CHAPTER 2
*PAST*
“The first day of the rest of their lives”
Maya
A kid was sitting under a tree, reading The Treasure Of The Sea, one of my favorite books. His copy was unlike the one I had read; mine was a tattered paperback, while his was a hardcover in perfect condition with a beautiful drawing on the front. Even the inside had colorful pictures. I was amazed. Before I could get a better look at one of the images, he turned the page.
I didn’t know if I made a sound of frustration or if he just raised his head because he noticed someone nearby. What I knew was that his blue eyes reminded me of the ocean.
I had only been to the beach once, but his eyes were the same color as my memory of the ocean. He had freckles on his nose and cheeks, and his hair was tousled and very dark, almost black.
A baby started to cry nearby, and I tore my gaze away from him. My cheeks burned. I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.
“What’s your name?”
I turned around slowly. “Maya,”
I said shyly.
“I’m Aaron. Nice to meet you.”
He got up, wiped his hands on his pants, and shook my hand. I had never greeted someone by shaking hands. His hand was soft, and bigger than mine. I usually avoided physical contact, but he didn’t feel bad. “We just moved. You are the first friend I’ve made here.”
“I only told you my name, and you already consider me your friend? To be friends, you need to know more about each other,”
I pointed out.
Aaron thought for a moment, subtly turning his head to the right as he watched me. “What do you want to know?”
“Do you like the story?”
I nodded to the book still in his hand.
“Yes, it’s one of my favorites. My grandfather gave me the whole saga in this version for my birthday. There are only ten like this in the world.”
His smile was huge.
“Oh! Your grandfather sounds great.”
“Have you read them?”
Now, it was my turn to nod. “And did you like them?”
“They’re my favorites.”
“See, I knew we were going to be friends! We can read it together. This one has wonderful illustrations.”
I sat next to him on the grass. He opened the book from the start, and we read in silence.
The pictures were so pretty that I couldn’t focus on the words, but I knew the story very well. I felt Aaron’s eyes on me, and I looked back at him curiously. His nose and cheeks were covered in tiny freckles, and his eyes were different shades of blue.
I wasn’t the best at making friends, but I knew I needed to say something so he wouldn’t think I was rude. But it was like someone stole all the words I knew, and I knew a lot. I won the spelling contest last year.
But he didn’t say anything until his mother came over to bring him a sandwich. I hadn’t eaten anything since dinner last night, so when I saw the huge sandwich she brought, my belly growled. Mrs. Willow offered me one, and before I could refuse, Aaron told me that I had to try the bestest sandwich in the world. His mother smiled sweetly at us, and Aaron went to get another one from the bench where his mom was sitting with other women.
Sandwiches weren’t my favorite meal because I ate them too much, but this one looked so good—or maybe it was just hunger. I ate it too quickly. I was already finished, but Aaron was still eating his.
“Did you like it?”
He had a little sauce on his lips.
“It was delicious. Thank you.”
I tried to look everywhere else but at him. The sun was shining, and the kids around were loud.
“There’s more, if you want.”
“I’m full, thanks.”
The grass was smooth.
I still had time until my dad picked me up.
“You don’t always have to thank me. We are friends now. That’s what friends do.”
He got up and went for another sandwich. He gave me half.
“When did you move here?”
I finally got my words back.
“Two weeks ago.”
“Do you like your new house?”
“Yes.”
He paused and looked around, lowering his voice. “But I wasn’t the happiest about moving. I always lived in my other house, and my family is there. Now, I won’t see my grandparents as much.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what to say.
“But I’m starting school, and I’m very excited. I want to know if it’s like the movies.”
“School?”
“Yep. We’ve been home-schooled,”
he said. I had never met someone who was not in school.
“You have siblings?”
“Four. Two sisters and two brothers.”
Before I could reply, he continued. “I’m the oldest. Well, second oldest, but Niko doesn’t count because he’s way older.”
He started to say something about Niko, and I couldn’t stop thinking how different his life was from mine. The only things in common were that we loved the same book and lived in the same town.