A Songbook In The Making//S.M.

3. Kid in Love

"I know that we jut met
And maybe this is dumb
But it feels like there was something
From the moment that we touched."

When Shawn and Lucy were seven, they met someone who would forevermore change their lives.

Hayes Grier.

Their mothers had taken them to the park. Immediately, Lucy ran over to the slide. But, as she neared it, Lucy saw someone was already there. A boy who appeared to be slightly younger than her, with what once had been brown hair, but had been styled with a buzz cut, rosy cheeks, and piecing blue eyes, with a quite lonely expression. Confused, Lucy climbed up the stairs to the floor of the play set, and rushed over to the twisty slide jutting out of its side.

"Hi." She says, tapping his shoulder.

"Hi." The boy says, solemnly, not even looking up. "Oh I'm sorry!" He says, realizing she's trying to get his attention. "Were you trying to use this? Sorry, I'll just-"

"No!" She yelled, when he started to get up. "I was just trying to talk to you. Scootch over." She says, as he scooted over as far to the left side of the slide (boy is that a tongue twister?), making room for the older girl.

"So what are you doing here,"

"At the park? My family just wanted to-"

"No, here." Lucy gestured her arms, for emphasis. "On top of the slide, all sadlike. Why aren't you having fun? Where are your friends? Why aren't you with them? Or even your family?"

"Well my brothers are over there." The stranger pointed to a boy, slightly older than Lucy, hanging on the monkey bars. He had similar brown hair and slightly brighter blue eyes, but, unlike the boy beside her, had freckles all over his face. Beside the monkey bars, in the grass, standing with his arms crossed impatiently, stood another boy, a good bit older than her. This boy had the same brown hair, but had deep, brown eyes, and an extremely bored expression. That is, until the boy on the monkey bars slipped and fell on his back, then the older boy's eyes widened, for a moment, then he busted out in a fit of laughter.

"And those are my parents." He pointed to a grown couple on a park bench. The woman had long blonde hair with brown eyes, like the eldest boy, while the man had dirty blonde, short hair, with blue eyes like the other two children.

"The one on... Well, the one who just fell off the monkey bars is my brother, Hamilton, except don't call him that. He goes by Nash, but don't ask me why. And the one laughing his freckles off, next to him, is my other brother Will."

"Oh... Well who are you?"

"Benjamin Grier."

"Benjamin... Hmm... That's my brother's name. Can I call you... Umm... Hayes?"

"Really? Where did you come up with that?"

"I don't know, I've just always liked the name." She shrugged.

"It's just... That's my middle name".

"Oh. So can I?"

"Sure." He said after he thought about it for a bit.

"Hayes Grier. I can see it in bright lights now." Lucy thought aloud.

"What?"

"I can already tell you're gonna be big. I predict by the time you're sixteen, girls will be swooning over you."

"Ha, yeah, right. We'll see about that."

"How old are you anyway?" Lucy says, after a minute.

"I'm five."

"Well I'm seven, and so is my friend, Shawn over there." Lucy pointed to her goofy, best friend, who was looking around cluelessly, probably for her.

"I'm Lucy, by the way."

"Lu!" Shawn yelled, finally spotting her. "What are you doing? Let's go to the swings."

Lucy turned to Hayes, smiling slightly.

"I've gotta go. See you later, Hayes."

Before Hayes could respond, Lucy had already pushed herself, sliding down, and running after Shawn, as soon as her feet hit the ground.