Innocence

By NationChild

Created on January 7th, 2006

A child laughed playfully. His parents were pushing him on the swing as he smiled brightly.

I mentally groaned. I told them this wasn’t a good idea! Not that my own parents ever listened to me, but it was worth a shot.

I scowled up from my algebra homework.

She was dancing up and down on the seesaw, a smile seemingly painted permanently on her delicate features. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy.

I cursed at the single, lonely, pale cloud surrounded by and ocean of infinite cerulean sky.

I can’t work with this…bliss around me! How do my parents expect me to watch my cousin and do my homework?

“Hey, Lauren!” My scowl transformed itself into a grimace. Great. Once of my obnoxious ‘friends’ had been eying me from across the playground since I’d arrived, cousin in tow. This’ll only provide more distraction.

She almost skipped to the bench I was sitting in and plopped down next to me with overloaded enthusiasm. One of my friends once said she thought that Tara had a ‘sticky’ personality. And, yes, while Tara ‘stuck’ to someone and seemed to relinquish her hold with difficulty, she was nevertheless a good person, loyal and kind. To tell the truth, I didn’t mind once bit that Tara was the once who saw me struggling with my homework.

“Isn’t it a nice day?” I turned my head and stared unblinking at Tara.

“I mean,” Tara continued, “having to work on homework on a day like this, it stinks.”

I looked away at my cousin, swaying her head back and forth, to a rhythm only she seemed to hear.

“Yeah, it does.”

Following my gaze, Tara knew to be silent.

This time, my face was neutral, neither smiling nor frowning as I watched my cousin’s youthful face, her eyes closed serenely. She knew how to relax. For that, I envy her.