《next may》


 Part Zero

    Part Zero - Beginning


    We met in spring, loved during summer, said farewell with fall, and died with winter.


    I was always lonely. No one was ever around when I was a child.


    No friends.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    No neighbors my age.


    No pets.


    No one.


    That is, until I met you.


    You were the first person I knew who was my age. The first one I could relate with. The first person who understood what if felt like to be the second choice. The first person I could call ¡°friend¡±.


    But I lost you.


    You left me.


    You didn¡¯t need me.


    You didn¡¯t want me.


    You didn¡¯t love me.


    But I loved you.


    And I hope we meet again next may.

 Iceberg

    Part One - Spring


    Until the flowers bloom, please stay a little longer.


    Chapter One - Iceberg


    May 8th, 20XX


    I¡¯ll always remember the day I met you.


    May 8th, the day you moved into the little cream-colored house next door.


    A nice old lady used to live in that house. She died just a few months ago. She used to tell me stories about her children. The ones who never came to visit. The ones who couldn¡¯t care less about their dying mother. The ones she loved more than anything in the world. I used to think she was insane. How could you ever love someone who doesn¡¯t love you back? Eight years later, I finally understood what it was like to be her.


    Your dad was one of her children. Her 2nd son. He really looked like her. Soft jawline, sandy blond hair, ocean blue eyes, a hooked nose, and a heartwarming smile. He was a nice man.


    Your mom was beautiful. Soft silky black hair that fluttered in the gentle breeze, chocolate brown dove eyes, a little dimple on the right side of her face, a small button nose, and a laugh that sounded like wind chimes. I thought she was one of the prettiest things on Earth.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I¡¯d already seen your parents when they came to visit the house, but I never saw you until my family marched right up to your front door, carrying an expensive bottle of cabernet, a giant casserole dish of piperade and a plate of strawberry macarons.


    Your mother opened the door, a smile plastered on her face, waving us in with vigor. She told us to take off our shoes, gesturing towards the sets of slippers lined up against the wall.


    Turning towards my dad, your mom held out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my husband, Elias, speaks very highly of you and your work Mr. Bayard.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Victor, and it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss..?¡±


    ¡°Call me Na-Yeon.¡±  She turned towards my mother, noticing her stiff posture and the tight grip on the plate of macarons. ¡°You must be Kathleen, the madeleines you made for us when we first got the boxes shipped were one of the best things I¡¯ve had, it looks like I¡¯m going to have to step up my game yeah?¡±


    Mom cracked a small smile, the corners of her mouth lifting, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over and I can help teach you how to make them for yourself?¡±


    Your mom let out one of her wind chime laughs, the dimple on her face becoming more prominent. ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer!¡±


    She stepped to the side and looked at me, my small five-year-old self clinging onto the back of my mom¡¯s sundress. ¡°Hi sweetie, you must be Zera! I have a son that¡¯s roughly around your age, let me introduce you two.¡± She turned around and headed towards your living room. The faint whisper of ¡°Zachary, come here for a second I¡¯d like you to meet someone.¡± could be heard.


    Your mom came back, but this time with you shuffling behind her. Black hair and a dimple like your mother and blue eyes and a soft jawline like your father. Unlike your father, your eyes weren¡¯t like the ocean, they were pale like an iceberg. A little cold, mysterious, and lonely.


    ¡°Zera, I¡¯d like you to meet my son Zachary, you two will be going to kindergarten together soon!¡±


    I didn¡¯t pay attention to what she said, but I decided from that moment on, that you were an iceberg. Only so little of you could be seen from the outside, but, I was going to find out what the real you looked like.

 Thaw

    Chapter Two - Thaw


    July 4th 20XX


    It was stupidly hot that day, reaching 95 degrees for the first time that entire summer. The plants on your mom¡¯s windowsill had drooped throughout the heatwave. I still remember the disappointed look on your face when your favorite plant wilted.


    My dad invited your family over for a barbeque at 5: 45 to celebrate the Fourth of July. It¡¯s been nearly two months since you moved into the little cream colored house next door, but you never came outside to play with me.


    Almost everyday, I could hear the melodies of different piano pieces for hours at a time come from the open window of your living room. You played that thing everyday, your mom sitting next to you, critiquing your movements, flow, and just about everything you did. When your mom played, it felt like the world was dancing along.


    The barbeque was practically the first time I saw you outside since May. You stood underneath the shade of the giant Northern Red Oak in our backyard, knees to your chest, watching your older brother talk with our parents.


    You didn¡¯t get up at all, your mom bought you all your food on a plate, dropping it off and picking it up when you finished. My mom brought the cupcakes out later, nervous that the buttercream frosting would have melted in the afternoon heat.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I jumped up from my spot on the back porch, skipping towards the table with the food and picked up two cupcakes, one vanilla with red frosting, one chocolate with white and blue frosting. Marching right over to you, I plopped myself down.


    Stretching both my hands out, I asked, ¡°Do you want the chocolate or the vanilla one? Both are super yummy and the frosting is super duper tasty! Your grandma used to make cupcakes like this for us every year!¡±


    That caught your attention fast. You whipped your head around, a look of surprise on your face. ¡°You... knew my grandma?¡±


    I looked at you, confused, ¡°Yeah duhh! She was our neighbor and she spent every holiday with us ¡®cus your dad and uncles didn¡¯t visit at all. You guys made her super sad but she still loved them lots.¡±


    You just looked at me, confused, concerned, and lost. ¡°B-but my daddy said that he visited grandma every week? I never saw her at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t know. I can tell you about her and give you some of the recipes that she left with my mommy!¡±


    ¡°R-really? I wanna know more about her!¡±


    I turned to you and smiled, ¡°One condition though, you¡¯re gonna be my best friend if I tell you all of this okay?¡±


    You blinked at me, once, twice, then three times. ¡°Sure..? I guess I¡¯ve never really had a best friend before. Mommy doesn¡¯t let me go outside a lot.¡±


    ¡°Okay okay!! You have to pinky promise me, and everyone knows that you can¡¯t break a pinky promise!¡±


    We talked for an hour after that, laughing about anything and everything we could think of. By the end of the night we were dozing off. I just remember looking at your eyes as I watched the ice thaw.