𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

8

Eleven years old.

Maddie sat on a swing at the daycare that she had been attending for the past year. Both her parents had work after school so both, Zach and Maddie went to daycare. Today Zach was sick at home with a babysitter but Maddie was still sent to daycare. Though her shirt was white with a bright pink happy smiley face she wore anything but. While on the swing she stared at her feet, she was completely alone without Zach and most of the kids at the time were inside watching Happy Feet.

Maddie sighed getting up as she figured she should go inside but once she got near the white fence where the steps were she hear a voice from the far end of the fence. When Maddie turned around she seen a dark shadow on the other side, she walked over with her eyebrow furrowed confused at what was over there. When she got to the fence a small head with slightly long shaggy brown hair popped up. "Hey Mad Maddie!" Justin said happily as she giggle at the nickname, he had made it for her a few weeks ago due to her hyperness. "Hi J." Maddie said with a small smile some of her sadness gone now. "What's wrong?" The dirty boy asked turning his head sideways making her giggle slightly though she sighed and looked down kicking the mulch slightly with her dirty old sneakers. "I'm alone and bored." Maddie pouts looking back up at the boy who had a smile on his face now with his head in the normal position. "You have me! We can hang out!" Justin says excited since like always he was told to stay out of the house until nightfall.

"Yeah but you're on the other side of the fence which means all we can do is rock, paper, sciorrs, shoot. And I always win cause you suck."

"Do not!" Justin says defencely pouting slightly as he stood on the out side beam on his tiptoes to see the girl on the other side. "Tell ya what. We play it if you win I'll give you a present and if I win you have to kiss me." Justin says with a cheeky smile and Maddie giggles rolling her eyes. "You're on." She says as she moves closer setting her hand that was in a fist on her other hand as Justin did the same. "Rock, paper, sciorrs, shoot!" They say at the same time and Maddie had paper where Justin had rock. "Ha! Told you J, now what's that suprise?" She asks smiling making him chuckle.

"Scoot back." He says and she does as told within seconds Justin was climbing over the fence making Maddie smile. "Me!" He says as his feet finally hit the ground and he bows making her giggle and walk over to the swings with the boy. "So why are you all alone? You don't got friends?" He asks his lack of grammar showing through as they swung slightly back and forth.

"Nobody likes me. I only have Zach and he's sick." Maddie says as she kicks her legs back and forth.

"I like you Maddie." Justin says making Maddie once again giggle bringing a smile to his face. "Here." Justin says pulling out a small can of soda with a smirk. "You need to stop giving me things." Maddie says shaking her head but Justin grabs her hand off the swings chain and cups it around the can. "It's for both of us but you get to open it because every time I open a can I cut myself." He says holding up his right hand which had serveral small little red lines up and down the tip of his pointer finger making Maddie giggle and open the can with ease making both of them laugh again.

Maddie and Justin were completely hyper by the end of the can of soda making both of them run around the playground and do several other things taking out their energy. It was one of the first times they got to be children, more importantly it was with each other.

When it hit night time Maddie and Justins laughter had subsided and they swung back and forth on the swings out of breath. "I gotta go home see ya tomorrow mad Maddie." Justin said smiling as he hopped the fence slightly lopsidded and ran down the street. Headlights were seen and Karan stepped forward her eyes going from the running boy to the young girl on the swings. "Who was that?" Karan asked as Maddie grabbed her bag yawning. "Justin." She says walking up to her. "Don't get to close he's trouble." She says holding the door open for Maddie asks she pulled herself into the seat and brought up her bag with her as she buckled in and once her mom got into the front seat she spoke. "That's what everyone said about me. Maybe he just needs someone to be nice to him." Maddie said looking out her window as Karan started to drive forward sighing as she knew she wouldn't be able to change the stubborn girls mind.

{7.16.18}