Steve's Diary

April 1, 1934

Dear Diary,

Today was... interesting. To say the least. Well, I could definitely say that I didn't expect this from him. It's okay though. I don't mind. I actually had some real fun for once.

Bucky is almost always getting himself (and those he's with) in trouble. That means I get pulled into each and every one of his shenanigans. But on a day like today - April Fools Day - things are amped up as much as they could possibly be. And I wouldn't have ir any other way.

———

"Be home before 9 tonight boys!" My mom called after us as we ran out the front door after dinner. It's like we're little kids, but in reality we're nearly adults!

Where to? Well... The creek.

The weather was finally starting to get warm but this morning was a bit chilly. The sun shone through there canopy of leaves as I sat on the rocks at the bank and Bucky skipped rocks.

I watched him flick his wrist, the rock flung and hit the water 1, 2, 3, 4 times.

"How do you do that?" I asked, seriously curious. I was never good at that sort of stuff.

"Skip rocks? You don't know how?" I shook my head, embarrassed. "No problem. It's easy. C'mere, I'll teach you," he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up to my feet. "Now..." he leaned over and picked up a rock. "You're gonna wanna pick a flat rock... you know, a smooth one. It'll skip for longer and it'll look better too," he held it up so I could see.

It looked like a rock. Like a regular rock. The same as all the others beneath my feet. "Uh... okay," I picked one up and I guess I got lucky because he gave me a nod of approval. I smiled and so did he.

"Next, you're going to want to hold it between your fingers like this," he shows me his hand and I tried it but... "no no no, Steve. Like thiiiis," he grabbed my hand and I felt something weird. Like a spark like electricity. We were concentrated on my hand but when he grabbed it we both looked up. It was like a circuit and it closed when he touched me and we both could feel the energy flow through.

"Uh- what?"

"Uhm," he pulled his hand away. "Yea like that, you've got it. Try throwing it now. You wanna get on the same level as the water. Get low and flick your wrist away then..." he flicked it and I heard his hand make a snapping noise, "release." 3 skips.

I looked up at him. Then down. Then at him. "Uhh ok..." then at my hand. I tried it. 2 skips.

"Not bad for your first time," he winked at me. Right, okay, WHAT?

I smiled. Shyly though, like I usually do when I'm... confused.

We brought food to he creek so we could have lunch so it was time for sandwiches.

• • •

After lunch we headed home but instead of going to the apartment we sat in the fire escape and talked. I was playing with my shoes and I refused to look up because I could tell his eyes weren't wavering from mine. I couldn't look. I don't know why but I just couldn't.

"Hey, Steve?"

"Yea?"

"Somethin' wrong?"

Shit.

"Uhm, no," I looked up. "Why?"

"I dunno. You're awfully quiet. I was— you know, kinda worried."

"Oh."

"Well, I- uhm have something... if you wanna..." he dug through the bag he had brought. Cigarettes? Are you kidding me.

"Cigarettes?" I asked, stupidly. Obviously they were cigarettes.

"Yea... I mean I'm not 18 yet but..."

"Oh, yea I get it. But... I kinda have like really, really bad asthma so..."

"Oh jeez, Steve, I didn't even know. I wouldn't have said anything if—"

"It's fine, Bucky. Really. No worries," I smiled so he would be sure it was ok.

"Well I haven't even smoked one yet... so if you're not gonna then I won't either."

"I mean if you wanna you can, I guess."

"You sure? I feel bad."

"Don't. I can see you wanna so do it." Ok I was terrible at talking with people. I'm just gonna stop talking now.

"Ok..." he lit it and breathed it in.

Almost instantaneously, he choked and coughed it out. Patting his chest, he threw the rest of it over the edge of the fire escape. Next went the rest of the pack, one cigarette at a time. Then the box.

"Well then. I guess that settles that then, Buck." Oh no. I've done it now.

"Huh?"

"Sorry... I didn't—"

"No... I actually never thought to, you know, shorten it like that. Buck. I like it."

"Oh... okay." Aaaaaaaaand now I'm blushing furiously. What else is new?

———

So. Today was packed with...interesting events. At least I'm having fun now. My old life was boring to be completely honest. No real friends. No one I could hang out or talk with.

This is a new chapter and I've got a good feeling that it's more than just a good hook in the intro paragraph.

~ Steven G. Rogers