The Mysterious Girl

Chapter Two

2

ALICE

It had been a day.
I rode my bike a little faster, hoping I'd be able to spend talking to the girl in the tree.
She was intriguing, and I wanted to have another conversation with her. I didn't even get to introduce myself yesterday. But neither did she. I hoped she wanted to talk to me like I wanted to talk to her, otherwise it would be a pretty one sided friendship. Did she even want to be my friend?
I hope so.
I turned onto the street with the tree on it and tilted my head a bit in confusion. She was there, but that's not what confused me. What confused me were the hundred of little things float below the branches of the tree. They looked white from here and king of like snow.
I pulled up and stopped, gazing at all the little pieces of paper. I could tell now up closer that they were stars, perfectly folded and shaped with newspaper. They looked to be only a little smaller than my palm, and they each hung from very thin white strings that were tied up in the tree somewhere. I looked back down to the girl, and watched as she looked up and seemingly admired all the stars as the breeze blew then around lightly.
"I like the stars."
I nodded and agreed with her. Stars were interesting.
"I hardly ever see them though because Dad doesn't like me outside after dark."
I didn't know what to say to that. At least I knew she had a Dad she lived with and wasn't homeless or anything. She could still be homeless though, who knew. I mean, she didn't even wear shoes. I hoped she wasn't. I'd want to help if that was the case.
"Are you homeless?"
My eyed widened at my question. Sometimes my mouth worked faster than my mind, and I would blurt things out by accident before thinking about it. She looked away from the stars and her eyes met mine. A little laugh came out and I smiled, liking the way the bubbly sound flowed through the air.
"Why do you ask that?"
I shrugged and looked to the floor. Why did i ask that?
"Well I'm not. I live in a little house over there."
She pointed towards the right. She then began to climb out of the tree. I realized just how short she was once she was standing up. She probably only went to my shoulder.
"I have to go, my mum will have a fit if I don't help her with chores today."
She stretched her arms above her head and yawned, looking up at the stars once again. A breeze blew through them, making her shiver a bit. Her pale pink dress blew with the wind and I could see the goosebumps on her arms.
"Are you cold?"
She looked at me and nodded, not speaking.
"You can wear my hoodie."
I took off the black faded hoodie that I was wearing and held it out her. She shook her head.
"Matt would freak if I had a boy's jacket on."
Matt? I couldn't help but be curious about who Matt was. Probably her boyfriend. I nodded, my face going a little sad at the fact she declined my offer. She seemed to notice my disappointment though and took the jacket out of my hand.
"I could always say that I found it though. Thanks"
I nodded with a smile on my face. She slipped the hoodie on, it being just too big to her. She looked down at it and smiled.
"What happened in 1983?"
I looked at the blue numbers on the sweatshirt and shrugged. I never knew what that meant or why it was on the hoodie, I just got it cause it was warm.
"Okay, well I'll see you next weekend."
She started to walk away, her feet making a small noise as they hit the sidewalk lightly.
"Wait!"
She turned around at my voice, her head tilting to the side. I liked it when she did that, it made her look like a confused puppy. I walked my bike to her quickly and gestured to it.
"I can take you home. So you don't have to walk barefoot in the cold."
She nodded and smiled.
"I'd like that."
I celebrated the fact she said yes in my head. I really just didn't want her to leave and this gave me a little more time with her. I only delivered papers on the weekend because I had school, see I wouldn't see her until next week.
She climbed onto the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around my stomach making me shift nervously.
"Is this okay?"
I nodded at her question. I mean, safety first right? I didn't want her falling off while I rode.
"I live in Rosemary Way. The little grey house on the end."
I nodded again and started to ride, careful to balance myself right with my bag and her. I delivered papers to Rosemary, I wonder how i had never seen her. I wonder why I don't-
"Why don't I see you at school?"
Again, my mouth mover faster then my mind. At least it wasn't anything bad. It was a simple
question really, but the answer was obvious.
"I'm homeschooled. I don't do good around too many people."
I could feel her shiver and J wondered if it was from the cold or if it was from the talk about school. I felt special knowing that I was one of the people that got to meet her. Everyone at the school probably didn't even know she existed. I nodded, wondering why she didn't do good around people but not wanting to ask and be pushy.
"What grade are you in?"
I glanced back a little, noticing the way her short hair just blew just slightly in the wind. Her small arms tightened around my waist as we turned around onto her street and I bit my lip nervously.
"Eleventh."
She didn't say anything in response, and the rest of the short way to her house at the end of the street was quite. We stopped and she climbed off my bike.
"Thanks"
I nodded, looking up at her small beat up grey house. It was tiny, and the grass was overgrown. It didn't look inviting at all, and it made me worry a little that this girl wasn't really living in the healthy household.
"It's not much of a looker, but it's home."
I nodded, still unsure of the whole thing. She looked at me and smiled sweetly before wrapping her arms around my torso and squeezing me lightly. I was slow to react, but my arms went around her shoulders lightly after realizing that she was hugging me. It ended just fast as it started, and then she was pulling away and the smile was gone from her face.
"Can i have a paper?"
I nodded, quickly reaching into my bag and handing her one. I wasn't so sure about giving her my paper yesterday, but after seeing the stars she hand hang up, I decided that I'd be willing to give her my paper any day.
"See you next week Papergirl"
With that, she was walking up her driveway into her house quickly. I stared up at the house and sighed shivering just a little without my hoodie on.

Next week couldn't come any sooner.