Chapter 1: Childhood
Every child hates being left alone, whether they were shy, left out, or even claimed that they didn’t want to play with other kids. They ALL hated it deep down regardless of what they said, and 9-year-old Amy Woodwick here is no different.
Amy wasn’t lonely in the way you think she had no friends because she did, like a lot. In fact, she was one of the most popular kids in the town. But what made her seem or at least feel lonely was that despite her young age, she felt like the other kids her age weren’t really her friends but more like her ‘fans’. You may ask how so, and the answer is pretty simple.
You see, Amy’s dad, Gary Woodwick, was a really popular swimmer back in the day, and though he retired many years ago, the town they currently live in is pretty small so everyone knows each other well, and they all know practically everything that goes on, making his legacy go on for years to come. So it was pretty natural because of how strikingly similar Amy looks to her dad, with long silky black hair and emerald green eyes, plus with how many people, especially the kids, look up to great old Gary, she would also be well known around Windluck Town.
It was rather one warm afternoon while Amy was just trying to enjoy a delicious ice pop under the shade that would completely turn her emotionally lonely life around.
“Hey, what flavor is that?”
A small voice came from the side of the porch. Amy just assumed it was another kid her age who came to bother her, planning to bombard her with questions about her father’s golden days, but she still answered the girl anyway.
“Raspberry punch.”
“Ooh, that’s my favorite flavor!”
Amy was about to send the girl off on her way as she didn’t want to answer the same old questions, but she turned around to look at the unfamiliar face and realized that she was new.
“Hey... you’re not from around here, aren’t you?”
“Yep! I just moved here from the big city. What about you?”
“Well, I’ve been here my whole life. Actually my great-grandfather founded this town back when he was a teenager.”
“Oh wow! That’s so cool!! What’s your name, by the way? You seem pretty fun.”
“It’s Amy, yours?”
“Huh?”
“Yours as in what about your name... It isn’t that hard to understand.”
“Ohhh, sorry!!” the girl said embarrassedly, face flushing a bit pink. “It’s Mary, Mary Skyhigh.”
Amy chuckled to clear the slight tension but then played back what she had just heard.
“Wait, Skyhigh? Your last name is Skyhigh?”
“Uhm yes. Why?”
“Oh uh do you happen to know a girl named Sandra Skyhigh? She’s like about a year older than us.”
“Yep, that’s my cousin. I don’t really like her though, she used to live near me about a year ago back in the big city, and she was OBSESSED with me!”
“Obsessed?”
“Yes!”
“In what way?”
“Well to start, she’d NEVER leave me alone. Everything I did, anything I’d want to do, she would always copy me!”
“Well maybe she admires you.”
“Well that’s what I thought at first, everyone also had thought the same thing, but...”
“But?”
“She never acted like she liked me at all, she was always so mean to and tried to act like me but better.”
“Oh wow. That’s just pretty weird, not going to lie. Hey, how about I show you around town since you’re new?”
“Ok, that sounds good”
“Alright, but before we go, I’m just going to get another ice pop. Want one?”
“Yeah sure, thanks!”
“No problem!”
The two then went on to tour the town until sundown. Although Mary asked a bunch of questions here and there about the town’s history, Amy didn’t mind because at least it wasn’t only about her father’s fame. And from that day onwards, they were inseparable, like actually so close that barely a few weeks later they got one of those magnetic matching friendship necklaces with the phrase ‘BFF’ engraved on them. It was just like that one saying:
“Two peas in a pod.”
