The Old Trampoline

 “I love you,” Tucker muttered. 

He wanted a response. He didn’t expect one, but he wanted one.  He wanted it more than anything else. But she was already asleep.  He sighed and shifted, turning and looking up at the sky.  The old trampoline was falling apart.  Held by rusty chains, the net on the outside was folding, wilting away. 

“I win!” Lilly cried, collapsing on the new trampoline. 

Tucker giggled, watching her.  He was still breathing heavy, they had raced to see who could jump higher.  The smell of the new trampoline was really strong, it made him excited.  He had been begging his parents for a trampoline for years.  Lilly was the first person he had invited over to see it. 

Lilly gasped and crawled forward, “We should camp out on here!  We can get blankets and pillows and stay up really late…” 

“Yeah!  Let me ask!” 

He crawled off the trampoline and ran inside, “Mom!  Can Lilly and I sleep on the trampoline tonight!” 

“That would be fun!” She called from the kitchen, “Make sure her parents are okay with it,” 

They asked her parents, and got approval. 

They got in the blankets and looked up at the sky. The sun set and the stars came out.  Tucker pointed out the big dipper and Lilly showed him what she called a Unicorn.  She drew lines between the stars until they drew a turtle, and a fairy, and a boat. 

“Tucker!” Lilly ran and jumped onto the trampoline with him, “First day of seventh grade tomorrow!” 

"Yeah!” Tucker hid his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.  He was terrified.  New school, new people, new everything, “Are you nervous?” 

“Heck yeah,” Lilly breathed, “But you’ll be there, so…” 

Tucker blushed and grinned at her, “I hope it doesn’t rain tonight,” 

Lilly laughed and wrapped a blanket around herself, “I don’t care, I can shower before school,” 

“I hate it!” Lilly cried, climbing onto the trampoline and collapsing next to Tucker, “I hate it!” 

“What?” Tucker watched. 

“School, eighth grade in particular.  People.” Lilly grumbled. 

“Was it Gale?” 

“Jenna, and Gale.” She spat, “She told Gale I liked him and he came up to me and laughed in my face!  I told her not to tell anybody!” 

Tucker was quiet. His heart dropped.  She actually liked him.  He knew it, he could tell.  It just hurt to hear her say it.

Lilly settled down and grabbed his blanket, wrapping herself in it, staying seated, “Do you have a crush on anyone?” She asked. 

Tucker went pale.  He shifted and looked down at his hands, “Uh… no…” 

“Are you sure?” 

His mind was racing at thousands of miles an hour.  He had to say something.  He couldn’t tell her the truth, he just spit out the first name that came to his head, 

“I like Jenna,” He spluttered. 

“What!”  She went pale, and sat up.

“Wait! No!” Tucker looked up, “No… I meant…” 

Lilly just shook her head, “It’s fine… she’s really pretty,” 

“No, I didn’t…” 

“It’s okay… I’m not mad,” Lilly laid down and looked up at the sky, “I won’t tell anyone,” 

Tucker watched her, his heart sank. 

Tucker laid down, he could feel the trampoline underneath him.  There was a hole by his hand.  His dog had bit through it.  He looked up at the sky, “Cat,” He said. 

“The Mona Lisa,” Lilly replied, looking back up and pointing out her drawing. 

“The Scream, by Edvard Munch,” He said. 

“Starry night, by Vincent Van Gogh,” Lilly said, she smirked and looked at him. 

He laughed, “That’s cruel,” 

She yawned and turned over, falling asleep almost immediately. 

“Ughhh!” Tucker groaned and dropped the book.  It bounced a few times next to him, the springs creaked, “I hate math,”

“Tell me about it,” Lilly finished the last problem and set the books down next to her. 

“When did letters become math?” 

“Like sixth grade,” Lilly laughed. 

“Really? They’ve been adding English to math for three years?”  Tucker collapsed onto the trampoline, “I’ve been lied to!” 

“Homecoming,” Lilly groaned, “You think you’ll ask Jenna?” 

“No,” Tucker shook his head, “Do you think Gale will ask you?” 

“No, I don’t want him too.” Lilly shifted, “We should go, you know, as friends!” 

“Yeah, that sounds cool,” Tucker nodded.

“You’ll have to make me a poster,” Lilly teased. 

Tucker grinned, “Of course,” 

Lilly sobbed and pulled off her dress.  Tucker looked away, he grabbed his old sweatshirt and basketball shorts and handed them to her. 

She pulled on the clothes and just collapsed on his bed, curling up and pulling on the hood to hide her face. 

"I’m sorry,” Tucker managed. 

“It’s not your fault,” she muttered.

“I could’ve beat him up,” Tucker said, sitting next to her on the bed 

She managed a wet laugh, “Like you could beat him up,” 

Tucker gave her a half smile, “Hey! That’s rude!” 

She wiped off her tears. 

“I’m really sorry, Lil,” 

“It’s alright,” 

“We had fun dancing though,” Tucker tried. 

“Yeah,” she smiled at him, “Thanks, Tuck,” 

He wanted to kiss her.  He wanted to so bad.  He turned away.  She was his best friend.  He had known her since he was six.  He couldn’t just kiss her.  

But no matter how hard he tried, ten years later, he still had a crush on her.  

“No!”  She yelled, “I can do what I want!” 

"Obviously you can't!" Tucker growled.

“I know him better than you do!” 

“You just think you do,” 

“Stop trying to get involved!” 

“Get involved?  Lilly, he hit you!  How could I not get involved!” 

“He said sorry!” 

“That isn’t an excuse!” 

“He said It’s a guy thing, they just need to release…” 

“Lilly.” Tucker said quietly, “I’ve known you for eleven years.  Have I ever even come close to hitting you?” 

She looked at him, her eyes welled with tears and she ran to him, hugging him tightly, “I’m scared,” she muttered, “I don’t want to hurt him,”

“He’s a jerk.  You need to let him figure out how to function without you,” 

She just sobbed, hugging him tighter.  Tucker buried his face in her hair, “It’s our senior year, don’t let him ruin it,” 

Tucker swung the bag over his shoulder. 

“Bye,” Lilly muttered. 

“I’m not leaving yet, tomorrow…”

“Good, stay.  We can sleep on the trampoline one last time,” 

He smiled. 

They curled up in the blankets and looked up at the stars.

“Picasso, before he went psycho,” Lilly said. 

“The Last Supper,” 

“A worm,” 

They went silent.  All he could hear was the crickets.  He knew tomorrow he would be gone.  He would go to college, and it might mean he would never see her again.  Maybe when he came back to visit his family.  But she would get married, go to school, go live somewhere beautiful.  And they would just be friends.  Forever. Tucker would always be just a friend.  Forever cemented into her mind as just a friend. 

The night grew colder and darker, Tucker finally worked up the courage to say it. 

“I love you,” Tucker muttered. 

He wanted a response. He didn’t expect one, but he wanted one. She was already asleep.  He sighed and shifted, turning and looking up at the sky.  The old trampoline was falling apart.  Held by rusty chains, the net on the outside was folding, wilting away.