Seduction

Seduction

A 12 year-old boy is walking down a street, in what appears to be a small village, at the bottom of an incised valley. The sky is absolutely cloudless, and turning red as the sun starts setting. Coloured shadows are dancing on the moutain sides. A warm breeze plays with leaves, making them fly here and there. The little boy stops for a minute to look at this view with admirative eyes, and a sigh of wonder crosses his lips. After a moment, he starts walking again, and soon reaches a little house with blue walls and yellow shutters. He readjusts the little blue tie he’s wearing on top of a white shirt and matching blue cardigan, looks around him with nervous eyes, and finally knocks on the door. A woman with stunning eyes and long dark hair, looking in her early forties, opens the door and looks down at him with a tender smile.
‘Hello, Adam. You’re looking fancy tonight!’
‘Hi, Mrs. Patrick! Thanks, I hope she’ll like it! These are for you!’
He hands a bouquet of meadow flowers to her. He’s holding a little wicker basket in his other hand, which he keeps.
‘Why thank you very much, Adam! They’re beautiful! Now, let me see if Amelia is around. Don’t be back too late, okay?’
‘Yes, ma’am, I promise!’
The woman laughs gently and disappears inside the house. The boy waits, kicking little rocks around and looking at the sky, now turning purple and pink. After a moment, the door opens again and a girl, about the same age as the boy but looking exactly like her mother, stands on the doorstep with a little smile. She’s wearing a yellow dress, with a matching little bow in her hair. The boy blushes.
'Hi, Amelia, are you ready to go?’
'Go where?’ she asks.
'It’s a surprise’ he answers, and they both start walking.

After about ten minutes, they get to a large meadow, covered with flowers of all sorts. Motley looking patches of colours are slighlty waving in the breeze, their beauty accentuated by the hue of the sky. A white horse is grazing in the distance, not paying any attention to the two children. Both of whom are gazing at the landscape with wide open eyes, looking short of breath. Adam is the first one to finally move off after a minute, and starts setting a checked table cloth of the floor. While Amelia proceeds to sit next to him, he opens the wicker basket and takes sandwiches, a thermos flask and packs of sweets out of it.  The two children start chatting gaily while eating, until Adam recovers a serious face.
‘Look, Amelia, I’ve invited you to this picnic because I need to tell you something... I’m going to tell it all at once, and I’d really appreciate if you didn’t interrupt me, please. All right, we’ve been in the same class for two years now, and I’m ready to admit now that I noticed you on the very first day, and haven’t stopped thinking about you since. I know we’re only twelve and all my friends only think about cars and Pokémon cards, but I don’t care about all this. All I think about is you. You’re the prettiest girl in the whole year 8 . Your smile is like a breath of spring, your voice is soft like summer rain.’
‘Are you quoting the song Jol-’
‘Yes, I am. See, we even have the same musical tastes! Amelia, I’m completely in love with you, I had to tell you.’
The little girl suddenly looks really uncomfortable. She turns her head away, silently. In the distance, the white horse snorts, as if laughing at them. Amelia finally turns back towards the boy.
‘I’m sorry, it’s not possible.’ she says softly.
‘Oh... I... Is it because of the way I dress? I only put this tie tonight to impress you. My parrot told me it was a terrible idea, I knew he was right, I should’ve listened to him!’
‘You have a parrot who tells... Anyway, no, it’s not because of that, Adam, I just-’
‘Is it because my bike is not nice enough then? I’m not as rich as the others at school, but I try my best. Or is it because of my hair? I’ll cut it shorter if you want me to. Or my breath? I know it’s not alway the best, but I just really like to eat cheese and-’
‘ADAM. It’s none of that. Although you do smell a little bit like cheese sometimes.’
‘What is it then?’
‘I already love someone else. I’m sorry.’
Adam’s face distorts with sadness.
‘What... But who? Don’t tell me it’s Tony Deano, he’s a dork!’
‘It’s not. Adam, I-’
‘It’s not Scott is it? He’s awful, he keeps stealing my marbles, don’t tell me it’s him!’
‘It’s not Scott.’
‘Then who is he?! Who is that boy you love?’
Amelia sighs with exhaustion.
‘Emily Partridge.’