All Along | ✓

Chapter Three

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"Just your simple presence makes my life magic."

- Mark Anthony

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Luna's POV

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Sixteen Months Later

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Sitting on the fence at the outside of school, I swing my legs back and forth, looking down the road. School's been out for about ten minutes, so Oli should be here any minute now. Because our houses are only a few streets away from each other and my school is just down the road from his, he walks me home every day. Oli is fifteen now, so he's in his first year of high school while I'm in fifth grade.

I've been Oli's best friend for two years now. Even though he's five years older than me, I do almost everything with him. Wherever he goes, I manage to find a way to tag along. And he always shows up to my basketball games and dance recitals. Every single one of them.

I spot him walking a couple hundred meters down the road and jump down from the fence. Starting off in a run, I head towards him, speeding down the sidewalk. He spots me running towards him and stops, shaking his head at me. I just grin, unable to stop myself as I crash right into him. He's expecting it though, wrapping his arms around me as he lets out a quiet 'oomph' from the impact.

"How many times have I told you to wait for me at the gate?" He scolds when I pull back to look up at him. He's grown a lot in two years and he's super tall now. And his voice is a little deeper too.

"But I can't wait! You take too long to walk." I grin up at him as he rolls his eyes and spins me around. He slides my backpack off my shoulders and slides it onto one of his instead. I start skipping ahead of him, up the road and towards my house.

He doesn't say anything for a while, which isn't unusual for him. He's a very quiet person, but I do enough talking for the both of us. I turn around to see how far away he is and see that he's only a few steps behind me. I smile and fall into step beside him, immediately beginning to talk his ear off. I tell him all about my day at school and what we did in class. I can't tell if he's actually listening to me, but he doesn't complain, so I keep going.

Eventually, I get tired of walking, the knowledge that we still have a couple more blocks to go weighing me down. Oli quickly notices and lets out a sigh. Before I know it, one of his long arms is hooked around me and he's picking me up. I settle on his hip and cling to him like a koala. Smiling to myself, I rest my head in the crook of his neck and let him walk us the rest of the way home.

He ends up carrying me almost every day. I've gotten bigger over the last two years, but somehow, he's still strong enough to carry me this effortlessly. I guess he's gotten way bigger too.

When I see my house come into view, I'm a little disheartened. I love my walks with Oli and sometimes I wish they would never end.

"Do you have to go?" I ask him quietly, tightening my hold on him. When I say that, I feel his steps slow a little, dragging out the last bit of our walk.

"I'm going out tonight, Little One. I can't stay." He tells me softly.

"Can I go with you?" I ask him quietly.

He's silent for a moment and I know he's going to say no. "Maybe. I'll ask your parents."

I perk up then, pulling back so that I can look at his face. "Really? Where are you going?"