With a steady hand, you draw another thick wire looping around the neck of the machine, finishing your sketch. Its name escapes you right now, but you can always see it clearly from your bedroom window, with all those other bright yellow machines working away on that new highway. They almost blend in with the autumn forest of fireworks that rain down with every breeze, except for that tall serpentine one.
‘Soon.’ You think, a small grin tugging at your lips.
The black snake stretches and curves around the snow-covered hills, letting the from-awayers enter the seaside town that you live in. You gaze out at each moving speck, because in one of them is your pen pal, Claire. Since the two of you aren’t old enough to drive yet, she had to be driven everywhere… But now that the highway is completed and driving time within the county is boasted to be halved, you two can finally meet face to face after two years.
“Robin!” Dad calls from downstairs. “I just got a call from Claire’s Mother. They just entered the town. C’mon, get your coat; we’ll meet them at the café.” They’re here! A jolt of lightning zaps you to action. Grabbing your sketch book and leaping from the desk, you rocket down the stairs. Wrapping your bright blue scarf around you and throwing on the coat, you follow Dad to the car.
“Hi, Claire!” You wave to the blond girl, instantly recognizing her. Claire’s hair is only a bit longer than when you last saw her. She approaches you with a smile and the two of you order some drinks for yourselves.
“Paying for your date?” The woman winks at you, like she knows some inside secret. Oh, god.
“We’re siblings.” Claire lies with a straight face before you can groan. The woman blushes and mumbles out a quick sorry before taking the money.
“Nice save.” You sigh out in relief, considering your dramatic groans end up making a scene, more or less.
“Thanks.” She replies and the two of you go to your own table while your parents catch up. Yep, two great generations of friends, only both of your parents never have to deal with those stupid comments, comments that almost ended your friendship with Claire.
“Oh, hey, I brought my sketchbook.” You show the book to Claire, successfully chasing away memories from Elementary School.
“Cool.” She flips through it, stopping at the sketch of the bulldozer. “It’s kinda empty.” You shrug at her statement, taking off your coat. “Can I draw on it?”
You nod and watch her doodle on figures and stars, then adding some colours from her pencil kit. You both love to draw, but while you prefer realism, she does Petit Prince-esque cartoons.
“That looks great. You can keep it, if you want.”
"Okay, I'll give you the final version."
The next time you see her, she shows you her final piece, which had two long-time friends on a bulldozer flying through space, dropping cosmos and a making constellations to light up the night.
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