one of her thin gloves did I come back. Those blue grey eyes I stared at every chance I could get.
However, I didn't have the courage to speak with her. By the end of kindergarten year, I heard Maybelline use her big mouth to blab that Rona was leaving Tuscon.
I remember puffing my chest and standing as tall as I could manage as I thought, 'I'm gonna talk with her today!' There the kindergarten class was at recess on our last day of kindergarten year. Slowly, I approached her, for once ignoring Kat calling out my name as I was the only kid who played with her in kindergarten.
Then, she turned to look at me. If I was mesmerized by her blue grey eyes I was speechless by her smile. The sun was out that day and her blonde hair glowed like an angel. "Hello. Kit, right?" Rona politely asked me back then.
Next thought I had was, 'Damn, she knew my name?!' We never talked and guess what...we weren't gonna talk that day. Because as I opened my mouth, Maybelline's mouth rang loud and clear.
"Come on, Ro! There's ice cream!" She pointed at the ice cream truck that parked just outside of the school playground. Before I knew it, all of them were gone and our kindergarten teacher was racing to catch up with the children.
Kat frowned at me that day. "You didn't say anything!" she exclaimed, punctuating the regret I already felt inside.
My lower lip quivered as I said, "Kat, she's going away."
Then Kat, being the soother she's always been, hugged me.
Well, when I saw that Rona was in Kat and I's homeroom I couldn't believe it. I was getting a second chance. And I wasn't that speechless kindergartner no more. I tapped her shoulder as I asked her, "Rona?"
She looked confused at me for a moment, probably tired still since us high schoolers attend school at the crack of dawn. Then recognition flashed as she asked back, "Kip?"
Kat snickered at me being called Kip. "It's Kit, actually. Allow me to reintroduce myself." I left my hand out for her to shake it. "Name's Kit Adair. How have you been Miss Holmgren?"
"You remembered my last name?" she asked as she shook my hand.
"I'm sorry. My best friend didn't mean to come off as a stalker. He's a bit off like that." I made sure my eyes narrowed in Kat's direction as she gave me a rueful smile. She knew how much I liked Rona when we were kids.
"Oh," replied Rona to Kat before she looked at me again. "Well, since we'd last seen each other Mister Adair, I've been living in Germany with my mom and dad at Baumholder army base. My dad recently retired and Arizona is his home state so, here I am."
Rona smiled at Kat as she said, "I remember you. You're the girl that bawled almost everyday in kindergarten and wore very nice dresses." Kat wrinkled her nose a bit at that remark and now was my turn to smile at her ruefully.
"Yes. I bawled, my choice; but my wardrobe back then was all my mom's." She pointed at her shirt as she said, "Luckily, I get to pick now."
Kat loves to wear colorful meme shirts. Today the one she had said: I'm about to snap! It had a picture of a camera too on it.
Rona laughed as she said, "Nice!"
She didn't say it sarcastically either. "I love graphic tees," said Kat with a shrug.
Then, we all three jumped as Maybelline shrieked, "No fucking way!" Rona looked nervous but still managed a wave. "When did you get back to the states?!"
"Just a week ago. My mom managed to get me enrolled so, here I am." Maybelline scrunched her nose at Kat and me.
"You don't have to sit with those losers. Come join me and my friends in the back row. Let's get to know each other again, hmm?" As Rona was being pulled out of the seat she chose, her phone fell on the floor.
I valiantly picked it up and walked towards Rona. "Ro, you dropped your phone."
She blushed as she took it from me and said, "Thank you, Kit. I'll see you and Kat later."
"Nice chattin' with you," I replied as I made it back to the seat I chose only because she was there to my left only seconds before. After I sat down I smiled and looked at Kat. "I did it. I finally spoke with her."
"Good for you," replied Kat dryly.
"Do I sense a disturbance in the force?" I asked her.
"No," she answered, a bit too quickly.
"Bull. Spill it, Kat. What's eatin' you?" She slouched, making the words on her shirt look warped.
"I didn't like being remembered for crying, is all." Kat did cry almost everyday in Kindergarten. It bugged me too sometimes. Only because I had a sniffling girl in a pretty dress constantly follow me around then. That can destroy a boy's school cred. Which is why I didn't have any guy friends till fifth grade.
"You don't cry all the time anymore so it shouldn't bother you. You're a confident young lady now." She smiled a little after I said that. "Say Kat, I was wondering?"
"What?"
"I hope this doesn't sound weird but--"
"Hey Kit!" said Rhett, another friend of mine. "Oh, was I interrupting something?"
"Yes Rhett, you were." I turned to ask my question to Kat...when it slipped my mind. "Dammit Rhett, I forgot what I was going to ask Kat!"
Rhett put his hands up in mock surrender. "I just didn't see you all summer man so I wanted to catch up." He looked past my shoulder as he said, "Sorry Kat."
Kat shrugged and said, "No worries."
Which is how I spent the rest of homeroom till the teacher came, hearing Rhett talk about his summer working in hospitality.
I can't believe I forgot to ask Kat if I could visit her home. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I had such a terrific first day back. This year is going to be epic!
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