Spencer and I have been friends since the first grade; she was 6 and I was turning 8 when we first met on the playground. When I saw a group of my classmates all standing with their faces presses into the fence that kept us in the yard, I obviously wanted to know what was going on. [Like any child, I had to be included in everything that everyone else was]. Once I was able to squeeze my small form to the ‘front’ of the crowd, I too, pressed my nose through the small openings and hooked my fingers through to watch with everyone.

"Hey Sean, who’s that girl? What is she doing?"

"That’s Spencer, she just moved here and Madison told her that the only way they’d let her play on the monkey bars with them was if she climbed over the gate, walked to the edge of the street, picked up that bottle on the ground and brought it back without getting caught."

"But Sean — we aren’t allowed outside here! They know she’ll get in huge trouble if she gets caught!!"

"I know, Ash. And you can bet that as soon as she makes it to the edge of the hill, right there, Madison and company are going to run to Mrs. Lakeherll and tell on her."

"I’m gonna go get her, Sean!!" And, ignoring his verbal warnings not to get involved, I sprinted over to the gate and jumped it, running to catch up to the other, smaller girl, who was making her way towards the street.

"Hey!! Hey uhm .. Spencer!!" She couldn’t hear me, so I ran faster and got closer, "Spen-cerrrr!!!" That got the girl’s attention, her blonde hair whipped around her face and she turned toward me, squinting her eyes in the sun, confused.

"Come here! I have to … show you something!" I heaved out, still running towards her, and becoming short of breath.

"What is it?" She shouted back to me without moving.

"Just … come here! It’s important!" And without saying anything else, the blonde began walking away from the street and toward where I was standing, now with my hand behind my back as if I were hiding something for her, and waiting.