Scarred For Life

Chapter 14

I dropped down from the branch of the tree, the air whooshed passed my face as I hung from my legs. My braids weighed me down as they hung from my head. I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean fresh air, feeling the sun kiss my skin. I sat here for a moment, closing my eyes and giving myself to gravity. The quiet sounds of nature sang softly in my ears.

My moment of peace was interrupted as soft footsteps alerted me. I opened my eyes to see the opening of my hideout. I tilted my head slightly at the flipped sight in front of me.

A tall, dark skin boy walked into the yard. He wore a clean, green suit. His white locs were tied high into a ponytail, revealing his cuff earrings that sparkled in the sunlight. He seemed to be comfortable yet stressed as he scribbled in a notebook before admiring the scene around him. He took in the sight of the tree with a smile.

For a second, I swear he could see me through the leaves and thick branches. I curiously sat up straight, carefully climbing down the tree. I watched as the boy took a seat at the base of the tree, continuing to write in his book.

"Ekko?" I questioned as I landed beside him.

The boy jumped in shock, trying to keep hold of his notebook.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry" I quickly apologized, grabbing his pencil before it could hit the ground. A look of embarrassment tinted my cheeks. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Ekko stared at me for a moment, slightly stumbling as he quickly rose to his feet.

"Scarlett?" He spoke, almost in disbelief.

"I-I'm really sorry about that" I stuttered, pushing a braid out of my face. I handed the pencil to him, avoiding his gaze. "I was just shocked to see you here...no one else knows about this place."

"You..." Ekko's words trailed off as he continued staring at me. His eyes glazed over me, making me a bit uncomfortable as I'm not used to being watched so intently. "You look so different."

"Different from when you saw me this morning" I chuckled nervously.

"Um...right" Ekko sighed as he leaned against the tree.

"So...what are you doing here" I hesitantly asked, kicking my feet through the grass.

"I guess I was just looking for a familiar spot, somewhere I could think" The boy looked around the yard as he took in a deep breath. "What are you doing here"

"This is where I disappear to when everyone gets all busy with their...tinkering" I shrugged, leaning against the tree next to him. "It's like my own little world here. I could stay here for days"

"The rest of us would start to worry" Ekko chuckled.

"Not really..." I spoke slowly with a small chuckle.

"What are you talking about? Of course we will" Ekko's smile slowly faded. "Won't we?"

"Don't feel bad! I completely understand" I spoke up. "I mean we're not as close as we were as kids and you all have the things you're good at and I know you just get really busy."

"Not close?" Ekko questioned with a saddened expression.

"It's my fault really...I just never found anything I was good at...so I sort of blended with the shadows I guess" I sighed.

"You're good at a lot of things" Ekko exclaimed. He smiled as he nudged me with his shoulder. "You're one hell of a fighter. And with some help, you could be a great inventor too. Did you forget about those boots of yours?"

"I mean...fighting isn't really needed anymore and the boots were just...a stupid idea" I shrugged. I continued speaking with an awkward smile as I slightly nudged him back. "And I think I'll leave the inventions to you and my sister, the genius couple."