“Hey Chen-chen?” you ask, grinning when you see him pout.

“I told you not to call me that! That’s my baby name! My name is now Chen! C-h-e-n, Chen!” he complains making a point of puffing his chest and standing taller.

“Whatever, you’re still short like one.” you retort sticking your tongue out at him. Returning the gesture he goes ahead of you, pulling himself up onto the thick trunk of the tree.

“Hey, wait for me!” you shout, hurrying to catch up. He’s always been the better climber, to your envy, and reminds you of it every time you scale trees together.

Which is basically every day so, he’s a butthead.

“Hurry up you slowpoke! Gosh, you’re like a slug!”

“We can’t all be squirrels like you Chen-chen!”

“Chen! It’s just Chen, idiot!”

“Whatever, dork.”

The two of you grin crookedly with gaps spacing your teeth awkwardly against one another. Finally catching up to him you sit yourself beside him on your usual spot on the large branch and dangle your legs over the edge. It feels like you’re swinging them a hundred feet over the ground below, the space left in between like the space between you (the ground) and the sky (you).

“About time, you’re about as fast as a cloud.” Chen teases poking you.

“That’s not fair! You know there’s not enough space for the two of us to actually race each other up!” you whine hitting his arm.

“Ow! Geez, I was just kidding.” he mutters rubbing his arm.

“You were asking for it.”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not, idiot!”

“Was too, dork!”

Another exchange of toothy grins as the two of you giggles childishly. As your laughter quiets down the only sound left is the gentle rustle of leaves around you. Your eyes wander to the space between you and Chen, the occasional spot of light dancing in it as the leaves sway with the breeze.

“Hey, Chen-chen?” you ask, tracing the design of the bark idly with your small finger.

“Chen!” he chides habitually.

“Whatever, just listen!”

He complies with a stubborn “humph.” You roll your eyes with a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

“Do you ever think we’ll stop being friends one day?” you ask, wondering if he’ll catch your implication.

“What kind of question is that?! We’re going to be best friends forever!” he shouts, throwing his arms up wildly with an oblivious grin.

He didn’t.

“I know, but I mean when we’re older.” And can do all those older kid things like holding hands.

“Doesn’t matter, we’ll be friends forever until we die and be buried together!”

“That’s so weird.”

Good grief the point just went right over his head.

“No, it’s not! It’s what best friends do!”

“I don’t think so-”

“Yes, they do! You’re just a big idiot that doesn’t know these things!”

“Hey! I know things!”

“Not this!”

“I do now!”

“Because of me.”

“I don’t even know why we’re friends.”

“Me either, I’m only friends with smart people.”

“Hey!”

He sticks his tongue out at you and hops off the branch. No matter how many times he does it the action always leaves you watching after him and expecting to see a big mess of your friend below you. Yet, like every time, he’s fine. Bounding to his feet and flashing that gapped grin at you with pride.

“Let’s go inside, I want pocky!” he calls from what feels like a thousand feet below you.

“We just had pocky!” you retort, eyeing the distance to the ground warily.

“So, I want more! You can never have too much pocky!” he sing-songs jumping up and down impatiently.

“You can go inside by yourself. I’ll just-just stay up here and wait.” you reply, clinging to the branch.

“Nope! I’m not going in until you come down too!” he states adamantly crossing his arms.

“Fine, I’ll come down then.” Although, you’re not exactly sure when you’ll come down, let alone how you will. With a gulp you try to slide yourself off the branch but succeed in only frightening yourself more, retaking your place firmly planted to the branch quickly. Turning to the trunk from where you climbed up you decide to try and climb back down. Scooting to the end of the branch you carefully lie down on your stomach and reach town with your feet for a steady place to climb down on. After about two minutes you can’t seem to find one, slipping when you reach down further and nearly falling off.

Scrambling back up onto the branch you look down at Chen, who’s now sitting on the ground in wait, with a pleading look.

“Can you get my dad to bring me down?” you ask, pointing to your house. That’s how this usually worked, you and Chen climb up, he jumps down, and knowing you can’t follow suit you call your dad to get you down.

He doesn’t give you an immediate response, his brows knit in thought as he rises to his feet.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

You stare at him in utter disbelief.

“Are you just going to leave me up here then?!”

“No, I’m going to catch you.”

You blink.

“What?”

“I’m serious, I’m going to catch you.” he repeats with his usual confident and gapped grin.

“Sorry, but, you’re not as strong as you think you are…” As cool as he thinks he is, Chen’s still just another scrawny eight year old boy. There is no physical way possible he can manage to catch you the way he thinks he can without breaking at least one bone.

“Heck yeah I am! Now, hurry up and jump!” he instructs holding out his arms beneath you.

“No, there is no way I’m doing that! I’m going to break you!”

“You can’t break me, I’m like superman!”

“Chen-chen, you dork you are not superman.”

“Chen! I am Chen-man!”

“That’s it, I’m yelling for my dad.”

“Aw, come on! I’ll catch you! Promise! You won’t even get a scratch!” he urges with a pout.

Darn him and your like-like feelings!

“Fine then! You better catch me like you said!” you shout giving in.

“Don’t worry! You’ll be safe and sound!” he assures with a pleased cheer.

“Promise?”

“I already did, idiot! Now jump!”

“Hold your horses, dork! Count to three!”

“Okay! One!”

Taking a deep breath you shut your eyes and slowly slide off the branch.

“Two!”

Your half off the branch now, grip on the branch barely keeping you from falling a million feet to Chen.

“Three!”

Eyes squeezed shut you let go of the rough bark of your hold on the tree and fall into the empty air with hoping you won’t break Chen when he catches you.

Trusting that he’s strong enough to catch you like he promised.

***

That’s really all you need now.

Trust.

Chen never breaks his promises.

Never.

Like he said all those years ago he actually was strong enough to withstand the force of your fall without hurting either of you.

That fact is a little ridiculous actually.

You’re just going to overcome your fear just long enough to let him guide you through the empty space.

You’re just going to have to let your feelings win over again.