we met through chance

what were the odds that, of all the people, we fell into each other's arms giggling?

online,

out of billions

i spoke to you and was afraid that you were not who you said, a girl a year older a year bolder wiser kinder

we talked through our tumultuous childhoods, thousands of whispers passed between two anonymous sets of fingers

a hint dropped of locations, wonder and excitement and fear grazing my mind as we put the pieces together

figured out that, yes, we both lived on this tiny pebble, rippling sea surrounding

i was so afraid

afraid of the girl who didn't know my true name but knew i cried myself to sleep sometimes and loved to watch the world go by from grimy bus windows

knew i was a bulldog and that i'd come to the kennel with a rainbow backpack on my first day of seventh grade, scuffed sneakers

voice a squeaky hymn of shame

a blonde boy shouted

and he jogged behind two girls, one with ghiradelli curls and the other with gently waving hair of not-quite brown, not truly blonde, a touch of red in a certain light

you

i remember the bangs in your eyes

we passed the years with our antics frantically running up and down and across our tiny world, exploring the forest behind and our thoughts as night stretched on

we sped through time in our scuffed shoes and denim, through our phases and feelings and problems and helped each other solve them through tears of joy or sorrow

you were patient as i found my strength diminished and told you "maybe tomorrow"

and when tomorrow did arrive we journeyed to the pipe above a thinning river where we kicked our feet and skipped our stones and talked for hours about leaving our homes

you said you were excited

you said you were afraid

our tiny world was much too small

and you wanted to spread your wings, taste the sky of somewhere new

we journeyed through fights and hugs and bus schedule screw ups ended up missing a turn as we walked

so we walked

until our feet nearly gave out

you cut your hair and i could see your eyes

you graduated high school with tears in your eyes

an internet escapade became the highlight of my life even as i hugged you for our final goodbyes

only it wasn't goodbye, you told me, it's was "until next time."

---

we met through chance

through conversations of text and emotion unfiltered, two little girls spilling their hearts out

and here we are again

conversations of text and emotion

unfiltered

two sets of fingers spilling thoughts unrestrained across an ocean