Old Friend (Outdated)

     Dakota's heart was still racing as he held his cape around him closely, staring at his laptop screen. He blew it. Again. He was shaking at the thought of being alone again, not having anyone to talk to, or a group to call his own. Last time, from what he remembered, he was a crappy teen, and that's what caused the fallout. He was so focused on himself and what he wanted, Dakota tore those friendships up himself without even realizing it. This time? A misunderstanding. He was always terrible with words.

     He logged off, closed his laptop, and got up out of his chair. Dakota shakily made his way to the kitchen, and after getting a glass of water, he noticed how quiet the house was. After taking a few moments to calm himself, Dakota remembered that he was home alone. His dad had left a few hours ago to run some errands. He sighed with relief as he left the house after grabbing his guitar, and went to the woods nearby his home.

     Dakota began to relax as he saw the familiar trees and vines that made up his secret spot. He fondly remembered making the place himself shortly after discovering he had the power to control plants. A hammock made out of vines here, a small shelter of vines and branches there, and he even had a vine swing he liked to sit on when he was contemplating things. Dakota may have always wished that his magic would've been something cool, like teleportation or summoning, something other than controlling plants, but he had to admit it's grown on him. He was able to make a home away from home.

     After he managed to stop shaking, Dakota sat on the vine swing and adjusted his cape so it wouldn't get in the way, then gently grabbed his guitar. He received the generic, brown acoustic instrument back a few years ago, but never did start learning how to play it until recently. He was still getting the hang of playing different chords, and so far he only knew a few basic songs. Right now, that didn't matter to him as he strummed away, trying to forget about what had just happened.

     An hour later, Dakota opened the door to his home and smelled dinner cooking. He knew it was one of his favorites. He silently thanked his dad as he went back to his room. He put up his guitar before getting back on his laptop. Dakota's shoulders slumped at the thought of being alone again. Maybe it was better this way. Keeping everyone within arms reach might save him from going through this pain again. He checked on his social media, eyeing his notifications to see if his old friend had found him or not. She was the only one he wanted to talk to right now. It had been years since he last saw Dixie, and he was longing to see her again.

     A few years had passed, and Dakota had only stayed in contact with his closest friends. He found ways to pass the time when they were busy. He'd normally practice playing the guitar, which he's gotten better at, or help his dad out with some things. He never did go look for a job. Dakota was terrified of going out in the world, even with some places nearby he was interested in working at.

     Today, he was checking his social media once again. One arm on his desk supporting his head, while the other one was scrolling through the website. He froze when he saw someone familiar. Long, ginger hair, freckles, and a familiar, friendly smile. He'd recognize her anywhere! Hope sparkled in his eyes and he followed the account. That had to be Dixie! He was trying to stop himself from shaking with excitement when he heard the ding of a message being sent.

     Dakota jumped when he heard it. He took a moment to calm down before checking the message. He was beaming when he saw that it was his old friend. The two of them spent hours together, catching up on what's been going on, asking about new hobbies, and trying to find a way to meet at sometime. He found out that Dixie lived far from Marina. She lived all the way in Laminie! The two of them settled on meeting in Unity City next month.

     While Dakota was putting on his pajamas that night, his thoughts were filled with Dixie. How would it go meeting up with her again? Would she still like him? She was interested in what he was saying, so he thought it'd be fine. And maybe, just maybe, he could tell her that he never wants to be apart from her again. Dakota nodded to himself as he got into bed. He'd find a way to tell her that he loved her.