Real Ugly

I knew the sound of his bike being tossed aside as he leapt off it and ran down the hill. Half sliding as he skid to me.

His face was smudged with brown, and he caught my arms to pull me from under my bike to steady me onto my knees. “Are you okay?”

He frantically pushed the hair from my face with one hand. Inspecting my cheeks and seeing if my eyes could focus on him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay.” I sobbed. Dropping my face in my hands.

“You’re crying?” He let me go. His hands hovering aside us as if he was unsure what to do.

I tossed myself against his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He hesitated only a moment before wrapping me up. He stood, climbing me to my feet with him as he sidestepped the last way to the dip between the hills. Holding onto me while I cried and snotted into the side of his collar and wetted his hair.

He didn’t say anything. Just standing there hanging onto me.