Amy Meets Brynn For The First Time

Frail and sickly, Amy had risen out of her childhood and stuck her head up in boney consternation. Her bird like movements had often got her a great deal of teasing. She tended to stare at other's wide eyed whenever they did speak to her and her refusal to speak left them feeling awkward. In response, they had oustersized her and left her to her own devises.

Her grandmother, a strict woman stuck in a time warp of her own sullen ways, held her granddaughter to those beliefs, further ramping up her oddity.

Amy had kept to herself, yet held her head high in her own assertion that she was above the others. That rattled a few of her classmates as well and furthered her dis-clusion.

It was not until Brynn Mills family moved in across the street in the summer before grade seven, that Amy found a piece of sunshine she had not known she was missing.

She had been sitting outside on the front porch getting a daily bit of fresh air when she noticed the new commotion of a move in. She remembered her grandmother quaffling about changes and new people moving in.

Amy's curiosity got the better of her and she stared as all the furniture was trucked in by the professional movers. A family had come, and parking on the street had tumbled out in an excited display that sent waves of excitement that even roused Amy's quiet ways. Her eyes followed the tallest girl with the long blond hair. The girl's laughter caught the wind and played around Amy awakening a longing to be part of the display.

The girl chased and played with two younger children seeming to keep them out to of the way of the moving men and her parents. Amy was fascinated.

Over the next week, Amy continued to watch the girl and long for contact but she refused to go over. Her grandmother grumbled about the noise and scrunched her face at the frivolity and fun that seemed to alight during the summer's warm days.
On the following Monday, Amy was out hanging the laundry her grandmother insisted needed doing and she watched the goings on across the street. Taking her eyes off a moment she turned to grab another piece to hand when a voice startled her.
"Hey, would you like some help?"

Amy dropped the item almost missing the basket and stared open mouthed at the tall blond girl who smiled warmly at her. Speachless she shook her her, but did not move. The girl laughed and moved closer taking the piece of clothing and making her way to the line to put it up.

"I'm Brynn. New girl across the street."

Amy nodded still a little starstruck as well as dumbstruck.

The girl went on without any concern of Amy's quietness, "I noticed you not hanging with anyone and I thought I might come over and introduce myself. What does a body do for fun around here?"

Again Amy did not speak. She just kept staring.

When Amy did not answer, she shrugged and laughed. "That much, huh. Well, then its a lot like my hometown. Quiet. That suits me fine I suppose but I just thought you looked about my age and could use a friend."

When Amy still did not say anything, Brynn simply smiled at her and picked up another piece of clothing. She offered it to Amy who took it with awkward hands. Without laughing at her fumbling, Brynn picked up another piece and turned back to the line flinging it up and making sure it was straight and proper just the way her grandmother preferred it. As she did, she continued to tell Amy about herself. Amy's silence did not seem to bother her.

Instead Amy found out that they were new to the area, coming from a small town in Northern Ontario. Her parents had decided to move back to the area so that her mother could care for her aging parents. Apparently the parents had once lived here. The girl's father was a firefighter and had joined the ranks of the Kitchener Fire Department. Her mother was hoping to get on with the school board and resume teaching. She had a younger brother and sister and they were all going to be going to the public school in Breslau come the fall.

"Do you go there?" Brynn asked, smiling over at Amy. This time Amy managed a weak nod.

"Good, then we can be friends." There was no question in the girl's voice. She seemed quite intent on the friendship and Amy bit back her claims to be odd.

Brynn's name was heard and the girl waved back across the street to her mother who stood on the porch.

"Gotta go. We are heading in to get groceries and mom said she'd take us to the library." The excitement that tumbled over Amy made her smile.

"Do you want to come?"

When Amy only stared, Brynn gave a sweet little laugh, "Oh, sorry. You have work to finish. Maybe next time."

And then she was bounding back across the street to her own home. Amy stared after her. Only the screen door's rough squawk drew her back to the task at hand and she grabbed another piece of clothing.

"Interesting girl." She heard her grandmother say. Amy shifted her gaze to catch her grandmother looking out across the street. "She might make a fine friend."

Amy's brows rose at that comment. Her grandmother liked no one, most of all other children, but she seemed okay with this one.
Her grandmother came over and inspected the clothes that Brynn had hung and nodded approvingly.

"She seems a good soul."

Amy let a smile grace her lips as her heart soared at the thought that maybe she could have a friend.

Word Count = 980.