The air was brisk and cool, a perfect fall day. We went to the school playground, as it was the only one in town that was sure to be safe on a weekend, and the bright plastic colors had always lured me.

As soon as we got there, she made a dash for the swings, on the other side of the building. “Hey, wait up!” I cried, but my fifteen year old legs quickly caught up, then matched her stride. The swings were black, rubbery, not nearly as enticing as the slides. “Why over here?” I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, a gesture I almost missed beneath the sweatshirt, and with a practiced grace, leaped onto a swing. “I can go higher than you!” she crowed, a challenge. I settled myself next to her, and began pumping my legs, loving the feeling of flying.

When we finally ground to a halt, the smile that lit her face was beautiful. “Want to go to the slides now?”The smile slid from her face like sap;her whole body tensed up. “Hey, what’s up?” I reached out, but she shrugged me off.

Tears poured down her face.