"Niki"

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I could smell the barbecue floating on the evening breeze. It was warm and quiet here by the river. I took my shoes off so I could dip my toes into the lazy water. After an hour, I thought that someone would come looking for me, but they must all be too busy having fun. If I listened hard enough I could hear laughter riding on the barbecue scented wind. This should be easy; its summer I have nothing to worry about. Right? But, I still have that nagging feeling in the back of my skull. I should be doing something, or at least remembering what I forgot to remember.
"You've got nothing to worry about, Niki."
I could have slapped her. But, Anna never knows what's going on. Its easy to give excuses to girls like Jenny, with her head full of air and all. It wasn't just her, nobody knew. How could anyone know? I never told them. This was my secret and my burden to bare. I would just laugh off their comments about my strange behaviors and topsy-turvy schedule.
"Niki!"
"Anna, I'm over here."
"What are you doing? You missed the craziest game," she paused trying to gage my lack of interest "anyways, din is on and we are all starvin'."
"Yeh, my toes are all raisins, so dinner sounds good."
I picked up my shoes and followed Anna. The katydids broke out in song as we climbed the hill back to the clearing. It was a sad tune. I regretted coming along on this adventure when I saw my best friends lined along picnic tables laughing, eating and living. I was dead inside and they could no longer help me.