Crack in the Sidewalk

Oh, the many ways in which flowers are used. For decorating, for wearing, and for anything really. They can signify the beginning of a beautiful relationship. A boy, let's say his name is Micah, is walking down the street, birds singing their tune and the sunshine feverishly covering the sidewalk with light. He turns his head and sees a girl, roughly around 14, maybe? She was close enough to his age for him to stop and stare for a moment. Her blond hair looked even more beautiful as it glimmered in the sun. Her hands worked a sponge on her dad's car, scrubbing every square inch with pristine motions. A quick glance to the right made Micah jump and quickly stare down and walk again. He made it halfway down the block when the voice in his head told him to turn back. Reluctantly, Micah began to pretend that he had lost something, perhaps his cellphone? He ran it over in his head as he returned yet again down the block. Eventually, he was right back where he had started: staring at this girl who probably was weirded out by him. She had finished cleaning the car and was hosing it down. Micah couldn't help but admire the way she did everything. She could cover a floor in dirt and leave it sparkling after she was through with it. When she looked back at him once more, he forced himself to look at his shoes. Between them was a white tulip, growing in a crack in the sidewalk. He picked it up and held it to his nose. Its smell brought him back to the good old days with him and his dad on the beach, sipping coconut juice and throwing a pigskin in the water. He sighed and relished the thought of his long lost dad. The war had changed his father, and when he died, Micah wasn't sure about how to feel. He had died a hard and gruelling man, not as a loving and caring father of his young child. Ever since Micah had been independent. He lived with his Aunt Cary and life seemed to be somewhat normal. Micah gripped the stem and his emotions as he stood up. He couldn't leave this girl alone. He had to have someone to be friendly with. Across the street the boy went, standing as tall as Lady Liberty, holding a single white tulip. The girl raised her head and watched him approach her. She knew not of his intentions; she had seen him watching her for quite a while. He seemed to be holding something behind his back. She dropped the hose she was using and shut off the water. The boy seemed slender but good-meaning, so she let her guard down a little bit. He approached her, and out from behind his back came a flower. It couldn't have been more surprising. She stumbled slightly and her cheeks went bright red. The boy didn't seem to falter as her brain struggled to assess the situation. His confidence, his stature, and his looks made her accept the flower. She took his hand and the flower and smelled it. It had a sort of sweet smell, kind of like the ocean? He lifted her hand up and kissed it gently. She giggled, still smelling the sweet flower.

"My name is Micah. What's yours?" the boy asked. Damn, the way his voice sounded made her heart leap.

"Emily. Emily Rose," she said.

"It's nice to meet you, Emily. I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere pleasant with me morrow evening." he accentuated. The fact that he was trying to sound classical made Emily giggle yet again. He must have put something in the flower because she was falling for him more and more with every passing second. She twirled her fingers around one of her hair strands, smiling.

"For real?" she asked. He nodded his head.

"I just met you!" she laughed. With that, the boy seemed to lose his grin a little bit but still was teeming with boldness. "I'd much rather get to know you before I do anything of that sort."

"Fair enough." he cracked. She motioned for him to have a seat on one of the deckchairs sitting on the lawn. The fridge blasted her with searing cold as she grabbed two IcePops. She put the flower atop her ear, so she could bring the treats. She walked over and threw Micah an IcePop and sat down. He immediately noticed how the bold white of the flower complimented her blond hair, making her look like an angel. That, of course, only made his nerves and heart go faster.

"So, does Micah have a last name?" she asked curiously. She opened her IcePop and got to work.

"Stevens. My dad made it up after Grandma went on a rampage about how the old last name, Kitschbok, was too Russian for our Brazilian blood." he bolded. She nodded her head in interest.

"Ok, Micah Stevens, why did you come over and ask me out?" she started. "Oh, and where did you find this?" She pointed to the flower.

"I found the flower, believe it or not, in a crack in the sidewalk," he said, purposefully avoiding the first question. She pulled her knees to her chest and raised her eyebrows. "You know," she began, "I'm not going to let you go until you answer that question." For some reason, Micah couldn't resist the way she was looking at him, and since she was pretty cute anyway, too much blood was leaving his brain. He shifted uncomfortably and leaned in. "Well, when I first walked by, I saw your hair waving in the wind when you were washing your dad's car, and it caught my attention. She scooted closer.

"Then, after I came back a second time, I noticed how much you liked to get things perfect." That's when you stared me down a second time, and poof, the tulip was there. But now, " he scooched in just a little closer, "I noticed how much you like my company." Emily felt her heart melt, and she instantly knew something had to be done about this kid. He could tell every damn detail of her perfectly, and even if she was slightly offended by his profiling, couldn't say he wasn't right. She really did like him, and who knows, maybe, or not, they could try this thing out. She giggled and cracked, "One more thing. What the hell did you put in this flower that makes me so much in love with you right now?" They both burst out laughing, letting out all of the built-up tension and anxiety. After their good belly laugh, they both got up.

"By the way," Emily started as they threw away their now empty IcePop containers, "I accept. We should go see the movies, "morrow evening." she mocked.

He gave her flowers, white tulips to be exact, every time they went out. The tradition lasted all the way up until the day Micah proposed when he slowed down. Every once in a while though, if she had a rough day, he would show up with a huge bouquet of pretty white flowers, giving her a kiss and his attention.

(I know, I know, I wrote another story like this. I apologize but currently, this is the only way my brain knows how to write a story revolving around something. The love parts are cheesy, even to me as the writer. But, I still think my storyline is good and my usage of advanced figurative language makes the story flow better.)

Thanks for reading!