the kid next door

Week 2: The Hanging Tree

Page sat up in his bed and rubbed his face as his eyes adjusted to the light. He slowly laid back into his bed as he felt the tightening pain in his chest that didn't let up.

His lungs felt like they were going to collapse in one themselves. The pain grew greater and greater and as quick as it came it was gone and replaced with a slightly tight feeling. Page swung his legs off his bed and slowly started to get ready he walked into his bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror his messy black hair hung over his emerald eyes. he looked to his nose and saw that the freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose were more visible as he felt a tickle at the back of his throat as he started to puke up dark almost black, red liquid. he sat there looking at the blood in the bottom of the sink as his mother walked into the room. 

"Honey, your friend Tegan is here they said you guys had plans or something?" she exclaimed looking at Page as he turned on the water faucet as she glanced down at the sink, she seemed to have a look of pity, but she didn't say anything. 

"Oh right, I was going to tell you, Tegan wants to hang out at the lake, they said they want to show me something we might be gone a few hours." Page answered, "I'm still able to go right?"

"Um sure yes, but be back by 8:30, ok?" she told Page. a smile grew on his face, and he started to run out of the room as he threw on his shoes. "Wait! you have to get dressed!" his mom yelled to him. 

"Oh, thanks mom." 

Page grabbed a black shirt with a random band that Page heard once when he was a kid on it and some jeans, then he threw them on and ran out the door. there was Tegan a big grin on their face and holding up a pink bike with rainbow tassels on it and a glittery pick basket on it. "Here this is for you," Tegan called with a witty smile. 

"I have my own bike thank you. and also, I can't go far on a bike where is this place." Page snapped back grabbing his bike and walked it over to Tegan. 

"Aw dang ok, and don't worry it's all downhill except for the surprise but we have to walk that and it's not that far, and my dad is picking us up when we are done. plus, next week I have my driver's test, so you won't need to worry about making your lungs go 'cu-put' because I'll drive you everywhere. I'll be like your shofar, and you are like some rich billionaire or whatever." Tegan said giggling to themselves. 

Page felt his face become red hot, but Tegan didn't seem to notice. "Well let's get going." Page said with a smile. 

Tegan was right about the hills they all went down and there was only three, so it wasn't a lot of effort for Page to ride his bike but even then, he was sort of out of breath. when they got there it was a perfect peaceful lake the water was as clear as diamonds and the trees around it were beautiful evergreens that loomed over the crystal water. 

Page looked over the beautiful view when he felt take his phone from his pocket and then push him into the lake. Page made a load shriek as he crashed into the water. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Page yelled as he started to shake the water out of his hair. 

"I wouldn't get you in the water any other way and I thought it would be funny anyways I took you phone out of your pocket so you can still call 9-1-1 if you like die or whatever." Tegan giggled, 

Page walked up to Tegan and gave them a big wet hug and jumped back into the water. "EEEK!" Tegan yelled as the cold water drenched their body. "Ha, you got me." Tegan chuckled splashing Page in the face, Page flouted backwards in the water and slowly swam around. "So, is this the surprise? or are you going to turn out to be a serial killer and murder me or something?" Page asked. 

Tegan giggled and answered, "No sadly. I'm not a serial killer, but this is not the surprise." as they started swimming to shore. Page followed and as Page got out Tegan pulled out a picknick basket from their bike. 

they pulled out two fluffy blue towels from the basket "You planned to push me in?" 

"Yep, I planned everything." Tegan smirked as they started to walk up a trail.

 Page followed behind them slowly. once they got to the top of the trail Page saw a tree in the distance with all its leaves fallen of and what seemed like a very old rope that had been cut at the end of it hanging from the tree. "What's this?" Page asked. 

"it's the hanging tree, old people used to hang women they thought were witches I thought you would like it since your mom said you really liked all that true crime stuff and dark history." Tegan said rubbing the back of their head, Page run up to the tree and placed his hand on the trunk then turned to Tegan, "This is so cool." Page said as he walked along the base of the tree running his hand along the bark. he turned back to Tegan and saw them holding up a basket with what looked like a blanket in it. Tegan set down the blanket and sat down as they slowly started to pull out food that Page hadn't seen in what felt like years. "Is that a launchable?" Page asked scoping the plastic packeting from the ground and held what felt like his childhood in his hand. "Ya sorry we were all out of real food and I thought this would be better." Tegan apologized as they scratched the back of their head. 

"No, it's fine, actually I think it would be better. real food just doesn't hit different." Page added as he flopped down onto the blanket. the sun looked as though it was slowly being engulphed by the lake water. 

as the night sky grew darker, the stars in the sky began to show up one by one till the entire sky was full of tiny dots that seemed to shine in their own personal way and made the darkness all the more beautiful. Page stared at the night sky for what felt like forever when he felt Tegan lay their head softly on Pages shoulder. 

Pages face began to burn as his stomach began to do backflips and at that moment Page felt like all his worries and pain had melted away. as if he was never in pain. he never was going to die. he was just in utter bliss. till his eyes grew heavy and he quickly fell into a deep sleep. 

Page never realized he fell asleep till it was too late. he slowly opened his eyes and saw that Tegan's father was walking up the path with a flashlight in his hand. "Tegan! Page!" Tegan's father called out. Page slowly shook his head and started to sit up when he felt Tegan flop onto the ground. "Page, you guys were supposed to meet me at the trail head. I was waiting for like an hour. for you both." 

"Sorry we must have fallen asleep." Page told Tegan's father.  Page slowly got up and started shaking Tegan.  Tegan opened their eyes and yawned loudly. "Crap did we fall asleep?" Tegan asked, "yep and my mom's going to kill me for it," Page said.

they packed up all their stuff but mostly it was so that they could throw it away later, almost all their food had found its way into the infestation of ants crawling all over it. the ride back was coward and silent and when they arrived at Page's house, and he could see from the found window his mother siting in the kitchen with tears bawling up in her eyes. Page stepped out of the car and thanked Tegan and their father for dropping him off. Page looked at Tegan's face and could tell that she was going to be ripped a new one just the same as Page soon was. he walked up to the door and took a deep breath before walking inside. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" His mother yelled, "I SAID COME HOME AT 8:30, DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? IT'S 10! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS" Page stayed silent as if hoping that if he was quiet enough, she would forget he was there, but alas she did not. she looked at him for a long time before speaking "Your grounded for a week, you can't play video games, you can't go on your phone which you left at home by the way, and you can't go hang out with Tegan. if I see you doing any of these things, we will go stay at uncle hanks for the rest of the summer." she said as she walked away. Page walked to his room and collapsed onto his bed; he knew that what he did deserved that harsh of a grounding, but how to tell Tegan without breaking any rules?