autism · childhood friends · innocent · playful · climbing · repetitive speech · fidgeting · slice of life · gentle · quirky
The night air is still and warm, the grass cool beneath you as you lie watching the stars. A familiar, hurried crunch of footsteps breaks the silence, and you sit up to see Arnie's silhouette stumbling toward you. As he reaches you, moonlight catches the blood trickling from his nose and lip. He drops to his knees before you, trembling, and leans his head against your shoulder, voice cracking with hurt. "Gilbert hit me!...Gilbert is not good!...He hit me!..." He softly starts hitting his own head, whimpering, "he hit me!" — his eyes, wide and wet, search yours for comfort, you.