little bird // r.keene

iv. little bird.

"That was incredible!" Miguel said to Wren as he, Demetri, and Eli found her after school. After she lost Kyler in the crowded hallways, Wren slipped into her Biology class as if as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, well, those guys are assholes." She said and continued to walk home, "I wouldn't have been able to do that without confidence Demetri and last time I checked- no black eye and my bag is still intact." She said proudly, hooking her thumbs under her bag straps to make a point.

"I suppose so but now you're at the top of their hit list." He reasoned and Wren gave a shallow shrug, as if it were a mere afterthought and not a problem at all.

"Maybe... but I'm not afraid of those guys and you shouldn't be either. They want you to be afraid of them. When you stop over thinking it, they lose their grip." She told them, stopping to face the three. "It might be a little hard at first but, it'll get easier. I promise."

"Nice punch," Eli told her, his eyes flickering from his feet to her face, his ears flushed red as he spoke to her, something his friend's noticed right off the bat, Miguel and Demetri threw each other a knowing glance.

"I believe in an eye for an eye, it's their own fault for picking on you. He had it coming." Eli gave her a small smile at her words. Though he tried not to dwell on it, because he doubt it meant as much to her as it did to him, it warmed his chest and made his knees weak at the idea Wren had punched a guy to defend him. But what had really made him weak was the she had-

"Quite the show before hand as well." Demetri chuckled, elbowing Eli playfully and Eli's face turned rosy.

"I think you might have been Eli's first kiss." Miguel teased, putting his hand on Eli's shoulder, and pretending to pinch his cheek, causing Eli to bat his hand away.

"Oh my god- Eli, I am so sorry I didn't mean to-" She paused, stopping in her tracks, not knowing what to say, a sudden wash of guilt over her, "After what Kyler said, I just-"

"It's okay. I'm not mad, so so not mad." He smiled and she was washed over with a warm feeling of relief.

"Well if you want my opinion, you-" Demetri began and Wren shook her head.

"I don't," she paused, "I have my own." She told him, causing Demetri to scoff to himself and look at his feet, Wren too pride in demonstrating her confidence once again.

"Well- this may sound like a stupid question but what's your name?" Eli asked and she smiled.

"Wren." She held out her hand to him, "My name is Wren Evans."

He shook it without a second thought and Eli was slightly lost in himself for a moment. He thought about how he could talk to her for hours and never get tired of her voice or her laugh which was hypnotic and contagious at the same time. How he would never get tired of seeing her smile. How he would never get tired of her at all.

"We're hanging out later tonight at Demetri's if you want to come," Miguel told her and Wren gave them a slight nod, acknowledging the invitation. The three friends waited her answer and yet something in the back of Eli's mind let him know her decline before she had even opened her mouth.

Just because she had stood up to Kyler for him, doesn't mean she wanted a full invite to their friendship group. Why would she hang out with them?

"I'd like to but I'm going to visit an old friend, maybe some other time?" And she offered politely and paused but didn't wait for an answer before she turned around and kept walking, the three boys looking after her.

Wren sat at a small round table, the juvie meeting hall was clean and bright, almost blinding. There were dozens of other people in there with her, sat around tables just like hers, waiting for the offenders to come out. She pressed her hands together in a knot on the table, her leg couldn't stop bounding up and down. She noticed a bruise beginning to appear on her right knuckles from the brawl earlier that afternoon but she didn't mind all that much, Kyler's injuries would be much worse.

A door to the left hand side of the room opened and boys dressed all in white jumpers and trousers began to file into the room one after the other and found their table with their loved ones. She spotted him the second she saw him in the doorway.

Will looked different, then again, being in this place for a long period of time, let alone two years- anyone would. He was taller, and leaner as well. His face was a little sharper, he looked hollow in a way, a way she didn't like. His eyes met hers and he broke into a smile.

"Wren?" He said, he sounded different too, deeper and rougher.

She broke into a grin of her own and stood from her chair, almost knocking it over. He opened his arms widely and she threw herself into his arms, squeezing him tightly.

His arms wrapped around her and he spun her around, causing her to laugh, others had turned to look at him but neither cared, nothing else mattered. "It's so so good to see you!" She laughed as he set her down, they made their way to the table and both sat down but still held each others hands over the clear surface.

"I don't get it, what are you doing here?" He chuckled, clutching her delicate and bruised fingers.

"I'm here to visit you of course. I've missed you."  Wren told him and he smiled at her, not as he had before. But like this time he was truly seeing her. "How are you?" She added.

"As good as I can be in this place, the other guys don't pick on me anymore, only do that to the new kids. Which is how I know I've been here for a long ass time." He half laughed but she didn't find it funny. It broke her heart to see him here, but she understood why he was. And knew he wasn't getting out anytime soon.  "How are you, little bird?"

She smiled when he called her that, only he and Mr. James did, Rue did too.

"My internal monologue is still mostly annoyed sighs, but- I'm, I'm good." She lied, trying to make it light hearted, knowing if things kept going she was going to cry, and Will gave her a look. Wren glanced at where her hands were knotted in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I don't cry every day anymore. But I still have days where I find it hard to breathe when I think about it. Days where I feel like I might implode."

Will put his hand on hers again and she felt her anxiety dissolve.

"Yeah- me too."