GM, Slightly Elevated

I needed to leave.

Others were in the car already, waiting for me, but she was coming, running toward the driveway, carrying a pair of metal stilts.

"I want to show you how I can get up on these!"

Now I had to wait. She tried to climb up, first leading with her left foot, couldn't quite get there, then tried again, leading with her right.

Eight years old. Dark brown hair. The perfect number of freckles. She looked up at me, making sure I was waiting, trying again to climb up. Beautiful bluish green eyes glistened in the sunlight.

"I didn't know you had stilts."

"We got them for Christmas. They're actually my sister's."

The sister, now almost a teen, was the one I'd actually been attracted to for quite some time. She was the one with the easy smile, the outgoing nature, the cute personality, the exaggerated facial expressions, all the things that attract me in a girl. But now, recently, the younger sister had been drawing my attention, too. In different ways.

"I would have got the ones that have bottoms that look like feet."

I smiled. She looked up at me, almost smiling. She didn't really smile much, unless you really looked close. She had the long-lasting serious stare perfected.

"Maybe you'll be as tall as me when you get up on these."

"Maybe."

I knew I had to go soon, and I really did want to help her. Finally, I took the handle of each stilt in my hands, steadying each, as she grabbed them, our hands almost, not quite, touching, multicolored glittery fingertips gripping the stilt handles as she climbed easily now onto the stilts, and stood.

"Not quite as tall as me, yet."

"No. I just come up to your boobs."

I smiled and bit my tongue, checked my chest. Still a man, as far as I could tell. Then I looked back at her, locked gazes with her for a second, just a second longer, and another, hoping it wasn't too long. I gradually, reluctantly let go of the handles.

"Well, I'd better go."

"Bye."

And I climbed into the car as she stilted away.