Array
(
[text] =>

Sitting on the benches, I looked at the drawing Isabella drew for me a few months back. Two figures were holding hands with the words 'best friends forever' underneath it. At first, I was super happy she drew the drawing with me in her thoughts but when I saw the word, 'friends', the smile on my face was gone. My little princess only thought of me as a friend.

"Jay, I'm here." When I saw her, she looked super cute with her pigtails. "And I have it," she said waving her most treasured item in her hand. "Here you go." Moving my eyes from the box in her hand, to her face, I saw her smiling widely.

I smiled in return. "What did you put inside it?"

"You really can't tell?" she asked, letting out a gasp. I shook my head. "It's the ring you gave me for my seventh birthday." She opened it, and took the ring out. The exact same ring I gave her over a year ago was sitting inside.

"T-that's the thing you treasured the most?" It couldn't be. That ring was nothing special. It was just a mood ring that changed colors. I didn't think she'll like it that much.

"Of course it is, silly. Since you gave it to me, I never took it off."

I ducked my head down, knowing I was blushing bright red. "T-thanks."

"Welcome!" I smiled when I looked back up, and saw her bottom tooth missing. "What's your treasure, Jay?"

"This." I brought my hand up, and showed her the bracelet on my wrist.

She tilted her head. "The bracelet I made you?"

"Yes." Before she could ask anymore questions, I jumped up from my seat. "Come on, let's bury them!"

Her eyes lit up. "Okay!" she shouted, her pigtails bouncing with every step she took. I laughed. She must be really excited.

When she was by my side, I took her hand in mine, and we raced to the sandbox together. I took the shovel closest to me, and started digging. Making sure I didn't hit my little princess with the sand, I threw the sand in the opposite direction.

"Jay, what are you doing?"

"Digging."

"By why here?" she asked, sitting down next to me. "If we bury it by the trees, it'll work better."

I smiled goofily down at the sandbox, thinking about the day we met. "The sandbox is special. It's where we met."

"Oh, I get it now! That's a great idea, Jay."

"Thanks. Now help me dig," I told her as I gave her the other shovel.

"How much do we have to dig?"

"All the way to the bottom."

"To the bottom." She beamed, getting to work.

After digging for a bajillion years, we finally saw the bottom. Throwing the shovels aside, I took my bracelet off. "Here, hold this for a second."

She nodded, and placed it together with her ring. Reaching inside my jacket pocket, I pulled out a small white box.

"What's in that?" Isabella asked, glancing at it.

"A piece of paper," I told her as I opened up the lid. "We're putting our stuff in here."

"But why do we need the paper?"

I just smiled at her. "You'll see."

She pouted, but said nothing as she waited for me to explain.

"Here." I took out a pencil.

She looked down at my hands. "What's this for?"

"Just wait for it." I smiled, taking out the paper, Mommy helped me write. Clearing my throat, I made my voice deeper, sounding like my dad. "I, Jason Hart, will always be there for you, Isabella Ace. Whenever you need me, I'll always be there for you no matter what. You can always count on me for anything, day or night. I'll be there to protect you, forever and always. Your forever best friend, Jay."

"That was so sweet, Jay," she shouted, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hugged her back. "You'll always be my best friend, Jay. Promise."

"And you'll always be mine," I whispered, closing my eyes.

"I know," she said pulling away, looking like a true princess. "And Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the pencil for?"

"To sign our names on it." I laughed, showing her the blank space on the piece of paper. "You know, to make it official like the grown ups do."

"Yay, I always wanted to be like Mommy and Daddy!"

Right after she said that, she took the piece of paper from my hand, and quickly wrote her name in messy scribbles and gave it back to me. I did the same with my own pencil. Folding it back up, I placed it in the box. Isabella dropped the ring and bracelet inside it and then closed the box. Throwing it inside the hole we just made, I stood up and grabbed the shovel.

"Now let's bury it!"

She cheered, getting her own shovel. Once the hole was fully covered, I threw my shovel on top and stood up.

"Now what?" she asked, putting her shovel aside.

"We wait," I told her as I brushed the sand off my pants. "And when we're older we can come back and dig it up together."

"I can't wait. I hope it goes by fast!"

"Me either," I agreed, as I watched her getting up herself. "Want to go on the swings now?" I asked, knowing that they were her favorite.

"Yes," she shouted, with a huge smile on her face. "Can you push me on the swings, please?"

"Anything for you, Princess."

"Jason."

Hearing my name, I looked up. It was Thomas. He was waving his hands back and forth above his head, while he continued to scream my name. I laughed.

That idiot.

I waved back at him, glad for the distraction. But once I realized the girl standing next to him was Isabella, I froze.

What is she doing here?

"Hey," Thomas greeted, once he stood in front of me, slapping me on the back. "I didn't think I'll be seeing you here."

"Yeah, me either," I whispered under my breath. After eight years, I finally came back to the one place that haunted my dreams for years. "What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my voice steady and my gaze away from hers.

"Nothing much." He shrugged. "Izzy was walking her dog, so I tagged along," he said, gesturing to them.

I smiled when I saw the fur ball sniffing my feet. I wanted to reach down and pat the dog, but I knew I couldn't. I needed to stay a safe distance away from her. I shouldn't get involved again, but I also knew I couldn't ignore her completely. Otherwise, she'll hate me more than she already does.

"So, you're Isabella?" I decided to ask, even though I knew exactly who she was. By the lovesick look in Thomas' eyes, I could tell he had absolutely no idea who he was talking to. Otherwise he'll be anywhere but here. He hated Isabella Ace with a passion. Everyone thought he bullied her because she was fat, but I knew the real reason why. 

"Yeah. But you can call me, Izzy." I saw her gulped, but I smiled anyways and pretended not to see it. She still looked as beautiful as always.

"Nice to meet you then." It felt like we were meeting for the first time, but I knew that was a lie. No matter how much I wanted it to be true, it wasn't. "I'm Jason."

She forced a smile on her face, probably still harboring ill feelings for me. I grimaced, just thinking about last year. I should've helped her—I know I should've, but how was I supposed to know Thomas was planning to do that to her? "Nice to meet you, Jason."

An awkward silence soon filled the air. No one said anything for awhile.

Surprisingly, it was Thomas that broke the silence when he asked, "Hey, what's that?"

I looked down, and noticed that he was pointing to the box I was carrying in my hands. I clutched the object tighter in my hands, and held it close to my chest. I couldn't let this disappear. It was the only thing that connected our past together.

"Oh, this? Just a box." I didn't want it to seem like a big deal, even though it meant more to me than my own life.

"Really?" Thomas asked, arching his brow. When he stared at me intensely, I avoided his gaze. 

He didn't believe me.

"Yes," I said anyways.

"Can I see it?" he asked, taking a step forward.

When he reached for the box, I quickly snatched the item back. "No."

Thomas flinched at my tone, and took a step back. "Dude, if you don't want me looking at it, just say so. No need to get so hostile."

"Sorry." I grimaced. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean—"

"—wait a minute," Isabella asked, suddenly. "Where did you get that bracelet from?"

My eyes grew wide. Could it be? Does she remember?

No.

It can't be. The doctors said . . . there's no way. Watching her facial expressions carefully, I decided to tell her the truth—well part of it.

"A girl made me this when I was younger." When she just nodded in response, I masked the disappointment on my face. Nothing. Not even an ounce of recognition. I should've known. "Anyways, I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow," I directed the last part of my sentence at Thomas, and then walked away.

See you, Princess . . .

[text_hash] => ea89de48
)