The Girl Behind The Tree

Chapter 2

She closed her eyes and started making hand shapes and movements that looked pretty interesting past the weirdness of it all. I took the opportunity to properly observe her for a few moments and take in her appearance. She was attractive in all the right ways, but she dressed and moved in a way to make it subtle. Naturally blonde hair and blue eyes made her beach tan all the more appealing. It surprised me even more how she was alone on almost every occasion I've seen her, though I know for a fact that I've seen a guy walk with her every now and then.

"Okay," she said, opening her eyes and looking in my direction, snapping me out of my reverie. "I've got some ideas, if you don't mind?" I gestured for her to continue. "So, Jaxxon, you're one of those guys who used to play football as a kid with the neighborhood kids. You've dreamed of playing football, but it's never been anything more since you didn't have enough self-confidence to try out. You've been able to catch the attention of so many girls, but you've dated only a few, the most lasting a year or two."

I applauded her with a smile on my face, but I sensed she wasn't completely done. "Seems like you've got me all figured out, Tessa. No sense in me even having a conversation with you at this point. In fact, we could entirely skip over the usual 21 questions game and just act as best friends."

She smiles and shakes her head. "No I like these types of challenges. People don't expect me to be able to determine so much, but the way people talk and say things expresses things that others might not be able to pick up on."

"Ah, so you're more of an audible learning than visual, huh?" I ask, intrigued.

"You could say that," she said with a sad smile on her face.

"What's up?"

She was silent for a few seconds before she shook her head and smiled brightly back at me. "Just thinking of something."

"And what would that be? Obviously it makes you a little upset."

"Don't worry about it, trust me." She looked down at her textbook to continue studying and I took the hint to do the same. At the time, I thought she was done with the show-and-tell moment we shared and I didn't want to make my new friend angry and irritated with me so soon.

The bell rang to signal the end of the period and she stood up and left with a small smile thrown in the direction where I had been sitting five minutes earlier before I had decided to stretch out on the grass. The whole time that I've known her, a total of about half an hour, she's been a bit off in some of her movements. It ignited the fire in my heart to get to know her better and quench the curiosity building up that nagged my every thought.

It was a new routine for us from then on; I joined her ever free minute that I had while she sat under that tree. Hanging out with Tessa more than my other friends became a common occurrence and she didn't seem to mind the company too much. When asked the simple question of "why?" from my friends, the only answer I could offer up was that she helped me to relax and study enough to manage average grades.

When with my other friends, I tended to be the type of person to hang in the background, but still end up a key feature to a party as the designated driver. Sure, I enjoyed going to clubs and having a good time, but I didn't enjoy getting wasted every night and waking up with different girls in the bed next to me. When I met Tessa, that all ended and I realized that I had been digging myself in a hole that she helped pull me out of.

With Tessa, she had a complete sense of peacefulness and happiness that you don't find in many people. There's always one person in a group that can ease the tension from an argument or make you feel completely relaxed. It was a constant emotion of happiness that splashed across her face every time I greeted her in the halls or when I sat down across from her under that tree. It took a simple smile from her to calm me down from the stress of the day. I took it upon myself to try and make her laugh and smile as much as possible to show her my appreciation for allowing me to join her, I felt indebted to her. But one day, everything changed.

I walked out onto the school lawn that day and glanced at my phone as I walked over to the tree. Sitting down, I finally glanced up to look at her, but she wasn't there. I looked around the rest of the field to see if she was somewhere else for the day, but not even a hint of her was left and no one seemed to notice or care. I didn't know how to react or how to feel. I was completely lost and it was such a sudden feeling that I hadn't realized how attached I had become to her. She was the rock that kept me grounded.

I had even told her so one day and she looked like she was at war with her emotions. She eventually replied, "I'm not so sure you're right about that or if it's such a good idea, but whatever makes you happy." And then she smiled that bright smile of hers as if nothing was wrong.