Beside the winding creek, Pippin grabbed a shiny acorn. Oakley pointed at it. “I found it first!” they both shouted.
The acorn slipped into the ferns. Pippin and Oakley stomped away in opposite directions without speaking.
Pippin searched under oak leaves and behind tree roots. Oakley searched nearby, but dry leaves crackled between them.
The shiny acorn was nowhere to be seen. Pippin followed tiny acorn marks into the woods, away from the sunny clearing.
The tall oaks all looked the same. Pippin called, “Oakley?” Only the creek answered with a splash.
Oakley heard the call and followed it. A branch dropped with a loud CRACK, but Oakley kept going.
Oakley found Pippin beside a mossy stump. For one quiet moment, they simply looked at each other.
Together, they hurried back, holding the acorn between them. Pippin asked, “Friends?” Oakley nodded.