Owl City: a Collection

Hot Air Balloon

“Adam!” The squeal surprised him and suddenly he had been tackled onto his bedroom floor. Tiny, soft arms had wrapped themselves around his shoulders and there was a giggling face pressed into his shoulder. “Surprise!” The five year old grinned at him, clearing blonde curls out of her face. Her brilliant blue eyes filled his vision, and he couldn’t help but smile.

He sat up and hugged his best friend. “Anna!” He exclaimed as joy filled him to the brim. He was surprised. Normally he knew when to expect a playdate. But this was completely out of the blue.

“Mama had to go to town, so she let me come here.” She beamed at him. “Wanna play?”

“Yes!” He stood up and pulled his friend up with him. Wrapping a tiny arm around her waist in a casual display of affection, he walked out of the room.

“Where’s your mom?” She asked, looking at him.

He shrugged. “I think she’s doing laundry.”

“Can we play in the kitchen then?” She said with a small grin. He nodded quickly, and they broke into a giggling run for the kitchen/dining room. Adam could hear tires crunching on gravel, and he assumed that Anna’s mother was leaving the driveway. “Ooh, lemonade!” Anna exclaimed, spotting a crystal pitcher on the counter. “Can we have some?” She asked, pulling away from Adam’s arm. She climbed onto a stool and sat at the counter, setting her chin on the marble surface. She gazed at the lemonade, and then turned to Adam with an expecting expression.

“Maybe after we play some games?” He knew that Anna was overly fond of the drink, and no one made lemonade better than his own mother. He noted the girl’s frown, and frowned too. He snatched her hand, and tugged her off of the stool before she could answer. “We can race. Remember how we made the track before?”

She gasped. “But your mom hated that!”

“But she’s doing laundry.” He said, waving a hand to dismiss the thought. Sometimes, he wondered if Anna was too worried about breaking the rules. “We can put it back.” He assured her.  

“But…” She looked unsure.

“If we get in trouble, just say it was my idea.”

“It was your idea. So I will.” She said blandly.

“Exactly,” He giggled, and started to pull chairs away from the kitchen table. Anna smiled, and joined him. She grasped the white backing of the chairs and leaned them back, yanking them awkwardly. The wooden feet groaned as they were dragged against the hard wood. The two arranged the chairs so that they were parallel to each other, with a few feet in between. They repeated this, creating a pathway through the dining room. Through team effort, they moved the table as well, so there was more room.

“Alright, are you ready?” Adam asked as he positioned at one end of their makeshift tunnel. He looked at her, smiling widely. Anna had pulled her hair back and tied it with a rubber band which she had found abandoned on the floor. Her soft, golden curls swept to a perfect point at the center of her back. He liked how her hair did that.

She nodded with dead concentration. Her gaze was fixed ahead, on the path that they had created in front of them.

“On your marks,” Adam shifted his feet, trying to mimic her expression. “Get set,” He leaned forward slightly, ready to spring. “Go!” As one, they leapt forward, clumsily dashing down the ten foot long race track. They giggled; running barefooted so their steps made slapping noises on the hardwood floor. The two pushed and shoved, tripping over their own feet as they landed in a heap at the finish line. Two simultaneous shouts of ‘I win!’ rang out in the still Summer air.