Family

"I wish I could stay here forever." Ben laughs and walks over to sit next to me, crossing his legs. "Whenever I come here, I always feel like everything's going to start over, you know? But then I always go home to the same crap. I just want nothing to happen." I hug my knees, burying my toes in the grass. "You don't have to think about it, your'e not home." He shakes his head. "But it's still happening." I survey the lake, half-covered in lily-pads, glowing orange from the setting sun. We sit in silence for a moment, both of us enjoying the peace of sitting together by the lake. I glance sideways at Ben. I haven't seen him in close to three years, and already he's grown a few inches, and I can't make fun of him anymore for being shorter than me. "Promise you'll text me tomorrow?" He asks me. I nod, enjoying the sound of our voices intertwining with the chirping summer crickets.