Misguided Steps

trees☽

Clouds had started to form above their heads, but the three of them continued on their adventure anyway. It was Arya's adventure really, she was in control. Finley and Luca trailed after her, drawn in by the mystery of what she'd do next.

The three found themselves outside Luca and Arya's apartment and down the street, to the left a little, through an alleyway, and right in the middle of a cute little market. The stalls were packing up in fear of the weather unfortunately, but Arya still managed to snatch up a bag of apricots before everyone scuttled away.

Finley eyed the second hand books being boxed and thrown into trunks of cars, while Luca watched as a little boy raved about his new old video game.

Before they knew it the market had left, packed up and whisked away along with the wind that was beginning to pick up. A few droplets of rain had started to splash towards the ground, Finley suggested they head back.

Arya, of course, refused. "Let's go to the park." She said, voicing it as a direct order rather than an opinion that could be declined or accepted.

Finley sighed in protest and Luca bit his lip nervously, not wanting to risk getting soaked, but it was no use. She'd already started skipping in the general direction of the grassy area in which they called the 'park'. It consisted of two trees and a bench seat donated by the local high school as a commemoration. No one remembered what it was for, the engraving had long since rusted over.

The boys decided to follow her, even after the rain became heavier and their footsteps became sluggish from the water dripping into their shoes.

"Arya?" Luca shouted over the sound of the storm once they reached the field, which is what it was really. A small field in a town of nothing but apartments and cafés.

"Up here." She grinned from the highest branch of one of the only two trees in sight. Finley ran underneath the leaves to find shelter from the down pour while Luca raised a hand to shield his eyes, glancing up at Arya in the tree.

Only her, he thought, grinning to himself. Only Arya would be this crazy to climb trees in the pouring rain. His eyes wandered over to Finley huddled close to the trunk, arms hugging his chest again. His thin jacket didn't so much to protect himself against the elements and his floppy hair wasn't doing much to help his sight either.

His wet hair covered his eyes and Luca couldn't help but smile at how adorable he looked like that, vulnerable and deer-like. Wait, what?