Partners in Crime

Stuck

"What's the name of the park we're going to?" I had never really been to a park. I've never really walked to a park. I've never really walked this much......
"Uhhh...Stonerider Park? Yeah," Liam said, accomplished.
"Don't think so highly of yourself, you little lion, we can always get lost," I said, matter of factly. Glad to know my pessimist attitude hasn't changed.
"You know Spanish?" Liam asked, surprised.
" That's the only thing you got from that?" I said, exasperated.
I guess someone as skinny as him would at least have have some stupidity in him.
"Yes, I know Spanish." Lies.
"Are we almost there? My legs hurt!" I had never walked this much before.
"Hah! I knew it! I thought big girls didn't cry," Liam laughed hysterically.
"And I thought twigs couldn't talk, I guess we were both wrong," I replied triumphantly. Liam grunted.
"We're here," Liam said, a little annoyed.
"Finally!" I spotted a bench and rested there. No wonder I never do exercise, that shit burns! I massaged my legs while watching Liam try and relive his childhood.
"Why are you on the monkey bars? Your arms are too skinny! They'll snap in half," I laughed. He ignored my comment and continued swinging from one bar to the other. As he was swinging, his shirt went up a little bit. Well, well. This guy may be skinny but he still has abs... I wonder how he got those, what if he works out? What would he look like without a shirt...?
"Hey Mary Belle, you done staring? You're probably imagining me as a fish stick aren't you? I'll get you some food right now, just let me have some more fun okay?" I snapped out of my trance and I felt my face reddening.
"Yeah, um, food would be nice," I said nervously. I tried to get my previous thoughts out of my head. Thinking like that was unacceptable. Liam and I aren't even friends and we are complete opposites.
Mary Belle you filthy bitch, STOP IT.
I stopped talking to myself like a maniac and looked around. There was no one in sight. Liam had just been on the monkey bars....hmmmm. What if I try and play too? I got up and walked over to the slide.
How long has it been since I've been on one?
I began to climb the small ladder that would take me to the slide. Once I reached the top, I stopped for a minute to catch my breath.
"Whew. I have done so much exercise today. My mom will be proud," I said to myself. I scooched myself over to the slide and looked around one last time to check if he had come back. He hadn't. I pushed myself off the floor and went soaring down. This was so much fun!!! Why don't I do this more often!!! My happiness lasted about four seconds. Right after that I got stuck.
MARY BELLE YOU IDIOT DID YOU FORGET THAT YOU'RE A FUCKING BALL OF FAT? WHY DID YOU GET ON THIS DAMN THING? Too busy talking to myself, I didn't have time to get myself unstuck. Completely unfortunate considering no one knew where I was. Oh. Wait. LIAM. SHIT. I began to try and pull myself off the slide with no success. I squirmed and wiggled and tried everything with no success. Just hold on, relax. If you relax, your muscles will too and you will be able to get out. Calm.
"I'm back!" Someone called out with a very intriguing new Zealand accent.
SHIT. SHIT.SHIT.SHIT.SHIT.
"That's great. Just stay over there I'll come to you," I said in as calm a voice as I could manage. I was still not able to get myself out.
"Nah. I'll come to you, then you won't have to walk. Won't you like that?" Liam replied in a very sarcastic tone.
CRAAAAAPPPPP. I can't stop him, he'll just see me and probably make fun of me, just like I knew he would.
I heard the sound of his shoes in the concrete get louder until I could actually see his shoes. I braced myself for the harsh laugh that would come from that stupid mouth of his.
"Why are you on the slide?" Liam asked, weirded out. His eyes grew wide at the realization that I was not on the slide just for fun.
"You got stuck didn't you?" He burst out laughing. I knew it. All that was left was for him to take a picture, tell everyone how freaking fat I was and leave me here. I should have known. Why would anyone care for someone like me?
"Here, let me help you," Liam said.
"What?" He was offering to help me? Why would he do that?
"I said let me help you. Give me your hands," Liam reached over and tried to grab my hands. After a second he pulled away. He saw how confused I was and was trying to understand.
"Why are you helping me?" I needed to know. It's probably one of his tactics so that later he'll betray me.
"Because you need it? Why else? Now give me your hands,"Liam insisted.
"But why do you care if I need help? Why don't you just leave me here?"
"I see," Liam put his hands down. "You don't trust me." I sat, unblinking.
"I get it that you may think we're different, but we're really not. You can trust me, you know? I've been bullied too. People haven't tried to snarf things down my throat, but they've sure as hell tried to hurt me. So, if you don't trust me I get it. But, you're like one of me, so I have to help you. Because if I didn't I would be breaking the rules of the bullied alliance or something." Liam said in a very serious tone. Once again he reached out his arms and this time I accepted them.
Maybe he's right. He has been through something similar. He has been bullied. If he betrays me, would it even make a difference? My life would just go back to the way it was. I'll just wait until that day.

It took about three minutes, but I was finally able to get out of that slide.
"Guess I'm not going on those things anytime soon," I said after some silence.
"Yeah, that would be nice," Liam's face was red from using what little strength he had to pull me off.
Why did I even get on that stupid thing? Oh yeah, Liam had gotten to get food and I was bored.... Wait. LIAM WENT TO GET FOOD.
"So, Liam. What food did you get?" I asked, very curiously.
"It's about time you asked that," Liam laughed.