Displaced

Chevelle - Fifty-Four

Timber talked to Paul a whole lot more than I did. The next day after our "big date," I'd been hoping for an update from him about what the next step would be to getting more contact with Wicken. Nothing. I had nothing for three days, and it was making me crazy.

I was on my way out for my evening walk. My group suggested getting out on a fairly regular basis, alone, so I could take some time to digest and absorb whatever I was thinking, experiencing or feeling. They gave out a lot of suggestions of things for me to "try" doing to make integration easier. Most of them sounded stupid. Going for walk was one of the few that worked.

As I put on my shoes, I glanced over at Timber who was just starting on making dinner. "So, have you –"

"No, Paul hasn't told me anything," he said flatly.

"Just asking."

"You ask every day if I've spoken to Paul about Wicken. He told me he would let me know the moment he's heard anything, and I will tell you the moment I hear anything." He gave me a small smile and a pointed look. "Food will be done in about an hour, so take your time."

I put my headphones on and waved, deciding to not bother him anymore. Having kid duty seemed to stress him out a lot. Hopefully, he wouldn't be subjected to it for too much longer. I worried about him – a lot. First he ate all the time, then he stopped eating, and now he was back to eating a lot. That couldn't have been healthy for him in a number of ways. Why was he back to trying to be strong when he was clearly breaking apart one piece at a time?

He'll tell me when he's ready. I know the silence isn't because he doesn't trust me. Something is frustrating him, and my guess is it starts with an R. Ever since the incident at the restaurant he hasn't left the apartment much. I know she was there. Why is he so afraid of her? She's just a girl. An ugly, twiggy one at that. I could totally take her on. I smirked and stepped onto one of the many paths around the Garden. There were a number of hidden gems amidst all the trees and grass.

My favorite was the lagoon. The best part? Nobody seemed to know about it. It was tucked away toward the northeast corner. There was even a waterfall that fell from off of the Roof. The water wasn't plentiful, but it fell from a long way up, that's for sure. Massive willows surrounded small pools of water, some of which were hot springs. At night, there were soft mushrooms that glowed blue, providing an artificial light that blended in perfectly with the ambiance. Super romantic and private.

The downside, it was a hike to get there. At least twenty minutes of my time, so by the time I got there, I'd have to turn around and come back. The other downside was I had to pass by the fruit groves where all the "cool kids" liked to hang out for their dates and gossiping and whatever else one did if they were a member of the Luminaries. Sometimes I was lucky enough to go by and they'd all be gone. Since it was nighttime when I walked, I'm sure they had other things to do with their time. Like prey on unsuspecting men, stare at their food hoping it would give them sustenance, or get some much-needed beauty sleep. After all, it must be exhausting being so whiny all of the time.

And of course on some nights, like tonight, the Luminaries lie around in the grass, sip their elixir of evil, and occasional pelt each other with grapes and giggle. I turned up the music on my MP3 player, hoping to drown out the sounds they made, and kept my gaze focused in front of me. Never engage the trolls. That's what my brother had always told me when I had to get through high school. For a kid, he's pretty smart.

Of course, I could "not engage" them all I wanted. It wouldn't stop them from trying to get my attention all the same.

"Hey, Chevelle!" Rumor shouted over my music. She waved, I was stupid and actually glanced her way, and she had to notice me doing it too. If I blew her off, I'd be rude and more of a witch than her. For Timber's sake, I didn't want to insult her precious ego. So I put on a smile and waved back, hoping she was just trying to make nice in an effort to get into Timber's pants.