Queen of Them

Chapter 1

It all started that summer when I turned sixteen.

Once school got off for the summer, my two sisters and I would be shipped off to our grandparents, and the three hundred acres of land that they owned. That year, the late May days were unseasonably warm. I can remember walking down the well-worn trail to my secret spot, in shorts and a spaghetti tank top. It must have been one of the last times I had really worn such exposing clothing. I remember I had my backpack as well, full of the tools that I would need to clear out the forest’s overgrowth, before I could start to work on what would essentially be my home, away from home, away from home.

Ever since my mother passed away, my father has had a hard time being the only parent of three teenagers. Feeling guilty, my mother’s family agreed to take us every summer, just so that my father could have some sort of sanity. So here we were, smack dab in the middle of nowhere, with the closest town being about an hour away. Not to mention that, because they were so removed from the rest of the world, that there was no internet, or any kind of phone signal that I could have used during all of this. No. Instead, we did what we could do to keep us from being completely bored. Reading, writing, playing video games, board games, crafting, and even hikes through the vast land. But eventually, as with all siblings confined in small spaces, fighting among ourselves would only be a matter of time. It was only inevitable that I would sneak away during the early morning, and seek the one spot that I found true peace in.

I don’t remember how I came upon this spot, whether it was my grandfather that showed it to me during one of our hikes when I was younger, or if I had stumbled upon it myself. But after a while, I was drawn to it. Over the last few summers, I tried to decorate it, really make it my own, by digging out and trying to level the ground in the little grove with rock, and random bits of old brick that I would find. I had even planted the dug-up flowers that I had thought were pretty, next to the bed of the small creek that ran through it. My little slice of heaven was surrounded on all sides by extremely tall hills, that made it really difficult, when I was younger, to climb them. When I was thirteen, I was smart enough to tie a bright orange rope to one of the trees that stood at the top of the steep hill. Making my climb and descent on either side much easier, and much less painful. As there had been plenty of times when I had slipped and rolled down those hills.

In the one week of being there, I had cleared out last autumn's dead crinkly leaves, and removed the fallen branches from the weeping willow tree that hung over a large portion of the creek. And soon, with a backpack full of snacks, a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with books from the local library, I settled down into my own little world and waited for my oldest friend to join me.

It only took a few days after I had cleared anything out, for him to show.

My heart fluttered in my chest, as I tried to smooth down my black curly hair, as I heard the bells that were attached to the rope jingle. Over the last two years, I had realized that I had developed a bit of a crush on my childhood friend, and it didn’t really strike me until he was helping me with the stone and brick floor. I tried over the rest of the year to learn from magazines, my friends from school, even looking them up on the internet, about how to know if a guy likes you. It was hard to talk about, or even relate to my friends about it, as I seemed to be the only girl in my grade to not receive a love note in her locker when any of the dances were coming around, or even a simple flower when it was Valentine's Day. So instead, I focused on Keegan, whose family was one of the neighbors to my family’s property, and the only real company I actually looked forward to during the summer.

Nervous, I tried to continue reading the book that I had brought with me, but because I could hear the rustling of the leaves, telling me he was close, I had to re-read the same page twice. I was lying on my stomach, with my legs crossed and up in the air, like I had seen girls on the magazine covers and TV do. My hair was down, instead of being kept in a ponytail, and I had just flipped it all to one side when I heard, “AHOY!”

Looking up, I couldn’t help but smile nervously as I raised my hand in the air and replied in the same way that we have done for years. “AHOY!”

“PERMISSION TO BOARD?”

“PERMISSION GRANTED!” I laughed, deciding that it was better to walk over and greet him like normal, than to lie there awkwardly. As he started to climb down, and into my spot, our spot, I nervously pulled down my shirt, trying to show some of the non-existing cleavage. I had seen all my friends, and even some of the very attractive women on screen, do it to the guys that they liked. And every time, by the end of the episode, movie, or even conversation, the guy falls in love with them. The End. Happily ever after.

But me being me, I realize now how much of a naive i***t I was. Thinking that there actually could be a happily ever after to begin with.

Then though, I was smitten.

He was a little taller than me, ridiculously skinny like I was, and also had black hair. But while mine was more brown, his would have a nice deep purple hue to it whenever the sun hit it at just the right angle. He didn’t wear glasses like me, had two deep dimples when he smiled, and had the darkest shade of brown eyes that I had ever seen. He was gentle, funny, and made me feel safe whenever we explored the vast property. He was perfect.

Halfway down the hill, though, I saw him slip and tumble down the hill.

“KEEGAN!” I yelled, going straight from a casual walk to a full sprint. My heart leapt in my chest as I watched his body come to a complete stop at the other side of the creek. “Keegan! Are you OK?” I slid to a halt by his side and quickly flipped him over to his back. “Keegan!”

He opened his eyes, and laughed, “You should have seen your face!”

“That’s not funny!” I spat back at him, punching him in his shoulder. I pushed him away, stood back up and started to walk back to where I was sitting before all of this.

“Oh! Come on! It was a joke!”

“Think of a better one next time!” I shouted over my shoulder, picking up my book and my backpack full of food. “You could have been seriously injured!” I started to put some of my things away, irritated and angry that I was made to look like a fool.

“No! Don’t! Don’t pack up! I was kidding! I’m fine!” Keegan said, as he came right up next to me. He grabbed my bag from my hands, which only caused me to fold my arms across my chest and turn my back on him. “OK. Fine. I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t have done that.”

I turned around just enough where I could look at him, head still held high. “Then why did you?”

He smiled that smile that I started to fall in love with and held out my backpack for me to grab. “Well, I haven’t seen you in a while, and I…” he looked down at his feet for a moment before looking back up at me and continued, “...I was just wondering if you would have cared if I was hurt.”

“Well…” I started to stammer, slowly taking my backpack from him. “I do care.”

“Good,” he replied, smiling his smile before he reached out and tucked some of my unruly hair behind my ear. “That makes this all easier…” he whispered, his smile dropping as he started to get lost in his own thoughts.

“Easier?” I asked, confused, as I clutched my backpack to my chest.

As if hearing me shook him out of whatever he was thinking, his easy smile came back before his hands dove into my open bag and took one of the sandwiches that was buried within. “Makes THIS EASIER!” he laughed as he quickly back peddled away from me, knowing that I was going to throw something at him.

I could only laugh, watching him stuff his face with the sandwich, putting that weird and uneasy feeling that started to collect in my stomach when he had looked at me with that weird expression.

Made it easier indeed.