A Chance Meeting
She was looking up at the slide, intimidated by how big it was. The older kids at the playground didn't seem to notice. But Laura did. It wasn't that she was scared to go on it, no. This is Laura Hollis we're talking about. She wasn't scared of anything.....except maybe spiders.
"Laura! C'mon, time to go home sweetie!"
She heard her father call out to her, but she was frozen in that spot. It wasn't until a little girl running full speed completely smacked into her that she moved.
Laura's father came rushing over, concerned for both girls. Neither of them were crying so he assumed everything was alright. He helped them up and addressed the other girl.
"Are you alright?" he asked in a calm and concerned tone. "You took quite a fall there. What were you running o fast from?"
The small, dark haired girl looked up at the man and exploded into tears. He was taken aback by the suddenness of it all and tired his best to calm the crying girl down. Laura didn't understand what was going on and decided to help her father try to comfort the poor girl for whom she had o idea what her name was.
"I got this, dad!" itty bitty Laura exclaimed in a really high pitched voice.
Her father held his hands up and backed away, "You work your magic, sweetie!"
Laura placed her hand on the other girls shoulder and before she could think, the crying girl attacked her with a hug, sobbing harder now. Laura quickly wrapped her arm around her, knowing that everyone needs a nice hug every once in a while.
When both girls pulled back from their long hug, Laura wasted no time in asking who the little girl was that just soaked her shirt in tears.
"Hey, are you feeling any better?" she asked. "What's your name?"
The dark haired girl looks at Laura and wipes at her eyes, sniffles, then lets out a tiny giggle. "I'm sorry i cried all over your shirt. I'm Carmilla by the way, but you can call me Carm if you want. That's what Mattie calls me."
"That's a weird name. But I like it. My name is Laura, but you can call me Laura."
Carm let out a loud laugh at Laura's attempt to joke with her.
An older girl, who Laura assumed to be Mattie came running over to Carm. She knelt down beside her and asked what had happened. Laura's father knelt down too and explained that they ran into each other and that theyre both fine.
"I'm okay, Mattie, really. Don't worry." Carm said as she picked herself up and brushed off the little bit of dirt that had collected on her shirt and shorts. Mattie checked that she was fine and went back to the swings where she originally was.
Laura glanced down and saw that there was a small trickle of blood forming on Carms right knee. She pointed at it, "Carm, I think you're bleeding!!"
That was apparently the wrong thing to say because the small girl burst into a fit of tears all over again. Laura didn't know what to do and looked at her father for help. The tall man looked down at his daughter and then to the crying girl and suddenly had an idea.
Hel knelt back down next to Carm and gently put his hand on her shoulder, "If it's okay with your mom, you are more than welcome to come over our house for some cookies. We can even watch one of your favourite shows if you'd like."
Carm seemed to lighten up at the mention of cookies and the biggest grin spread across her face, "REALLY?! DO YOU MEAN IT!!??"
"Of course I do. Just make please make sure you have--" and beffore he could even finish his sentence, the little girl had taken off like a speeding bullet. "--your mother's permission."
Laura felt herself become overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. This little gilr who she had only just met, by chance at that, was coming over her hopuse to have cookies with her. Laura definitely felt like she had just made a new friend. Her first friend she's ever had.
---
Tiny Laura Hollis struggled to open the giant front door to her house, but when asked if she needed help she insisted that she was a big girl and that she could do it all by herself. She needed to make a good impression on Carm if she wanted to be best friends with her forever. Or at least that's what 4 year old Laura thought.
Carm waked in and immediately took off her shoes and set them neatly next to the now closed door. She then made her way slowly towards the couch in the living room and plopped down next to a waiting Laura.
"My dad went into the kitchen to get us some cookies. Whaddya wanna watch?"
She looked over and into the eyes of possibly the most curious girl she has ever seen. Carm may only be 4 years old, but she knows that this friendship is going to last a very long time.
Wait.
Friendship? Carm didn't even know if they were officially friends yet. I mean, She was happily welcomed into their home and they were so very nice to her even when she was crying so hard. Was Laura her friend now? She wated to ask but she wasn't sure she should.
Oh well. What's there to lose?
She answered the curious girl sitting so close to her, "Ya know, I'm fine with watching watever you wanna watch. I have a really REALLY important question for you, though."
Laura looked even more curious, which is something Car didn't think was even possible.
"What is it?" Laura pestered, desperately looking for an answer in Carm's facial expressions, but coming up short.
Carm hesitates for a moment but looks into Laura's bright eyes and she's met with a sudden burst of confidence. "Did you wanna be my best friend?"
Laura almost shrieks with joy and excitement, "OF COURSE I WANNA BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!!!"
Before she can even think, Carm is tackled in a hug. At first, it startles her. She's never been hugged like this before by someone else. After a moment, she wraps her arms arounf the tiny girl and decides that this is the best moment of her short short life.
By far.