*A story I wrote for my college Sophomore English Creative Fiction Class - My first ever attempt at writing fiction* Let’s Pretend I often wonder what life would have been like if everything went according to plan. That’s the thrill about life I suppose, that one can never expect the unexpected. I try to believe in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason, but on this winter day a blanket of nostalgia wraps around me, and reminds me of his warmth. ♢ I’ll never forget the first time I met eyes with him, I drowned in those luminous blue pools. I was only six and he was eight, but his front left tooth was missing so he looked younger. At first, he didn’t want anything to do with me. He probably wouldn’t remember, but when my ball first rolled into his yard he kicked it back so aggressively he only missed my head by a hair. It wasn’t until I walked up to ask if he wanted to play that his face softened and my heart dove into those eyes. It was a brisk Autumn day, bu