"Are you asking me out on a date?"
"In your dreams Lahote"
Mattea Whitner has always been a sometimes quiet person. When she moves to a small town named Forks Washington for an escape from her old life and a fresh start she is thrown into the world...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Things were still tense at breakfast; no one dared to try breaking the silence. Not being able to stand the awkward atmosphere, I stood up from the table.
"I'm gonna go on a walk," I said, looking at Charlie for approval.
He gave me a nod, "be careful." As I was walking up the steps to get ready he yelled, "and don't be gone too long."
Lacing up my hiking boots and smoothing out my jacket, I set off on the same path I took only a few short weeks ago. I haven't seen or heard about Paul since that day. I couldn't understand why, but I wondered how the boy was doing. His rude behavior still being such a conundrum.
After walking for a while I decided to stop so I could take a break. It was chilly out but I didn't mind the cold for once. I glanced around at my surroundings, my mind wandering. The trees in this part of the forest seemed less dense than in others. Certain branches hung lower to the ground and if I reached on tip toes, my hand is able to skim the bottom of certain ones. Suddenly I was hit with a wave of impulse, the reminder that I was originally out here for a distraction at the forefront of my mind. So I decided to do something I haven't done since childhood.
I started my search to find the perfect tree. After finding one that seemed doable, I grabbed the lowest most stable branch to pull myself up, as I braced my right foot again the tree trunk. I hoisted myself up to the next branch and kept climbing till I was up at a decent height. I rested my back against the rough bark of the tree, grabbing onto a nearby branch to keep myself stable.
I admired the view I got from the new vantage point. There were thick branches in my line of vision though I could still see some of the pale sky breaking through the cracks. I admired the thrill from the climb and the adrenaline of being up so high. The wind nipping at my face was a nice reprieve. There was something about nature that I've always been drawn towards. Just like rain, it radiates peace.
Hearing a shuffle of footsteps coming from the ground I looked down between the branches and was hit with a small feeling of déjà vu. "We gotta stop meeting like this Lahote," I called down to the oblivious boy.
Immediately he whipped his head upwards, towards the direction of my voice. An ever present scowl adorning his features. "Mattea?" He called.
"The one and only." I responded, trying to get a better look at his face.
"What are you doing up there?" He questioned.
I shrugged my shoulders—although he definitely couldn't tell— not able to come up with a good response.
"Why don't you come down before you hurt yourself," he said. Phrasing it more so like a command, rather than an offer.
"No I think I'm good." I replied in a sarcastic tone, "Your always welcome to come up here."
He grumbled something under his breath before he acted. With a grace that I would never dream of having, he leaped up and reached me with ease before I could even blink. He settled himself on a branch across from me. Both of us in tight proximity to each other.
