Embers and Smoke: Four20 Bae

Prologue | Spirit | Jackson, Mississippi

From the first moment I saw him, I was hooked. Granted, I was eight, and he was ten. Still, I knew I loved him. I remembered watching his two younger brothers run around their parents instead of helping them move. He seemed more serious and responsible as he carried boxes in and out of their ranch-style home. My stomach fluttered like hundreds of butterflies as I watched him and his family build a life next door. I looked out the bay window in the kitchen at the tall boy with the prettiest wavy dark hair. I imagine his hair would grow down his back if he were a girl. I stared so long that he must have sensed me and looked directly at me. He waved without a smile. I waved back, positively smitten.

“Snookie, stop staring at Jace Legend. That boy don’t care nothing about you.” My big sister, Trinity, said from behind me.

“How do you know his name already?” I continued to watch the family move in box after box.

“Because he stays in trouble at school.” The refrigerator closed behind me.

“He goes to Henderson?” Henderson was our neighborhood elementary school around the corner that she and I attended.

“Yep.” She joined me at the window. “I guess you wouldn’t know him since your class doesn’t eat lunch with the rest of us.” I was in the gifted program, and the ten of us ate lunch together in the library. I only knew my sister and whatever student we saw as we walked back and forth to school every day.

I started to smile and then caught myself as I commented, “I guess he’ll be walking with us to school.”

“Ugh. He likes to tease too much. And he’s nasty. Already in trouble for kissing and touching girls.”

“Did they want him to do that?” I asked, hoping she said they did. I’d hate to think that the cute boy next door was a bully to girls.

“Well, yes. I suppose. Those be the fast girls Mama told us about.” She moved away from the window. “Come on, you’ll make me late for cheer practice.”

I remained at the window, hoping to see him again. When he walked out of his house this time, he glanced toward me and smiled.

My heart skipped, and I returned his smile before Trinity yelled, and I finally left the window.