The long grass that grew behind the freshwater pond only seemed green when it kept her hidden. She was an expert at hiding. Yet, her sweet blue eyes and long auburn locks still managed to poke through the dewy vegetation on occasion. I had always wanted to call out to her, to ask her if something was wrong, and what she was hiding from. But, from what I've learned, not everyone who hides wants to be found.

I never knew why anyone like her would want to hide. Girls like Mabel Winsley are given anything and everything. Although her bubbly personality and frequent laughter might say otherwise, I knew that there was a deep pain inside of her. One that would never be understood in her world. A world of fancy dinners and expensive cars, of rich uncles and demanding parents. 

Her concerned expression beckoned to me that night. It called me to go over to her and lift the pain off of her shoulders. I sat in the dirt, clothed in some old khakis and a baseball tee. My feet forced me to stand up, and my legs dragged me over to her. I wasn't quiet enough. She turned around, frightened. It was too dark for her to see who I was, not that she would recognize me anyway. Her scream was like a gun shot. Loud and painful.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you...I was just sitting over there, and I saw you...", my voice trailed off. I didn't know what to say, so I just mumbled.

"Get away from me, you creep! Who are you anyway?", she demanded. Her pale skin shone in the moonlight, distracting me from her continued words. "Um...hello?!"

"Oh, sorry. Uh, I'm Larkin Garrick. We go to school together...?", I said, knowing that she had never heard that name before. She was no longer red and angry, just guilty. She had no clue who I was, not that it surprised me.

"Okay, well, what were you doing out here spying on me?", she asked. I stared at her for a few seconds trying to think of a reasonable response.

"I wasn't, I was just out here looking up at the stars, and I thought I heard something. Uh, sorry, I have to go now," I exclaimed. I ran over to where I left my backpack and disappeared in an instant. 

I felt as quick as lightning, my feet gliding over the muddy ground. My first time talking to Mabel Winsley didn't go as well as I had hoped.