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Year One - Winter - Age Ten
“Do you want me to teach you how to read?” Tim asked.
“What?” Mabel said.
He leaned against the doorframe of their apartment, which made him even shorter Mabel thought. “You know, since you’re too poor to know how,” he smirked.
Mabel groaned. This was the best he could do?
In the far end of the apartment, she heard her aunt yelling. “Mabel! Who’s at the door?”
Against her better judgement, she yelled back. “Just a friend!” A beat before she added. “Could we go hang out?”
“Sure, sweetie! Be back before dinner!”
She turned back to Tim who was suddenly cleaning something out of his ear. As soon as his eyes met hers he said, “Do poor people know how to talk without yelling?”
She rolled her eyes at him. She grabbed her jacket off the coat rack before pushing him out the door frame.
“Come on. You’re giving me a tour of this place.”
Year Two - Summer - Age Eleven
“You’re back,” Tim said, eyes wide.
Mabel squinted her eyes at him. She was sitting on the same fountain on the day they met and he stood at the same spot.
“And you’re blocking my light, scooch,” she waved, gesturing at the pencil and pad on her lap.
He hopped off without a question. “I didn’t think you’d come back,” He said in disbelief.
“Well, I didn’t think my parents would let me leave that island a second time but here I am,” she said.
Tim grinned. “So whatcha doing now?”
“Drawing, can’t you see?”
“That’s no way to spend the summer,” he snorted.
“Well, it’s how I would like to spend it,” she countered and went back to her drawing. She was stopped however, as he pulled her sketchbook from her and held it above his head.
She gave him a flat stare. “You know I’m taller than you, right?”
“Let’s go to Central Park,” he offered, ignoring her previous statement.
“I’ve already been and it was too cold,” she said as she stood. He took a step back but she had dealt with much worse tactics and was able to get her sketchbook back.
“Come on! There’s more to life than these four walls,” he gestured to the Arconia surrounding them.
She looked at him. Really looked at him. There was no dirt speck of dirt on his shoes and his polo didn’t have a single wrinkle. He was wearing pants of all things during the summer and he had a shiny watch on which she was sure was going to be stolen from him the moment they stepped out of the apartment building.
After a stare-off he said, “Don’t you want to go on an adventure, like those in the books you’ve been reading?”
Year Two - Winter - Age Eleven
“Merry Christmas,” Tim said and shoved a gift into her arms.
“Uh,” Mabel said as the gift was thrust into her arms.
She had just stepped into the building with her aunt who had picked her up from the airport. Her hat still had snow on it and she still had her luggage by her feet. Her aunt gave them a small smile before walking towards the elevator and leaving with her with Tim.
Her brain was short circuiting and she tried to think of something to say before it became awkward. “But it isn’t Christmas yet?”
“I know,” he nodded. “But I wanted to give it to you now.”
“Thank you,” she said, her brain finally finding the right words to say. She turned the gift over her hands. It was professionally wrapped and with a ribbon and a bow softer than anything she had in her closet.
“You're welcome,” he said. “It’s the new Hardy Boys by the way.”
She glowered at him. “You know the point of wrapping something was to make sure the person you’re gifting wouldn’t know what you’re giving them?”
He waved her off. “Who could wait that long? Plus, I wanted you to know in case you planned to buy it yourself.”
“What if I already bought the new one, huh?” she challenged.
“Oh. I just assumed you couldn’t afford to,” he mocked and she wanted to hit him.
Truth be told though, she forgot about the new book coming up. She had been so busy thinking about her trip here that it completely slipped her mind.
“Shut up,” she said as she tucked the gifted under an arm. With the other she grabbed the handle of her luggage. She walked past him and went to the elevator.
“So, you wanna hang out?” he asked as walked with her.
“I still have to unpack, Tim,” she sighed and entered the elevator. She pushed the button to her floor and he followed her in.
“Then we can hang out?” he asked again.
She laughed as the door closed with just the two of them. “Yes. Then we can hang out.”
Year Four - Winter - Age Thirteen
“Oh, god, that was the worst,” Mabel complained.
“Tell me about it,” Tim mumbled.
They were seated together on a couch in the boy’s room. It was dark blue and felt like a cloud and she wanted to fall asleep on it if it weren’t for the fact that she didn’t want to miss out on the New Year.
“Thanks for coming with me by the way,” Tim began. He gulped before continuing. “I know you didn’t want to go to this stupid party my dad’s throwing but it really means a lot to me.”
“Duh, dummy,” she smiled. “Couldn’t let my Hardy Boy go into the lion’s den alone,” she chuckled.
He laughed and then leaned back onto the couch. He closed his eyes and she watched as his breathing slow and slow. Without thinking about it, she reached over and flicked him on the head.
“Ow!” he yelled and turned towards her. “What was that for?”
She snorted. “You were falling asleep, it’s five minutes ‘til midnight,” she motioned to the clock on the wall.
He looked at the clock and said “Oh.” He turned his gaze back towards her and she suddenly wanted to sink into the couch. “Do you wanna go back outside?” he tentatively asked.
She cringed and looked at the door. She could still hear his father’s party raging on and wasn’t looking forward to navigating through the sea of drunk adults.
“I’d like to stay here if that’s alright with you,” she said.
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
She felt a yawn coming and did her best to fight it. She managed to fight it off when she felt someone bump her shoulder. Mabel looked up and was surprised to find her so close to him.
“Come on, M,” he teased. “You’re not falling asleep when it’s so close now, aren’t you?”
She blushed and pushed him off. “As if.”
He chuckled and moved away from her back to his side of the couch. “Yeah,” he said and faced the window overlooking the night sky.
He said in a whisper that he probably thought she couldn’t hear “As if. ”
She inhaled and moved to face the window too. And in a boost of courage she never thought she had, she grabbed his hand. She felt fear in the tense second before he reacted, thinking she’d misjudged the situation, but then it turned into relief when he squeezed her hand.
They could hear the countdown behind them, both from the TV and the guests of the party screaming it themselves.
The countdown hit zero and fireworks lit up the sky before them. Reds and oranges and yellows and pinks. She breathed in the beauty of it.
Despite the booming voices surrounding them, she heard him whisper.
“Happy New Year, Mabel.”
“Happy New Year, Tim.”
Year Five - Winter - Age Fourteen
This New Year, she kisses him.
Year Six - Summer - Age Fifteen
He doesn’t even let her take a step inside the building he asks her out. He’s at the airport surrounded by flowers and holding up a ‘Will you go out with me, Mabel Mora?’ card.
She laughs and kisses him.
Year Seven - Summer - Age Sixteen
They meet Oscar and Zoe and things start to go down all the way from here.
Year Nine - Winter - Age Eighteen
This New Year, he breaks up with her.
They scream and they fight as Zoe is covered up and Oscar is taken away.
They stare at each other as the elevator door closes.
This is the last time they see each other in the next ten years.
Year Nineteen - Summer - Age Twenty Eight
Mabel Mora books a flight to New York.