Clark grew up in a classic suburban neighborhood. There were good families all around him. It was a great place to raise kids, and therefore he was surrounded by them growing up. He was one of the youngest kids during his childhood. Only one other was his same grade in school, and her name was Isabella. She lived a few houses down the street.
When they were young and less concerned with whether hanging out with the opposite sex was cool or not, they bonded over being the youngest in the area. They always were the last to try and experience things, but they learned a lot from watching others. Sometimes they were teased for being the youngest.
Early on, Isabella took a liking to field hockey. It wasn't considered the coolest of sports, but she was very good at it. She was practicing in her backyard one day when some of the other kids began making fun of her.
"That sport is so stupid," one of the older boys yelled to her.
"Why don't you play something fun like basketball or soccer," another one said.
Clark was walking with the boys. He could have chimed in and made fun of her as well, but he saw she was getting upset. He always empathized with Isabella because she was young like he was.
Clark decided to speak up and said, "Guys come on, leave her alone. Why do you care what she likes to do?"
"It's just so lame," one of the boys replied. "Come on guys let's go," he said while waving for everyone to follow him. Isabella dropped her stick and had tears in her eyes. Clark didn't follow the older boys. Instead he went up to Isabella. He picked up her stick and handed it to her.
"Don't listen to them," he said. "I think it's cool."
"Thanks Clark," Isabella said wiping her eyes.
"Why don't you take a break," Clark insisted. "I found this cool spot in the woods where the water is deep enough to skip some rocks." He grabbed her hand and lead her to the small stream. He showed her how to skip rocks. "Just bend down low, and flick your wrist as you throw." It took her a while, but eventually Clark found her a perfect skipping rock and she was able to get one to skip a few times.
"I did it!" Isabella exclaimed. "That was so cool." Clark rushed into the stream and grabbed the rock from the bottom of the water.
"You have to keep this," he said excitedly. "Your first skipping rock is good luck," he said as he handed it back to her.
"Thanks Clark," Isabella said as she took it from him. They rushed back home before their parents got worried where they went. To Clark that may have seemed like a regular afternoon, but Isabella never forgot how he stuck up for her.
..........
As Isabella and Clark got older they hung out less and less. Clark had his guy friends and Isabella had her girlfriends. Their interests diverted and they grew apart. They were still friendly of course. They interacted at school, during block party events, etc. During high school, Clark found a girlfriend by his Sophomore year. He liked her well enough and enjoyed having a significant other. Her name was Lisa and they dated for most of his remaining time in high school.
Toward the end of senior year, the Prom was right around the corner and Clark was enjoying his last year. His car was currently in the shop, so his girlfriend Lisa was dropping him off at his house. This was when his world was turned upside down. Clark went in for a goodbye kiss when Lisa suddenly pulled back.
"Clark I want to talk to you about something," she tells him cautiously.
The color instantly drained from Clark's face, "Okay go ahead." He knew this couldn't be good.
"I want to break up," she tells him. "I just feel like college is approaching fast and since we are going to different schools I don't think we are going to work out."
"Whoa, where is this coming from?" Clark says taken aback. "I thought we always said we would give it a shot? Besides that's months away."
"I don't think I'm going to be able to do it Clark," Lisa replies. "I don't think I can trust you in a long distance relationship."
Clark was instantly hurt. "What do you mean you couldn't trust me? Why would you say that?"
She starts getting defensive, "You really think you wouldn't start looking at other girls when you get to college Clark?" Her tone is aggressive now. "Look, this has been a long time coming. I've thought about this a lot and its what I want."
Clark has no idea what to say. He feels surprised, angry, sad, and more all at once. He doesn't understand the timing. Prom is in less than a week and they won't leave for college for another 4 months. There is plenty of time.
"I don't know what to say," he finally tells her.
"I think you should go Clark. We can talk more later," she says coldly.
Clark opens the door. He closes it behind him, and without either person saying goodbye, Lisa drives off. Clark doesn't move for a second. He just stands there.
Isabella came home from school at about the same time Clark and Lisa did. She was walking from her car to her house when she saw them arguing. She stopped to watch since it looked like a heated conversation. When Clark got out, she could tell there was slmething wrong. She watched and tried to think of something to say.
Eventually she can see him start to cry. There is no sound but he is wiping tears from his face. He never saw her and starts walking into his house like his heart has been ripped out.
Isabella wants to help him. Despite not been as close as they once were, she still cares deeply for Clark. She always had a crush on him. Her whole life she had wanted to be his girlfriend. It seemed like he always had one though, so she never made an attempt to win him over.
Right now, this has nothing to do with that. She just cares for her friend and wants to check on him. She puts all her stuff down in the house and gives him a few minutes before walking up to talk to him.
When she gets there, she rings the doorbell and waits for him to answer. It is actually his mom who opens the door.
"Hello Isabella," Clark's mom greets her with a hug. Being neighbors for all of her life, Isabella is very comfortable around her. She is one of many mothers in the neighborhood who had a part in raising her.
"Hi Mrs. Wilson. I came over to see Clark" Isabella tells her.
"Okay well he's in his room. He didn't say anything to me when he came inside. I'm not sure he's in a great mood" she says in a way only a concerned mother could.
"That's why I came over. I just wanted to check on him," Isabella says.
Mrs. Wilson opens the door wide, "Okay well good luck sweetie, let me know if you need anything." Isabella goes upstairs to Clark's room. She thinks she can hear some crying. She knocks on the door, but Clark doesn't answer. The possible crying sound stops though. She knocks again.
"Not right now mom," Clark says. Isabella decidea to open the door anyway. When she does, she sees Clark laying down with his face into a pillow. He looks up, already speaking before seeing her, "Seriously Mom please leave me...oh Isabella what are you doing here?" He quickly sits up and wipes his eyes. He tries to play it cool, but it is too late.
"I saw you outside with Lisa and wanted to check on you," Isabella says looking him in the eye even though he was staring at the ground. "Everything okay?" she asks.
"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks anyway," Clark says dismissively. Isabella knows he isn't fine of course.
"Come on Clark, what's up?" she asks while sitting next to him on his bed.
"Lisa just broke up with me," Clark tells her while stifling tears. Isabella hasn't seen Clark so vulnerable in years. He usually put on a face that says he is unfazed by most things, as many boys do. Now she is sat here with this 18 year old young man, but he is totally ruined.
"I'm sorry Clark," is all she says at first. She inches closer to him and grabs his hand. He looks up at her and saw a long time friend showing she really cares. She allows silence to fill the room for as long as he needs.
"I just don't know where this came from. I was not expecting this at all," Clark finally says.
Isabella places her other hand on top of the same one she was already holding, sandwiching his hand between hers. "She didn't give you any signs she was unhappy before this?" she asks.
"None that I noticed," Clark tells her. "Maybe I missed them. I don't know why but I feel so stupid." Seeing and hearing Clark so disheveled hurt. Sometimes seeing other people in pain can be worse than experiencing it for yourself. Especially when you care for them like Isabella does for Clark.
"Let's try to take your mind off it for now," Isabella says. "Want to go skip some rocks?" she asks him.
"Seriously?" Clark says. "We haven't done that in forever."
"Yeah come on," Isabella says grabbing his arm and leading him out of the room. They walk downstairs. Mrs. Wilson is in the kitchen. Clark doesn't look her way, but Isabella does. Isabella gives her a look that told her she was helping her son. That was all Mrs. Wilson needed to know. She does not ask where they are going.
Isabella and Clark don't say much on the walk to the stream. She doesn't want to force anything and figures he'll speak when he wants to. When they got there Clark finally says, "This used to seem so much bigger."
"I know. That's not the only thing that's changed since we were kids," Isabella says.
"What do you mean?" Clark asks her.
"We used to hang out a lot more, I've missed you," she says while tossing her first rock.
