Red Converse

Chapter 10: Aaron's Room

"Aaron!" I called happily as my 9-year-old body danced into his room.

"Pete!" He cheered back as he hopped off his bed to hug me. "I didn't know you were coming over," he continued.

"Surprise! I convinced Brett to drive me and Mama let me in!"

"Best surprise ever!" Aaron jumped up and down.

We both grinned at each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We held up plastic cups full of chocolate milk and clinked them together.

"To surviving our first day of middle school." Aaron raised his cup.

"Cheers," I joined in.

We chugged down our celebratory drinks then fell back on his bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I playfully shoved Aaron into his room.

"Goodbye middle school!" I exclaimed as I fell dramatically onto his bed.

"Cheers to that!" Aaron added as he held up two glasses of chocolate milk.

We drank our chocolate milk, chatted, and watched movies on Mama's computer for the rest of the day,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Pete, what are you doing here?" Aaron whispered to me as I tiptoed through the door.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep the night before we start high school." I smiled as I jumped onto his bed.

"You know me too well," he sighed as he made a spot for me to cuddle in.

"I sure do."

"Well, I know that you're too anxious to sleep alone, too," Aaron pointed out.

"You caught me." I held my hands up in surrender as we both tried to laugh quietly.

We both slept much easier that night knowing that we were there for each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"To the end of our time at that tortuous place!" Aaron raised his glass.

"Cheers!" I added as we clinked our glasses together.

We drank our chocolate milk as we chatted about our futures.

We didn't know what would lie ahead, but we knew that we would be together for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Happy birthday!!!" I proclaimed as I jumped out of Aaron's closet.

"Jesus! Don't scare me like that, Pete!" Aaron held his chest.

"You're officially 18! Here, I got you some presents!" I declared as I handed him three wrapped gifts.

"How long have you been in my closet?" He asked me, still shocked by my surprise.

"Not long. Mama distracted you so I could hide." I shrugged. Aaron sighed, tired of my crazy antics.

He opened his gifts one by one. I waited anxiously for his reaction.

A gallon of chocolate milk.

A pair of scissors.

And a pair of red converse.

He smiled at me.

"Ok, I understand and love the chocolate milk and shoes, but what's with the scissors?"

"You're leaving for college soon. You need to cut your own hair," I explained teasingly.

Aaron stuck his tongue out at me.

"For your information, Mama will always cut my hair," he stated confidently.

"Yeah, yeah." I laughed.

We got silent for a bit before Aaron pulled me in for a hug.

"Thank you so much for everything, Pete," he thanked me sincerely.

"I'm glad you like the gifts," I confessed as I hugged him back. I didn't want to let go.

But eventually I had to.