Little Too Much

Chapter 16 - Is It Bad?

We spent the next day exploring around the city and Shawn made me try every food in Canada. I don't think i could eat again for a whole week. How could he make me eat that much? He was so adorably excited to be showing me around, i guess i'd been unable to resist. Of course, he ate twice as much as me, so i was trying to eat something. 

Sometime during the day, he and i had gotten into a petty argument about if i was hot or not. Of course i'm not, but he insisted he'd ask Chris for his opinion. I promised to agree with him if Chris said so too, but i made him swear he wouldn't bribe Chris. 

After we were introduced, Chris asked me questions about myself and what i liked to do. I returned the questions. He's more interesting in real life, but i missed the accent the camera sometimes accidentally had on his eyes. How's come no one on the entire planet has got eyes like him?

Later on, as we were walking to the park, Chris leaned over to Shawn unexpectedly and without prompt, to say, "You never told me she was hot!"

"My bad," Shawn apologized and winked at me.

Shaking my head we continued in silence for a moment. "Remind me again," Chris started, "where you are from."

"Rhode Island.'

"Whoa, that's from the other side of the country!"

"Yeah, it's also the reason i hadn't met Aaron before i moved to Cali."

"I thought Shawn said you two were close though?"

"We are. We've been video chatting since we were 4 or 5 and texting since middle school started and we got our phones."

"What's it like to move so far?"

"Um, not sure. I guess its weird. Shawn, what was it like for you, by the way?"

Shawn perked up, "Oh, ha, um. Well i moved with my family so probably way different from you. I didn't like leaving my friends, but the good ones stayed in contact."

"Same. Julie's my only friend left from Rhode Island. So basically, it was hard to leave because of the change, but i only left 2 people i even care about anyway."

"Only two?"

"Yes, my sister and Julie."

"But your family..."

"They left me first, so i'm just doing what they want and returning the favor."

"I won't ask..."

"No it's fine."

"You've made me curious now."

"I got in a crash with my dad. He didn't make it. My mom blames me for killing him."

"Sorry?'

"Eh, don't be. I've got enough sympathy."

"Is it hard? If you don't mind me asking?"

"To be abandoned and accused? Yes, but i've got a new family now. Aaron is the best brother in the world."

"You talk really openly about this."

"I must try and forget at least. It only hurts a lot more to love my family now that i can't be with them."

"Do you miss your dad?"

"As anyone would. We buried his body, not his memory. He was more than an incredible father."

"He was a good father?"

"Far more than that. He was heaven sent and now heaven taken. I guess that fact that he was Catholic helped. God was inspiration for being so good. My mother was bitter and had a temper like no other and he took it ever time with humility. I hope to marry such a one like him someday."

"I hope you can find that."

Shawn mumbled to himself so quietly that Chris and i did not notice, "You deserve it," then added so we could hear, "but you're not bitter so I'm sure someone is bound your way."

I laughed, "I am not as easy to be with as one would think."

"That's not true," Chris cut in. 

"I killed my dad, didn't i?"

"No, you didn't," Shawn argued, "accidents happen."

Somehow we switched the subject to something less terrible. Being in a park, i could't resist the urge to climb a tree. I spotted many very good ones. "Hey you guys want to race me up a tree?" I suggested.

Chris, assuming he could win, but thinking it would be fun, "I'll win! I'm totally up for it."

"I'll go," Shawn shook his head, "but i wouldn't be so sure to win, Chris. She's pretty quick."

"Ready, set," i taunted, and then yelled, "Go!"

All three of us leapt to the trees. I had already had my eye on one. When i grabbed it's branches, i thrust myself into it. Wrapping my arm around a branch, i tried to get higher. I stood on the branch and jumped up ot another. 

I missed.

I fell.