If Nature Permits

• Antoinette Del Giacco, Grade 7, St Joseph's Memorial Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Finalist in the 'Beyond Words 2015' competition

He is dark and mysterious as he waits for my red-haired friend to finish. He looks nervous as he waits in line. I ended weeks ago and the warmth is still at my fingertips. I reach out, wanting to melt the ice that seems to surround him. I know that if I could only get close enough, his personality would warm and he would finally see me for whom I am.
Just as my hand almost touches the small of his back, my friend, in her dark orange robe, steps away and leaves him free to step up. My hand closes around the air and I feel a tear roll down my cheek, I don’t bother to brush it away, my body heat would have evaporated it before I had bent my elbow.
As he takes his turn we lock eyes, but we are so far apart, complete opposites. His eyes are icy blue and so piercing. It feels like he is staring straight into my soul. I know what he is looking at. I tried to make my golden eyes as deep and sweet as possible. I wonder if he knows I love him.
I suddenly felt my friend brush past and walk away; she isn’t up again for a while yet. My sister walks up beside me. She is in a sparkly green dress. “Hey are you up next?” I ask her whilst crossing my fingers behind my back. Every time my friend or my sister would be between him and I, and every year I prayed it was otherwise, but no such luck yet; and I have been doing this for as long as I can remember!
“You need to stop obsessing over that guy,” my sister sadly shakes her head. “I mean, you guys are never beside each other and have never even spoken! All you do is stare at one another; you need to get over it.” ‘Easy for you to say,’ I think silently to myself. My sister is always so perfect with her green eyes and her approachable personality. If you asked her a favour, she would spring right to it.
I wasn’t as sweet as her but I’d like to think that I was just as kind and beautiful. I am wearing my golden dress and hairband, I had put in on in the vain hope that he would finally recognise me and give me at least a small smile; what was I thinking? I regained my posture and turned to face my sister who was still talking.
“-You could go ask mum, I suppose but-” I grabbed her arm, “That’s a great idea! Thanks!”
I ran off to ask my mother if I could ever be with the boy of my dreams. Five minutes later, I emerged from her chambers. “Well? What did mum say?” Spring and autumn both ran to meet me. I sat down and started to cry.
“Mother Nature says that summer and winter will never be together."