Prologue
I placed my feet on the rungs of the ladder and grabbed the sides. Panting, I started climbing up to the top of the slide and place myself down. I pushed myself down feeling the wind in my hair. “Wheeeeeeeeee,” I said happily while veering down the slide. My feet came rushing to the ground and I sighed happily. Such is a life of a seven-year-old. I looked around. The sun was shining brightly and children were laughing and screaming. I looked towards the swings and spotted a boy sitting by himself and reading a book that looked old and worn out. He looked about my age and had curly brown hair. For some reason, this boy looked really sad and alone. Hmmm, I thought to myself, maybe I should go over there and introduce myself. I mean he looks the same age as me. I decided I would. I suddenly stood up and walked towards the lonely little boy.
“Hi,” I said looking down at him. The boy’s head suddenly jerked up. I looked at him and noticed he had beautiful green eyes that sparkled when the sun hit them and long brown hair. “Nice eyes,” I complimented. He rolled his eyes and smiled.
“I now,” he said happily. I sat down on the swing next to his.
“Sooooooo,” I said slowly, “What is your name?”
“ Anthony Jason Myers,” he said proudly. I nodded. I looked at the cover of the book. It was one of my favorite books ever. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
“What is your name?” he asked noticing me looking at his book. I smiled.
“ Ashini Bhardwaj,” I said pronouncing each word slowly.
“That is an interesting name,” he replied. He looked at my face in interest and said, “ I am gonna call you monkey.” I looked at him weirdly. “Monkey?” He laughed.
“I saw you climb the ladder and you looked like a monkey,” he said laughing. I laughed with him.
“ Why are you not playing with the other children?” I asked him. He quickly looked down as if I said something bad.
“Ummm.. I… just… I don’t have any friends,” he said quickly. I squinted.
“Are you a hobo?” I asked. He laughed.
“No… I’m just not allowed to go anywhere… ever,” he said angrily.
“Then why are you out here?” I asked slightly confused. He sighed, “I sneaked out.” I gaped at him. “Why on earth would you do that? Do your parents know you’re here??” I asked completely shocked.
“I don’t have parents. My parents gave me away when I was young. I mean I have parents, but they are not my real parents. They are my foster parents and they hate me and lock me in my room all day. I mean what am I supposed to do? Stay all day in that ugly room and do nothing! No!!!! I can’t do that anymore. I am only seven; I am supposed to be having fun.” I looked at him sadly and now saw tears forming in his eyes. What type of parents would give up their child and give them to such a horrible pair of meanies? I mean my parents don’t really like me but they are not as bad as Anthony’s parents.
“ I am really sorry,” I said to Anthony. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at me sadly.
“ I really wish I had a friend or a loving parent who could at least let me go outside,” Anthony declared. Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head.
“Why don’t you be my friend?” I asked smiling at him. He looked at me sharply.
“Would you do that? Would you be my friend?” he asked carefully. I laughed.
“Yes I would be your friend. We could be best friends forever and ever,” I declared proudly. He stood up and hugged me.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you soooooo much,” he said happily. So we were friends for a couple of days. Anthony would sneak out of his house in the morning and would come meet me at the park. We would push each other on the swings and push each other down the slide. I was so happy that I had a friend who was nice to me. Everything was good until one day when I messed everything up. It was a Tuesday morning and I was at the park waiting for my best friend to swing with me but he never came. Maybe he was sick. I thought. So I waited for him to come the next day, but he never came. Day after day I waited for him to come but he never showed up. Then one day as I sat on the swing I looked towards the side and saw Anthony! He was walking towards me but something was wrong. He had a cut lip and a bruised eye. His bottom lip was quivering and tears were running down his face. I ran to him and looked at him in shock.
“Oh, my gosh Anthony!” I exclaimed. He quickly reached for my hand.
“ Please help me,” he said crying.
“What happened?? Why are you crying?” I asked with tears forming in my eyes.
“ My parents… found out that I was sneaking out.. and then they hit me on my face,” he exclaimed.
“What! Then.. what are you doing here?” I asked feeling very afraid.
“I had to come back you are my best friend and I had to ask you something before I left,” he said looking around.
“What?” I asked.
“Run away with me,” he said sharply. I gasped
“What.”
“Run away with me. I can not stay in that scary house with those scary people!” I looked at him. How could I run away? How could I leave my family? Where would we go? We are only seven years old.
“ Please,” he begged. I took his hands in mine.
“ Anthony we could never do that. We are only seven years old. What would we eat? What about my family?” I said slowly. He backed away from me.
“ I thought you were my friend,” he said in a soft whisper.
“Anth-” I started but was later interrupted by the sound of sirens in the background. Oh no. The police were looking for Anthony. I look towards the street. There were three police cars. I have to protect Anthony. I have to do it. He is my only friend. I turned around to tell Anthony I would help him but all I saw was the book Tuck Everlasting and nothing else. Anthony, my only best friend was gone.
7 Years Later
Chapter 1
I slung my backpack over my back and stuffed a bunch of cookies in my mouth. I ran and grabbed an orange for lunch. I looked at the time. It was already 7:56. No no no no no! I’m running late.
“Mom!!!! I can not find my science notebook and I have a test today!” I exclaimed, my mouth stuffed with cookies. My mom looked at me across the kitchen and glared at me angrily.
“Are you dumb? Does it look like I think about what you do? It is not my responsibility to care about what you do! How did I even give birth to such an insolent and irresponsible child! Your brother is so much better than you.” I sharpened my gaze on my mother.
“It is just a notebook,” I said gritting my teeth. My mother turned towards me.
“Are you not going to be late for school? Maybe the reason you do not have any friends is because you are so irresponsible,” she said smirking to herself. I tried my best to hold in my anger and ran out of the door. The bus was just about to leave when I ran, yelling for the bus driver to stop. The bus came to shortstop and the door flew open. The school bus driver, Bob, glared at me.
“Late again are we,” he said in his husky voice. I blushed.
“Sorry… I could not find my science notebook,” I said. I heard some girl in the back giggle.
“Nerd,” she said whispering to the girl next to her. I turned even redder. I quickly scooted my way towards the back of the bus.
“Hey buttwad where are your ten million books?” said a humongous fat kid named Nate. The kid next to him laughed. Are you kidding! Why the heck is does he always pick on me? Let me tell him what I am made of. Hold on. I have such a good idea.
“Hey, Nate?” I asked with a “serious” look on my face.
“What!” he said snottily. I stared at him.
“There is something on your chin,” I said. He looked down at his chin.
“What? Where?” he asked completely confused.
“Oh wait sorry the sixth one down,” I said smirking to myself. Nate blushed a bright pink. Everyone on the bus burst into a round of laughter. Yes. My day may not be that bad. I thought. I looked around and found a seat in the back of the bus. I sat down and opened my bag. I looked for one of my books and stopped when I saw a book that I did not remember putting in my bag. It was the book Tuck Everlasting. This book was on my shelf at home. I never touched this book. Ever. The last time I touched this book was when…. Wait! No! Stop! Do not think about that day. I quickly shoved the book back into my bag and stared out the window. My hands were shaking and I tried to relax. I took out my headphones plugged them into my iPod and listened to music the ride to school.
Chapter 2
I arrived at my school, The Academy for Allied Health Sciences. I got off my bus and walked towards the black top near our school entrance. I walked in and got to my classroom. After that, the day went on to a regular school day would go like geometry, geometry homework, science, science homework, history, history homework, and so on. Finally came time for our free period. I watched as all the girls ran off with their best friends to go do whatever the heck they do. I suddenly felt lonely and mad that I read too much. Why do I read so much? Why can I not just be like those girls over there? They look so happy. I sighed and sat on a bench. I took out my book from my bag and looked at the cover. The title of the book read The City of Bones. I smiled. I wonder how this book is going to be like? Will it make my brain startup its imagination process? Will I get the feeling that I am the book when I read other books? Oh, how I loved that feeling. The feeling where nothing else matters except my book and me. I suddenly stopped daydreaming and looked to my far left. I saw a black hoodie zip away quicker than lightning striking the earth. I shot up to my feet and looked around. Who was that? Oh my gosh. I thought to myself. What if someone is trying to kidnap me? I looked around and spotted one of my classmates staring at me awkwardly.
“Did you see that hoodie dude?!” I exclaimed.
“So little buttwad is now seeing ghosts huh?!” said Nate sneaking up from behind me. I growled underneath my breath. Why was I always the center of everyone’s attention?
“Do you not have any food you can eat?” I asked regaining myself from the shock. Nate smirked at me.
“Noooo I already ate my lunch and a fourth grader’s lunch,” he said snorting. I sighed. There really is not any hope for this guy. I gathered my belongings and walked towards my bus. I could not stand being around that marshmallow any longer.
“Make sure you go see the Doctor so that he can give you some nerd prescription,” yelled Nate after me. I boarded the bus and sat down. Who was that black hoodie guy? Why was he spying on me? I shrugged. Maybe he was just some weird stalker. I relaxed into my seat and let thoughts flow from my head flow all the way home. I entered my house to hear my mom and dad yelling at each other again.
“Why do I have to do everything?!” yelled my mom. My Dad huffed.
“I have a JOB unlike you!” he exclaimed. My mom looked at him furiously.
“I can not take how you just think I can take care of three children by myself,” she said breathing heavily. My dad looked at her intently.
“And I can not take how you just think money grows on trees. I have a job so I can pay for our three children,” he said very quietly. The door slammed shut. I could not take hearing any more of this.
“I am home!” I yelled pretending I did not hear anything. My mom straightened herself and cleared her throat.
“ How was school?” she asked turning her back on me.
“ It was fine,” I said quickly. I reached over to grab a carrot but she smacked my hand away. “Dinner is not served yet,” she said angrily. I sighed. I grabbed my bag and headed towards my room. Suddenly my brother came running out of his room holding a tooth.
“I pulled it out!” he exclaimed. I smiled and pulled him into a hug. Sometimes I felt as if my brother was my only friend. I mean I had my sister but she was in college and she rarely has time for me anymore.
“Go show dad. He will think you are becoming a man now,” I said to my little four-year-old brother, Anay. He smiled and ran out to the kitchen. I passed his room and went into mine. I opened my door and threw my bag into the corner. I jumped on my bed and lay there for a couple of moments. For some reason, I felt really hot so I decided to open a window. I looked out of the window and saw a shadow. I looked near the tree and saw a boy peering through my window. I tried to get a closer look at him but he just turned and ran. Okay, I am not crazy. Who is that boy!?!? I opened the window and looked out. No one was there anymore. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and sat back on my bed. Relax Ashini. No one is spying on you. I mean who would want to spy on you. No one even likes you. This thought convinced me to calm down. I could not stay in this room anymore. I needed to go somewhere. I needed to go to a place where I could relax and be normal again. I smiled. I knew exactly where I would go. I grabbed a bag and put three of my library books in my bag. I exited my room and went into the kitchen. My mom was there now cutting potatoes.
“Mom I have to go to the library for a research paper. I will be home in an hour,” I said trying to sound my best self. She nodded and dumped the potatoes in the pot.
“Do not be late for dinner,” she said. Wait for it. I thought. “Or you will not get any dinner,” she said completing her sentence. Thatta girl or woman. My mom could never end a sentence without saying something to irritate me. I nodded and left my house. I walked down my street and turned down a couple of blocks. There it is. I thought. Home sweet home. I walked through the doors of the library and scanned myself in. I went down to the fiction aisle and sat in my favorite green chair. The cushion was worn out and had many holes in it, but that is why it was my favorite. I pulled out my book and started reading. I do not know how long I was reading because when I checked the clock it had already been more than two hours. I gasped and scrambled to my feet. How did I lose track of time this quickly? I grabbed my book and stuffed it into my bag and ran out of the library. I sprinted down the street and did not look in front of me and I kept checking my watch. I wanted to keep running for my life but I suddenly ran straight into a boy who was walking the other way. My books flew out of my bags and I grunted under my breath. The boy picked up the books and I picked up my bag. I stood there for a minute and realized he had a black hood on. This was the person who was spying on me! He looked up and I gasped with familiarity. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! This can not be happening to me.
“Tuck Everlasting?” he said handing me the book back to me with a smirk. My whole face drained of color realizing that this boy wearing a black hoody was somebody I knew from a very long time ago. I looked at his face and recognized his beautiful green eyes. Tears shimmered in my eyes.
“Anthony?” I said trying to breath slower. He smiled and his eyes shined.
“ Yea that’s my name. How are you monkey?”
Chapter 3
I stared at him for a while. He had a white scar that cut through his left eyebrow down to his upper lip. He had long brown hair that now covered his right eye. Without thinking that Anthony may be dangerous, I dropped my bag and ran into his arms. He pulled me close and laughed. It was him. It really was him. I just could not believe it! Wait. Why was he back? Why did he leave? Suddenly I felt angry and pulled away. He looked at me confused. I suddenly exploded into a hundred different emotions. I punched him in the arm and started crying.
“WHY THE IN THE WORLD DID YOU LEAVE ME ON THE PLAYGROUND WITH YOUR STUPID BOOK?” I raged in angry tears. I took the book and slammed it into his chest. I looked at him furiously. “Take this! I do not want to see it ever again.” I pushed him away and ran all the way home in silent tears. I reached my house and opened the door. More yelling. My mom came in her face white with anger.
“WHERE IN THE WORLD WERE YOU?!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. I stepped backward. I have not ever seen her this angry.
“I was at the library and I forgot about the time,” I said faintly. She looked at me in disgust. “You are the worst child ever! Why do you not listen to me?! I can not believe you.”
“Mom, I am sorry. I really am.” I said crying. She gritted her teeth and took her hand and slapped it across my face. I jumped backward. She just hit me. My own mother just hit me. I mean she gets mad but she would never hit me. But she did. My mother hit me and she probably does not even feel bad about it. I backed away and ran out of the door. I dashed down the dark streets and ran to where ever my heart took me. When I stopped I realized where I was. I was at the playground where I first met Anthony.
“Why did I come here?” I said aloud.
“Because you wanted to see me,” said a voice behind me. I turned around and there was Anthony with an apple in his hand. I glared at him.
“What do you want from me?” I asked. He raised his eyebrows.
“ You are the one who came running to me.” he declared jokingly. My eyes flared with anger.
“I came running to you! Are you kidding?! I only came here because I had to get out of my house,” I exclaimed. He looked at me with sympathy.
“I am sorry I did not mean to say that. I was just trying to cheer you up,” he said. I sat down on the swing and stared at the ground. He came near me and sat down.
“ I remember when we were young and we used to swing here all the time,” he said with a small smile. I looked at him and smiled.
“We used to always sit near the end because we did not like the middle seat,” I said with recognition. He nodded.
“ I used to love going there every day. I used to love sneaking out of my room to see you. I loved it until I-”
“ Until you ran away,” I said interrupting him. He looked at me sadly.
“ I had to run away, Ashini. I had to get away from my foster parents,” he said. I stared at him. “Where did you go?” I asked. He looked down at the mulch.
“ I umm.. Met these guys who said they would let me stay with them if I stole things from them,” he said guiltily. I gasped, now realizing why he had a scar. “Is that why you came back? To steal from me? To ask if I had any money?” Anthony looked at me in disgust.
“You really think I would come back two hundred miles just so that I could steal from you!” he exclaimed.
“ You came back two hundred miles for me?” I asked completely shocked. He nodded. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes. I was tempted to ask a question that I have been thinking for about for years.
“Anthony,” I said.
“What?” he asked.
“Why did you run away from me and leave me a book?” He sighed.
“ I thought you were like the character Winnie in the book and I was Jesse.” I looked at him in confusion.
“Why would you run away because of that?”
“ Do you remember at the end of the book when Jesse asked Winnie to drink from the magic spring when she was seventeen and then marry Jesse?” he asked. I nodded.
“Well, I thought that our ending would be the same. I never gave you the time to tell me whether you would run away with me or not because I thought that just like Winnie you wouldn’t wait for me. At the end of Tuck Everlasting Jesse thinks that Winnie would have waited for him, but instead, she gets married and doesn’t drink from the Spring. I was afraid that you would leave me like Winnie did to Jesse.” I stared at him with tears in my eyes. If only you told me this then. Why did you not tell me this before Anthony? I thought.
“You never asked.” I said angrily. He looked at me cautiously.
“What?” he asked. “You never asked me whether I would have wanted to run away with you or not!” I said, “ In the story, Jesse asks Winnie but you never did. You just left me and it broke me. You were my only friend and it hurt.” He started to say something but I stopped him.
“ For years I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought it was something I said or did. I had that book with me for years wondering why you left it,” I said now covered in tear. He studied me carefully and hugged me.
“ I am sorry. I never thought you would consider it,” he said looking up at the clouds. I sat there sinking everything in. After a while, Anthony spoke.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked staring into my eyes. I turned towards him intently and said something to him that I knew I would not take back.
“Run away with me,” I said barely above a whisper. He turned to me in shock and stared at me.
“Really?” he asked. I looked at him and nodded. I stood up and looked down.
“ We are going to run away today. I am going to get my allowance money from my piggy bank and some food and then we are off.” He looked completely dazzled.
“You would do this for me?” he asked. I nodded. “Wait for me,” I said determined to do this. I ran to my house and opened the front door. This would be my last goodbye. You have to say goodbye to your horrid mother and then you never have to see her again. I walked inside and was greeted by my mother.
“Oh, my gosh Ashini. I have been looking all over for you. I am sorry I hit you….” she began. Whatever I thought. Nothing she says is going to change my mind.
“Mom I am really tired now and I want to sleep so goodbye,” I say quickly. My mother looks at me looking really upset. “Okay…goodnight then.” I go to bed and close the door behind me. I take out a bag and put in clothes and all my allowance money. I take one book and a bunch of fruit snacks. I exit my room and sneak into the kitchen. My mother was in the bathroom probably washing away her fake tears. I open the closet and get the canned soup and beans. I grab a bunch of chips and squish them into my bag. Okay. I am ready to go. I quickly open the front door and leave. I race my way back to the playground where I see Anthony waiting for me. Something feels different though. He seems sadder.
“Are you ready?” I asked. He comes closer and smiles.
“Yes I am ready to do this for you Ashini,” he says very quietly. I look at him. Why is talking so weirdly? Anthony comes close and kisses me. I gasp in shock and close my eyes shut. I move slightly away from him and keep my eyes close. I think of everything that has happened to me and I feel tears coming down my face. I stay there for a couple of minutes and finally I open my eyes. There it was. The shock of the lifetime. I looked around and Anthony was gone. There lay on the ground was a battered old copy of Tuck Everlasting.
Epilogue
Dear Ashini,
I am sorry I had to run away again. You may hate me forever but I had to do this. I had to do this because I loved you and I always will love you. I could not let you run away with me because you need your parents. They may have hurt you but they love you no matter what. I regret running away from home because I now realize how lucky I was to have a home. Some people in the world do not have any and I realized that. Ashini I love you more than anything in the world and I need you to understand that. Maybe someday when you are older I will come back and we will run away and get married together. You are my one and only love and my one and only monkey.
Yours only, Anthony Jason Myers
I put the note back in the book that Anthony left me. I felt a feeling of sadness overwhelm me. I smiled. I would not be like Winnie. I would wait hundreds of years for Anthony and nothing would change that. Not even the memories that the battered old book brought to me every time I looked at it.
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