Ch.2 Captured

July the twenty-first, nineteen ninety-eight was a day that not much mattered to my thirteen year old self. Nothing in life at that time really did.

July the twenty-first, nineteen ninety eight making my way down Wilson St. as I left Landreth Park with my older brother Danny was going to be the day. The day that would begin the journey for myself the boy to become a man. Not much mattered to my thirteen year old self, but Jul 21^st 1998: in a few brief moments I would not understand until my later years… that aspect of me would forever change. That hot summer day would be the day I finally started caring.

            The sun hung directly above us, heavy hot rays broke through even the shad and I could tell I was going to be burnt. Danny was dead silent, quiet, and stoic as he always was when we were together. He wasn’t too big on walking home his little bro from summer school. Really, these days and moments walking down Wilson street with Dan were awkward, quiet and very forgettable.

            But then again, not much mattered to rambunctious thirteen year old Archer. As we approached the turn off from Wilson street, we instinctively clumped together a bit more. This next road always had busy sidewalks.

            People, going to somewhere from some place else scurrying around our little city running their important and not important errands. You see people every day, and to a thirteen year old: that’s all they are. They’re people and there’s lots of ‘em. Every day, every where my thirteen year old self took for granted every single person I laid eyes on the same way many people in my adult life do.

            We rounded a corner, headed in front of an apartment complex. In the next 50 yards of sidewalk or so, there were probably a few dozen people.

            The main entrance doors to the Apartment office opened, out stepped three beautiful ladies.

            “Danielle, hurry up!” The second tallest of the three shouted to the shortest. She giggled, looked down: being very obvious about her intentions to avoid eye contact with me. Without turning her head up from looking at the sidewalk, her eyes looked up to mine.

            For a moment I froze. I probably forgot my own name in that split second with her eyes on mine. What was her name? I don’t know. Her sister just said it but I don’t remember anymore. It was five seconds ago Archer. Say hi. What’s her name, you just heard it. You know it.

            “Hi! I’m Danielle.” My older brother Dan looked at me and grinned. He was always the slick one in times like this and a little piece of my subconscious thoughts were grateful he was there.

            “Be a big boy Archie, introduce yourself.” I stuttered, reaching out to shake her extended hand. Pull yourself together Arch. You have a name. Say it.

            “Uhm.. Hi, Danielle. I’m Archer.. and this. This is my big brother Dan.” I acted confused (looking back: that was probably because I was.) I worried for a moment I might have made her feel stupid with my body language and expression. Improvise. Smile. I looked her directly in the eye, and was going to force a sincere smile: but when we made eye contact, my thirteen year old self grinned without effort. Well, this is weird. I don’t really like girls. Dan always says I’m too young to. Girls are gross and they giggle entirely too much whenever I walk by. I hate girls. Wake up Archer.

            “Daniella, get your leetle hispanic butt ov’a here! Quit making googlie eyes at lil misters Archie and Dan!” She scampered off, almost skipping as she ran to catch up with the two older girls. I still stood, dumbfounded watching and wondering what twilight zone I had just entered. Just before reaching her sisters at the intersection Dan and I had just turned off of, Danielle turned.

            “See yu tomorrow, Archer!” She made eye contact again and turned back to her sisters. My feet glued to the concrete as if I had been placed there as it was setting. I listened as their voices faded away.

            “You gotta keep up sisa or else we will leave you behind with people you do not know! Do you know how late we already are leetle sisa? You can see your whit boy tomorrow.”  

            “HELLO!!!” Dan wiggled in front of me, jumping up and down. “EARTH TO ARCHIE! COME IN ARCHIE! HELLO? DO YOU READ ME?” I silently missed the stoic, quite older brother Dan I was just walking home with who was now embarrassing me on a sidewalk full of people. I began walking back on our designated route home. He followed, doing jumping jacks behind me singing

            “LoOkS LiKe ArChiE PoO pOo Got a ‘leetle’ GiRlFrEnN!” Top of his lungs. I wanted to turn around and slap him, but at the same time: I wanted to laugh. I fought deep inside to keep my poker face and pretend to be pissed off at his obnoxious behavior. … This was the side of my chubby nineteen-year-old big brother I liked to keep inside the box.

            See yuh tomorrow, Archer…

            See yuh tomorrow Archer…

            Wait a second, Arch. What was that cute girl you just saw wearing? What did she have on? I dug in my memory trying to find images of the incident. Flash, flash, flash. I found an image: an image of her face, eyes, and black curls over her brown skin. That was all though. Just her eyes.

            “Arch, my lil bro.. I gotta talk to ya. You going to see your girlfrenn tomorrow?” Dan knelt in front of me, taking on a very serious tone and expression. I prayed that the heat I was feeling on my cheeks was the sunburn setting in. “HAH!! He’s BLUSHING!! Ooo I am going to remember this day… Archie’s Got a Girlfriend, Archie’s got a Girlfriendd..” He pranced down the sidewalk in front of me.

            People, going to somewhere from some place else scurrying around our little city running their important and not important errands. You see people every day, and to a thirteen year old: that’s all they are. They’re people and there’s lots of ‘em. Every day, every where my thirteen year old self took for granted every single person I laid eyes on. Jul 21^st 1998: the day that aspect of me would forever change.

“Hi! I’m Danielle.”

….See yu tomorrow, Archer….

* * *

July the twenty-second, nineteen ninety eight I did my best to speed walk ahead of Danny as we left Landreth Park. He knew why I was in a hurry, and I sincerely asked him last night to behave for the coming event today.

            If she held to her words, I’d see her out front the complex when I turned off of Wilson street. Danny was quite disappointed at my request for his good behavior today, but I think he couldn’t deny my sincerity. He reluctantly agreed.

            However, both knowing that he had promised to be nice made it about forty times more awkward as we made our way down Wilson street knowing what was to come around the corner. Or not knowing, actually.

            We approached the intersection, I kept my head down. We’d round the corner and a few buildings away, there she’d be. I knew it. Today, I made mental note that her name was Danielle and I would not forget it when we made eye contact. Better yet, my name is Archer. I’m thirteen. I won’t forget my name either today.

            “Hi Archer!” Right in front of me, I looked up and snapped out of thought. Wait a second.. why is she here? Did she come this way to meet us before we got to her? Her name is.. her name is. … what is it?

            “Hi Danielle.” I grinned.

            “Whatcha guys doin today? Mom says it’s too warm to be out this time of afternoon anyway, even for Missouri.” She stated. “Wanna see my house?” She lived in the Apartment complex I was pretty sure.

            “Sounds good!” Danny piped in before I could answer. It seemed he would actually help me today, not just be nice. Danielle led the way, about a step ahead of him and I. Danny to my left, Danielle to my right, we headed down the sidewalk toward the front doors of the apartment complex.

            But then… then something. Something happen I couldn’t have prepared my thirteen year old self for since yesterday afternoon. As Danielle walked to my right hand side, she weaved her left arm in between my torso and my right arm, grasping my hand. She looked over, uncertainty waxing strong in those captivating eyes seeking approval.

            An overwhelming calm settled over me. I wasn’t thinking anymore, I was just walking. I wasn’t worried, I wasn’t nervous, I was calm. I tightened my grasp on her hand, a smile spread across her face.

            “How old are you?” She asked.

            “I’m thirteen.” I tried to deepen my voice a little bit, thankful in my head I couldn’t hear how I sounded out loud. I’d be embarrassed if I could, for Danny always reminded me that my man voice hadn’t come yet.

            “Me too!” I’d heard in the movies mom always watched that when a girl was in love her eyes sparkled. I always thought it was weird, I’d leave the room at those parts actually. Now experiencing it first hand, not just seeing a girl’s eyes sparkle, but a girl who was looking at me…

            I understood. I looked up at Danny right before we entered the front door of the complex, only to discover he was already looking at me. He smiled warmly.

            We made our way up two flights of stairs, I was blank the entire time just holding Danielle’s hand. We walked together as though we had done this a hundred times before.

            With Danielle’s hand in mine, there were no shaking steps. There were no moments of pause, and there was no level of awkward anymore. There were no second thoughts, with Danielle’s hand in mine I did not have to look before I leapt.

            As we entered the door to her family’s apartment on the third floor, I did not really see too much of what was around me. What were we doing? Why are Danny and I coming into this house? But then my eyes opened.

            I couldn’t see the floor, and couldn’t see an open space of any surface. A pile by the kitchen window appeared to maybe have a dining table beneath it. Another corner, a bag of ripped open cat food held three kittens eating. It reeked. Cat feces and urine was the smell throughout the place, probably some of which contained by the dirty clothes on every area of the floor.

            A Kimball acoustic piano rested up against one wall, and the top of it seemed to be the clearest even with the piled VHS tapes spread across. I could see the dust of the top of the piano. Couch cushions were ripped and worn, tears in the fabric just because of often they had been used.

            There, sitting on the couch with a line of cigarette smoke wafting up above him was a man. He wore a brown ball cap, his black hair poking out just beneath it.

            “Did you bring me that boy you met in the street yesterday Daniella?” He asked. “Let me have a look at him.” Still grasping my hand, Danielle led me through the piles of boxes and clothes into what would probably be a living room.

            “Here he is papa. His name is Archer.” She smiled at her father.

            “You know you’re too young to have a boyfriend.”

            “Oh I know papa! Don’t worry Archer is just my friend.” She smiled at me now, and I knew that if her dad was watching her eyes sparkle the way they were right now as she looked at me that he would know.

            Know he was already too late.

“I’m Danny- Archer’s big brother.” I had almost forgotten he was there.

My older brother leaned forward and gave a very manly handshake to the man sitting there.

            “Firm handshake, Danny. I’m Alejandro, father of the three ladies who live here. The fourth and biggest lady, my wife, is in her room. Her name is Amy.” Be strong Archer. Be like Danny. He did that for you.

            “Hi, I’m Archer..” My thirteen year old meek voice. I could almost hear how I actually sounded that time. He gave me a knowing grin and reached forward a very dark colored tan hand as to shake mine, then turned to Danielle.

            “I like him, Daniella.”

            Wait a second Archer, what is going on? You met this girl yesterday and girls are weird. Why are you meeting her Dad? Why are Danny and I standing in this filthy apartment? She tightened her grasp on my hand to answer the questions I was almost worried she could hear running through my head. And now, now I had Dad’s approval.

            “Can I leave with Archer and Danny today?” Danielle politely inquired. Her father turned to Danny.

            “I’ll keep an eye on them and have her home before sunset.” Danny nodded at her father.

            “You had best behave your leetle self Daniella. Danny here will tell me if you don’t. Be headed home when he says.” He didn’t even look up at any of us, just stared straight ahead.

            As we left the apartment, I looked around once more at the filth they all lived in. I couldn’t understand it. But when I looked at Danielle, her eyes told me she was proud to have me here and that she wanted to know me the very same way I wanted to know her.

            What happened the rest of the day isn’t what I really remember about that day. That day we laughed, we talked about books we read in class at school, about how it was so cool we were the same age and in the same grade. Danielle even suggested that we talk to our parents to make it so we can go to the same school.

            We carved our initials on the trunk of a tree at Landreth Park, and Danny got more comfortable and open to tease us both. She loved it as much as I did, and Danny loved it more.

            Little did my thirteen year old self know that day that was evident in the behavior of her father and my brother… was that Danielle and I had just begun a tidal wave of our love and our connection. A tidal wave that would wash every shore, every surface every place and show those within our family’s instantaneously that we were simply supposed to be together no matter what. A connection that later in life we wouldn’t be able to live with out, or remember life without. What Danielle’s father knew that day the moment he saw me that I did not, was that he was looking at his future Son. 

            With Danielle’s hand in mine, there were no shaking steps. There were no moments of pause, and there was no level of awkward anymore. There were no second thoughts, with Danielle’s hand in mine I did not have to look before I leapt.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed the chapter. Love will capture you quickly and you will not turn back when the love is near. I like the way you wrote the chapter. I felt like I was sitting with you with the detail description. A excellent chapter.
Coyote

[JulieZee]

I thought it moved fast but then I think to how my daughter will meet someone and instantly make a connection. There are just those people that are that special to us instantly. There is such a tenderness to this chapter and your meeting.

Only two things. I feel robbed by the prolouge. I already know that she is going to die. I want to get close to the character but I'm already warning myself not to. The other thing is that there places where you sum things up, reiterate a thought from the beginning Make sure that it is worded different then the first. The one with the people walking by going places, I thought it was a mistake the two paragraphs were so similar.

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[Arianna]

i really like it. part of me is still digesting how fast it went, and im sure you were too as it was actually happening to you.
i really like how you showed the differences between the Archer writing this, and the "13 year old Archer".
it made me laugh that you carved your initials in the trunk of a tree, because I've never heard of anyone Actually do that, just seen it in movies. and read it in fictional novels.
over all it was well written, still very raw and I'm still loving it :)

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[Aaron M. Anderson]

First of all, I like the fact that you show, not just tell the reader how you've grown since the events of this chapter. The dialogue is fresh with realism, and it adds an edge when I read it. I've been a minority in my community, and one remembers the tension between two people when one is called an ethnic slur, jokingly or not. Your decision to throw that aspect into the mix was wise. I'd like to see you flesh that out. Now, I don't know if this is a Montague-Capulet story, in which race plays a key part in your relationship with Danielle. Regardless, in this scene, it sets the characters apart and identifies the tension in the community. That opens the door for readers to discuss race-relations, especially since this is autobiographical and not fiction.

Well done on your imagery as well: This may be a nostalgic retelling of your first visit to Danielle's, but you are honest about the smell, the cats' obvious lack of adequate care, and the dirty clothes. I also like that you kept the dialog, especially Danielle's father, realistic. It really made the scene come alive.

At the end, in the last chapter, you speak of a force that compelled your thirteen year old self to Danielle, and her to you. That, again, is a wonderful allusion to Shakespeare's "Star-Cross'd Lovers."

Please, keep up this great work!

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

What smacks the reader head on and with full impact is your unique ability to recall dates and times. It's as if you truly are walking back through your own history and giving us an extremely clear picture of your purpose and observation of the time, a well written piece.

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[Jake Donald Stephens]

So you actually remember the exact date, the day it all began, when you met her. Thirteen is the most awkward age. What a one in a million moment, to find mutual love at first sight at that young stage of life. Where the story goes from here, only you have known until now. This is the big moment, the start of a soul mate relationship. This is literally your story, that only you can choose how to tell. I'll be here when the next part arrives, to share the journey. As you write and I read, Danielle lives on in your heart and on the page.

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