text: [Themes: love & dating, serious, romance, drama, socially important]
  
  I don't remember much about that day, hell I don't even remember what year it was. I just remember her infectious laugh and beautiful face. I was so envious of her, and her long blond hair and perfectly freckled face and her pink cheeks and toothy grin. She was a very feminine girl, the total opposite of myself. She wore her hair in pigtails with a pink bow to match. I, on the other hand, had dark brown short fluffy hair that curled and waved in all different directions, constantly looking as though I've been sitting in front of a high speed fan. I always watched her in class, chatting with everyone else. I was a shy girl who always kept to myself. She was a social butterfly who was everyone's best friend. "
  
  Even mine.
  
  I felt oddly guilty and wrong that she was my best friend too. I felt undeserving that everyday sometime afterschool she would always meet me on the swing sets by my house that nobody ever went to, for exactly an hour. She was my best friend for exactly an hour everyday, and I was happy and grateful for exactly an hour everyday.
  
  But I wasn't always happy about it. The first time I saw her on those swings she was crying, and I was furious. "Why is someone like her on MY swings?" I thought. They were suppose to be MY getaway, and only I could cry on them while slowly swinging back and forth with my feet.. I marched up to her, about to yell, when she looked at me with those teary eyes and asked me a simple question.
  
  "What's your favorite season?"
  
  [Author's Note: A simple story of two girls and the changing seasons.]
  
  > Winter
  I froze. Alls I could think of was what the hell kind of question is that. But I felt like I needed to give her an answer... So I thought about it for a moment. And she looked at me, waiting.
  
  "I suppose, if I had to pick one it would be winter."
  
  She looked at me and smiled "I thought you would say that."
  
  I blinked, before sitting down on the swing next to hers. "How?"
  
  She shrugged while still smiling, except this time at the sky. "You just seem like a winter person. My favorite season is spring. Do I seem like a spring person?"
  
  Now that I think about it, she does seem as though she is a 'spring person', whatever that means. We both silently swayed on the swing after that. It wasn't awkward, it was actually rather... peaceful. For a moment I turned to her to see what kind of expression she was making. She starred pensively at the sky. Everyday after that she would always be there. On my swings, no...our swings.
  
  My head hurts. I can't remember anymore...wait,no, I think I remember something...
  
  > It was a day in Winter
  It was a day in Winter, except years later. We always met each other even in high school. She had a boyfriend at the time, he was a stereotypical jock like all the main character popular girls in movies dated, except he wasn't a douchebag. He was nice, even to me who was a complete and utter wallflower loser outcast, you name it. Even though she was dating him and was even more popular than before, she was always at those swings...and never brought anyone with her.
  
  We silently swung, even though it was freezing and the chains were getting rusty... now that I think about it...we rarely talked... did I ever even know her at all? Was she really my best friend?
  
  No, I remember now. The day I saw the bruises. The dark purplish blue stood out on her pale skin.
  
  > Asked her about it.
  Her eyes widened a bit, as she quickly pulled her shirt sleeve over it. "It's nothing really."
  
  Did she expect me to believe that?
  
  > stay silent
  I decided to stay quiet, it wasn't my place after all. She never asked me about the scars on my wrists when they were in plain view, I shouldn't ask about the bruises.
  
  Snow continued to fall, it was seemingly getting colder. I could hear her slightly shivering next to me, her breaths were visible in the air.
  
  > do nothing
  I just watched.
  
  She sure did look awwwfully cold. Yep,
  
  Very cold indeed. Wonder if I should do something about that. ((nudges you))
  
  > Gave her the scarf
  I gave her my scarf, since I wasn't that cold. I enjoyed winter and the snow never bothered me.
  
  Knowing she wouldn't take it if I offered it to her, I wrapped it around her myself. She looked at me as if she was going to protest, but instead turned away and covered her mouth with it.
  
  Suddenly, the silence was broken. "...do you have a boyfriend?"
  
  > No
  I gave her a simple reply, "No." I didn't go on with the details, like how I never had a boyfriend before, nor do I talk to boys. Or anyone for that matter.
  
  I glance at her, she's looking down while holding herself. "It's weird." her voice is muffled by the scarf.
  
  "It is? How so?"
  
  She shrugs. "He's so nice, and says such sweet things. But it doesn't feel... right. Plus he doesn't have a favorite season."
  
  I chuckle a bit, which makes her head turn quickly towards me, probably because I've never done that before. "What does seasons got to do with anything?"
  
  She pouts like a child, her nostrils flaring a bit. "It's important! If he doesn't have a favorite season.... then I don't know him. When I asked him again he said 'I don't know, spring?' but I knew he didn't really put much thought into it and only said that because it's my favorite season."
  
  After a brief moment of silence she continues, "I wouldn't want to date anyone whose favorite season is spring anyway."
  
  "Why is that?"
  
  "Because..." She looks to the sky, snow falls on her face and in her hair making her appear rather angelic "..that would make him like me."
  
  I didn't know what she meant. Is it bad for him to be like her? But I said nothing. After awhile she stood up and starting walking.
  
  "Ah" she turns around, facing me. "The scarf...can I keep it?"
  
  > Sure
  What an odd request.... but hey, her keeping the scarf didn't bother me.
  
  "Sure."
  
  She smiles, holding the scarf closer to her face as she turns around and continues walking. After that I went home too...
  
  My head. It really hurts. Her name....what was it? Why can't I remember? And why do I feel so empty?
  
  I have to keep thinking.... wait... I remember something...it's a memory from
  
  > Elementary school
  She was the best artist in our elementary school class. Every time she picked up a crayon everyone would gather around her in awe. I noticed how her eyes seemingly lit up as she doodled away, during those times she wasn't apart of our world. She was in her own.
  
  When she finished our teacher hung her drawings on the classroom wall. By the end of the year, the walls were bright and magical, all her creations.
  
  She stopped drawing when middle school started. She was forever a prisoner in our world after that, her world... shattered.
  
  The next memory was from
  
  > Middle School
  I watched her more and more when middle school started. We were put in 3 of the same classes, however we never spoke.
  
  She never wore makeup even though all the other girls did, and she didn't need it. Everything about her was flawless.
  
  I think her name was Hana.
  
  The next memory was from
  
  > High School
  News spread around the school that she had broken up with her boyfriend, words like "bitch" and "whore" were thrown around carelessly.
  
  She still always smiled.
  
  The next memory was from
  
  > Saw all these memories already
  I wasn't young and naive anymore. Things started to click.
  
  > Realized you was in love with her.
  I have never felt such a feeling for anyone before.... I really loved her. I felt like I needed to tell her in some way... so I did
  
  "Everyday I wish that I were not alive... but somehow.. you make it bearable"
  
  She smiled at me warmly, making me forget it was a freezing winter day.
  
  "I feel the same way too."
  
  She stood up and stood in front of me, wrapping my scarf around the both of us.
  
  My first kiss happened that day.
  
  > The next day..
  I found her by the swings, the snow had turned red.
  
  She cried and shaked, holding herself on the cold ground. She gripped onto the scarf tightly and held it to her face, soaking it with her tears.
  
  She had been hurt, not badly, but enough to the point where there would be blood. I asked her what happened over and over. She wouldn't reply.
  
  > Held her lovingly
  I held her in my arms, and cried along with her for who knows how long. Eventually she told me what happened.
  
  Her father abused her. He has since her mother left, which was around the start of middle school.
  
  In between emotion and pain filled cries she would ramble on, like how she didn't blame her dad. "he was only lonely" she even mentioned how his favorite season is spring aswell.
  
  I gently stroked her hair as she spoke, giving her a kiss on the forehead or cheek when she cried the most.
  
  We both fell asleep in the cold....nobody had looked for us.
  
  > remember
  The reason my head hurts, I remember everything now.
  
  When I woke up the next day she was clinging to me, we were still laying down in the snow. It was peaceful.
  
  We both embraced each other, either looking at the sky or looking at each other.
  
  "Do you love me...?"
  
  > Yes, you do
  She smiled like I have never seen her smile before, perhaps this one was genuine. She took my hand and asked me to follow her. I did.
  
  We walked down directions hand in hand, nobody was around. And even if there was, nobody would care. She seemed to know exactly where she was going.
  
  She stopped in the middle of the bridge, and stood on the railing, assisting me up next to her. I knew exactly what she was planning to do.
  
  > Gripped her hand tighter
  I had a feeling of peace in me, finally this feeling of suffering would be gone... and so would hers.
  
  We jumped together.
  
  The water may have been cold, but I felt her warmth until the very end.