two weeks •• miniminter

day nine

A/N: this chapter speaks of the Trylle Trilogy, which is a group of amazing books (highly recommend). This chapter does spoil some of the plot to it and I mean the major plot to it all so... I'll put an author's note for when Vanessa is speaking about it (I apologise).

All the boys are recording. So Vanessa decides to go for a walk. It's getting colder by the day. Leaves are scattered all along the pathway becoming crisp from being let go.

This idea reminds Vanessa of Simon's story. She just let him go, and Simon became heartbroken and brittle; she is the tree and he was the leaf.

Maybe she had multiple lovers and all at once she made them fall, all the poor leaves fell to the ground to be crushed under children's feet or raked together and placed in the bin.

A sad metaphor. Vanessa doesn't like it. She tries to shake it from her brain, wanting to forget it; wanting to forget Simon's pain.

She holds her novel close to her chest, hugging it tightly. She wants to find a peaceful spot to possibly finish this read.

There is a park nearby, with a couple park benches, a little playground, few nice trees and a big open space.

She found one spot and it is perfect. She walks over a sits at the foot of a huge tree. She sighs as she relaxes, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She opens her book to where she is up to and her eyes begin gliding along the pages that feel soft under her touch. The tiny words printed whisk her away from her reality.

"Where's Vanessa?" Simon questions after a GTA playlist and Ethan and Tobi left the call, leaving Josh, Vik, JJ and Simon. The boy glances out his door to find her door wide open and her room quite dark; she's not home.

"She's gone for a --" Vik is cut off.

"What's it to you?" Josh asks, suspicious. He still can't help but be. There is a way that Simon looks at her that he doesn't like, it's only been happening for the past few days.

Yesterday they gave each other nicknames, next thing Simon will be teaching her how to play games, taking her out to the movies, sneaking roses into her bedroom, complimenting her, flirting with her, holding her hand, calling her 'his'... leading her to heartbreak. Josh doesn't want to see this -- not to Vee.

"Just curious" Simon answers quite effortlessly, dismissing Josh's wariness.

"Hmm, didn't even hear her leave" JJ comments.

"Jide do you even hear anything over your own yelling?" Vik jokes.

Simon looks around for a moment whist the boys jokingly argue. What could he do? What would be a good enough excuse to go see her? His eyes land on his football. Knowing his surroundings, the closest park has quite an open space; hopefully she is there.

Simon leaves the skype call and stands. He grabs the ball and leaves quickly making his way down hopefully before Josh notices. He gets his shoes on and opens the front door, closing it softly behind him. He runs.

She flicks over another page, engulfed in her read. It's an interesting one, jammed pack with fantasy. The love stories hurt the heart and the fighting action gets the adrenaline pumping; Vanessa loves the combination.

Simon finds her, leaning her back against the tallest tree in the park. He smiles, just watching her from afar. He finds a particular beauty in her when her eyes scan across pages, taken away from reality and to the setting of the book -- day dreaming the experience for herself.

He is close enough to see the small smile as she reads and the ever so slight movements in her face.

He sighs before placing the ball on the ground and kicking it towards her. It slows down to roll and softly hit her foot, startling her, causing her to look up in the direction of him. She smiles, that being his cue to walk over.