These Demons

Chapter Twenty-eight

**I redeemed my Hot Topic birthday voucher and ordered Andy Black and Harry Potter merch because fuck adulthood**

Once Zoe has finished looking at every single piece, we leave the exhibition and she looks at me full of expectation.
"It was interesting," I concede, "But I don't think I'll ever get this fascination. It's too... lifeless."
"That's all a matter of perception," Zoe disagrees and tugs on my arm to show me she wants to keep going, and I try to not let her notice how uncomfortable that makes me.
"Can I show you some more stuff I like?" she requests and I just shrug. "There are four pavilions here filled with awesome paintings and more." That doesn't sound too exciting, but I'm fine with whatever she wants to show me because all I care about is the way her eyes light up when she looks at these boring things.
She loves them so much that it makes my heart flutter.

"We could also go to the gardens, though. You might enjoy that more," she offers and I nod enthusiastically because that definitely sounds a lot better.
It's a cloudy and windy day in California, but with my jacket zipped and my hands in my pockets, I can at least not freeze to death and appear as normal as someone with tattoos covering half their black dressed body at an art center can possibly appear. What matters is that I don't have to be the inexperienced uneducated douche in those buildings anymore and can burn at least a few more calories by walking around.
Every single one counts after all. 

Entering 'the gardens', the first thing I spot are weirdly shaped hedges on pavement pieces in the middle of something that looks like a round pool, only that it's surrounded by stones and people are obviously not allowed to go in there.
It looks cool, but I have no idea what purpose it actually serves other than making me stare at it.
To be honest, I don't even know what it is. 

All the paths here are stone-flagged and everything is modern, neat and clean, and it makes me wonder how they pay all of this.
Different types of trees and bushes I can't name are spread across the area on the sides of the ways and on mowed green spaces, some designed for couples to make out or families to picknick and some separated for the protection of animals, nature or something like that.
Despite the season, all imaginable colors can be found here, and additional surfaces, areas and spaces gather more flowers and plants than I've ever seen, some seemingly so rare or precious that there are cobbles or small decorative fences around them for the purpose of shielding them from anyone or anything that could destroy them. 

Because it's not the ideal weather for a stroll, not many people are here, but I do see some tourists and joggers with their dogs on leashes and wish I were one of them. 

"Is anything wrong?" Zoe snaps me out of my astonishment and I quickly shake my head.
"I'm just amazed," I admit and look around.
"This is more like a high-class park for rich people to play golf than a public free space. How come I've never been here in all these years?" I wonder aloud, still flabbergasted by all of this. I'm definitely not the nature kind of person and know as much about it as a child in elementary school, but I can't deny how impressive this site is.

"That's a good question for once," Zoe proudly smirks and then her face brightens when some thought crosses her mind.
"I have an idea," she exclaims agitatedly and grabs my hand despite the way I automatically slightly scoot back, "I want to show you my favorite spot."

"Your favorite spot?" I repeat and raise my eyebrows, not knowing what she is talking about.

"It's even better than here," Zoe promises, "Everyone knows and loves it who comes here frequently, but it's rather difficult to find when you lack the orientation as a newbie."

"But you can find the way?" I assure myself doubtfully and she gives me a look that says it all.
"Of course I do! Come on, I know you'll love it. I should have shown you that right at the beginning!" Considering how much I lacked understanding of all the photos that seemed dead to me, she might be right with this assumption.