Petrichor (boyxboy)

Chapter 10.2: The Glade

....Or maybe they just know that I Adam was right man and it was his place to be there...

Blythe helped me taking out the food from the basket and laid it in the center of the circle. Kurt presented four bags of unhealthy yet terribly delicious chips. Tala brought out her baked macaroni. And I had to swat Adam from stealing all the brownies.

Kurt seized the portable speakers Randall brought, plugging his phone immediately. When Katy Perry’s ‘California Girls’ played, we all froze and looked at him. Kurt looked back innocently. “What?” He asked, taking offence and scowling at us. “She’s hot.”

Tala rolled her eyes, Adam grinned, but me, Randall and Blythe smiled fondly at him.

Plates and utensils passed around and everyone dug in. In less than a minute, Tala’s macaroni was half taken and everyone called dibs one of my brownies.

After having a taste of everything laid on the blanket, soft chatters filled the clearing.

I find myself listening to Tala, Randal and especially Kurt. I was too focused on reconnecting with Adam and worrying about Blythe’s health, not that I mind. But, I kept these three on the sidelines. Their past was a mystery to me. I intended to unravel it. I asked them about their lives, probing with force but just out of extreme curiosity. I want to know what happened to them.

They didn’t mind. Once I asked them, they tumble over each other, finishing each other’s sentences, moving quickly to the next story, even always reserved Randall told their tale in his most in animated face which was far to stoic compared to Kurt and Tala.

Kurt failed epically on his dates, from accidentally-spilling-soda-on-his-date to accidentally-setting-their-table-afire dates. He stressed the word ‘accidentally’. Tala bossed like a mafia lord, garnering a black belt for ninjutsu during eighth grade to becoming the lead cheerleader. Randal protected everyone, keeping tabs on pack to becoming an honorary police who carries his own gun around when his on the ‘job’.

Before I knew it, I was blindly searching in my bag of chips and came out empty handed. I try the deflated, empty bag in the basket.

“Let’s play something.” Kurt said, already on his feet and pulling Randall up. It was a sunny day. What else to do than to enjoy it with these people who once again leeched back to my life?

Tala and Bylthe were already stretching Kurt and Randal when I slipped on my shoes. On the other hand, Adam was still leaning backward on his hands, enjoying the lazy haze of a full stomach. Pig. Time to teach him some well deserve anti-gluttony lesson.

“Tag.” I said, tapping not-so-gently Adam between his brows. His eyes animatedly widened in shock like a deer caught in a headlight. Adorable. I leaped back before saying, “You’re it!” and run away for dear life.

Adam was it. The oak tree was the base and when he started counting, we stealthily headed to different directions.

After my little antic with Adam, we decided to play childhood games we could possibly enjoy ourselves. Since I apparently missed ‘growing it out’ with them, the only way to make it amicable to their childish minds that I was sorry was to play it. They just wanted to relive our childhood moments. They didn’t have to be petulant about it. But who was I to bend such logic? I wished I did grow it out with them.

So that was what we did. We played Tag which turned to Freeze Tag, Tug of War, Leap Frog and a whole lot others. We hardly took breaks before moving to another. And now, we are playing Hide and Seek.

Sweat was dripping down my head, my lungs were burning in a good way and my body was tingling with small signs of exhaustion. But, I was enjoying myself and so were the others. I could not let myself fall behind and delved deeper into the woods with a newfound strength.