Practice

Chapter 7

"Where're you taking me?" She asked for the fifth time only to be met with the same response. Harry had stuck his finger up at her about three times, and placed his hand over her face once. Apparently that was meant to stop her from harrassing him. 

"You'll see when we get there," Harry responded, flicking her off from behind his back. 

She had to be extra cautious about where she was stepping - he had taken her off the path and to the side of his house, which only seemed to look like a replica of his backyard. The house was surrounded by large old trees and a lot of extra space, which Tyler was amazed with. Most houses had a tiny side passage, filled with old toys and bikes, but this house only had more grassy land.

"Only a few more seconds," He explained, weaving around a large tree trunk into a small clearing. Tyler was in complete awe - she hadn't expected this. 

High up in a tree at the back was an old tree house. It was a few inches out from the front fence, hidden by the house's brick walls. She didn't know how she didn't notice it on the way in. It was old wood, but somehow sat majestically next to the big house. "Wow," She whispered, walking up to it.

She was standing underneath it when Harry appeared next to her. "It was here when we arrived," The boy explained, just as wide eyed as her, "The last family must have built it or something."

"Can we go up?" She pressed, turning to him. She'd never had anything like this before - a real treehouse? She had to go up. 

"There's no ladder," He explained, "And I don't think I'm in the right state to be scaling trees."

Tyler took a swig from her bottle, setting it down beside her and kicking her shoes off. "I am," She laughed, running up to the tree. She gripped a fragile branch, kicking her foot on the rough bark and pulling herself, her foot now resting there. The girl was half way up after a few more seconds, and could see the base of the house. She reached up, pushing her foot into an old hole in the tree and lifting herself. The door swung open with a push, and Tyler dragged herself the rest of the way, collapsing into the wooden house. 

"Not that hard," She huffed as she swung her feet out the door, "When you come up can you bring the bottle?" 

"You want me to climb up the tree with one hand?" He repeated, his eyes squinted. 

She nodded, her eyes begging him to join her. She turned and admired the small cubby house. It consisted of one room with pillows and a little blanket.

There were a few shelves, planks of wood nailed to a wall, which were empty now, although she could imagine what used to be on them - little painted memories, or food in jars, a little kids imagination running wild with them as they discussed plans to live up here. There wasn't much, though - the family probably took it when they left. "Are you coming?" She called from the back of the house, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the coolness of it. 

She heard a grunt, and a moan. "Fuck, do you think I'm a monkey or something Tyler?" 

The girl laughed at him, crawling over to the door to see him half way up the tree. She leant over the edge, "Let me help," She explained, grabbing the bottle of alcohol from his hand and placing it beside her. "You're almost there, Harry. Just.. Yeah, your foot - stick it in that little hole thing," She clarified, watching him do as she said. "No put your hands here," She gestured to the floor of the house, "And pull yourself up, like you're getting out of a pool or something."

She laughed as the boy's hands slapped on the wood, his sharp breaths the only indicator that they belonged to someone who was blind drunk and climbing a tree. He collapsed into the tree house quickly, laying in a lump on the floor. "Thanks for the alcohol," She smiled, unscrewing the lid.