• Echo gazed through the rustic chain-linked fences and into the playground. It was getting near sunset, but that never stopped her from rejoicing with her adolescent heart at the age of 16. She walked around the fences to enter the grounds of children’s play, she placed herself on the swings to relax on as she blared her favorite song from her ipod. Sarah McLachlan “Push” was her favorite song and a few others. She slipped it back into her sweater pocket and looked down the sand ditch below her, she hummed along with the song’s tune as she gently closed her eyes. Her meditation was interrupted when she felt a slight nudge, someone had grabbed the chains of her swing. She quickly turned her head to look over her left shoulder, there she found a young man smiling as he held her swing with one of his hands and the other in his pocket. Quite handsome, she thought to herself. She looked closer at him to study his features, he had coal black long hair with dark brown eyes. His gaze was so mesmerizing, he seemed like he was somewhat…soft-hearted.
    “Is there something I can do for you kind sir?” She asked
    “Ever heard of not talking to strangers?” He replied
    Echo just shrugged,” Who really follows all the rules? Besides you would be considered a hypocrite for that comment.”
    “A Hypocrite? Why by jolly you are correct. Let me introduce myself.” He said in a emphatic tone, he bowed,” I am none other than Midnight W. Lyncaster, and may I be blessed to know of the name of an angel?”
    Echo stood up to her feet and as courteous gesture bowed in return,” I am sorry to say that you shall not be blessed but instead prolonged to withhold the knowledge of my given name.”
    Midnight laughed,” You deprive me the honor to know so? May I ask what is your purpose?”
    “Ok seriously how the hell did we start talking like this? Where I come from this is white people talk.”
    “Then where you come from is obviously less educated and evolved.”
    “You said it.” Echo answered in agreement,” But hey, stupidity is sometimes entertaining to laugh at.”
    “True. So tell me, where do you come from or tell me your name.” He asked, Echo hesitated thinking of which fact to tell first.
    “One fact about me for today unfortunately, tomorrow you get another chance. But I come from another city in California.”
    “City girl in country side of New York?”
    “Yeppers, Orangeburg I guess caught my parent’s attention and with that is now bestowed a greater presence than God himself.”
    “God?”
    She peered at him and corrected herself ,“Ok maybe greater than Obama.”
    He laughed hard, Echo was known to be funny and sarcastic all the time, one could never actually tell if she was ever serious or not at times. Once he had calmed down a bit he asked,” So when will I get to know of your name?”
    “Tomorrow.”
    “When?”
    “When fate decides.” Echo said coyly, honestly she never believed in coincidences or such things as fate. She never really cared to waste her time debating on whether a greater being did have control of her life’s path or not, so she just decides to go with the flow and see where it will take her.
    Midnight pursed his lips,” I cannot wait that long.”
    Echo smiled,” Good things come to those who wait.” With that she turned and walked away.
    Echo was an only child, well she actually had a step sister who was just a few months younger than she. Her father wanted to raise Echo away from all the ghetto, not to mention a better job offer with more pay. Echo always thought her sister was prettier than her, but hated her for her personality. Her name was Lily Liggle, Lily kept her last name after her mother remarried ,she would have rather be laughed at for her mother’s last name rather than ‘Green’. Lily had dirty blond hair that reached past her shoulders to her lower back alone with blue eyes. Echo only had shoulder-length auburn hair with dark brown eyes, she inherited her hair color from her biological mother and swore never to dye it to any other color.
    When Echo got home Lily was coming down the stairs,” Back so soon Echo?” She said,” I thought you would be gone longer.” She added as she hid her hand behind her back.
    Echo just sighed,” I guess there was an intuition that told me that I should come home. So sorry to alter your plans in your little world.” Echo walked away,” By the way Lily that book isn‘t my diary, its my old English project. Enjoy it.” She smiled and chuckled lightly while grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She could hear the frustrated grunt from Lily and the stomping of her feet going back up the stairs.
    Now that she was done with Lily she decided to go to bed, she went up the stairs with the smile still on her face. She peered in her parent’s bedroom and saw that they were already fast asleep with CNN on so she goes in to turn it off and silently closes the door on her way out.
    Meanwhile, Midnight rushed home trying to guess the young girl’s name. He felt that it would haunt him for all eternity. He had barely just met the young girl and already was captured in her grasps. On the way home he ran into his best friend Jaye Abernethy, he looked busy but he needed something to get his mind off of the girl.
    “Hey Jaye. What are you doing?”
    “Just coming back from a date.” He answered with a smile,” I think she might be the one.” He sat himself down on the steps to his house leaning back, gripping his knees and sighing in satisfaction as though his journey had finally been over.
    “You just keep telling yourself that.” Midnight replied sarcastically.
    Jaye pursed his lips into a pout,“ Aww…You’re just jealous. Besides what trouble were you up to?”
    Midnight sat down next to him wrapping his arms around his knees,“ I just met a girl at the park.”
    Jaye leaned forward to look at Midnight in the face with a grin,“ Oh? Anyone I would know? What’s her name?”
    “She’s new around here, she’s from California. I wish I knew her name but she said she wouldn’t tell me until tomorrow and its killing me!” He tightened his lips frustrated by her little game.
    “Well if someone isn’t in love already.”
    “It’s not that. I mean she was pretty amazing to talk to, very refreshing. Pretty cute I would have to say. But her little games just aggravate me so.”
    “Yeah that’s love alright.” Jaye declared, before Midnight could protest he jumped up and stretched,” Well it was nice catching up with you but I got to get some shut eye. Good luck on uncovering your mystery girl’s name.” With that he left him sitting on the steps. Midnight just heaved a heavy sigh and walked down the street until he reached his house. He was the eldest out of four, his youngest was barely just turning on, his name was Lunar. Then he had a sixteen year old sister; Ayra and a thirteen year old brother; Amari. He got along with them most of the time, but his mission was to get closer with Lunar to hopefully have a healthier relationship with at least one sibling. It was quiet at his house when he got home, his mom was probably out doing some grocery shopping with Lunar while Amari and Ayra were busy with their homework.
    He went into his room and collapsed onto his bed and sighed, he silently prayed that fate be on his side and hopefully lead him to her once more. Tomorrow was Sunday, so maybe Monday at school he would get the chance to run into her. Or maybe she’ll be going to the park again tomorrow. As all these theories rushed through his head he was getting more and more interested and tired, but he couldn’t even sleep then. Until finally his eyelids grew heavy and finally did he give in to sleep.