Thirteen

Katie wishes life was…

Oreos and milk.

Watching videos by charlieissocoollike.

Tickling her sister on places that shouldn’t be ticklish but are, like her gums.

Climbing a little higher than normal in her favorite tree before chickening out.

Picking Queen Anne’s Lace and Black-Eyed Susans in May and hanging them upside down to dry in her friend’s barn.

Making agility obstacles out of leftover plywood and teaching her friend’s dog new tricks.

Knowing the answer to obscure questions like, “Who is the current Press Secretary of the United States of America?”

Playing music with people she loves and admires.

The music professor she respects most asking her to help coach middle school cellists at a summer camp next summer.

When you’re trying to out-do your friend and leap over a creek, knowing you aren’t going to make it to the other side, and then you do make it. And then they try, and they fall in.

Telling your friend you like him.

Your friend telling you he likes you back.

You and your friend saying how silly your siblings are for telling each other they like each other when she clearly pressured him into it by saying she like him first.

Realizing you did the exact same thing, meaning your friend doesn’t like you like that.

Finding out years later that your friend made a plan to leave, make his fortune, and come back to marry you.

Noticing that your friend is still following those plans, and he’s on the “making his fortune” part, but you’re pretty sure the “marrying you” part won’t be happening since you haven’t spoken in years.

Wondering if he remembered that plan or still thought of you the way you think of him. Because even though it’s been forever and you’ve changed and he’s probably changed too, you have a theory that something about your friendship will never change.

Getting the silly boy out of your head because seriously, it’s been YEARS.

Going to bed and having a dream, because you haven’t dreamed in weeks.