tree climber-- clifford

IV {four}

autumn

school again, wish me luck

a.m

-

Michael

another day,

til then,

mgc

a.m

"Could I sit here?" I look up to see a boy. It's Michael.

"Sure, here." I say, quickly moving my stuff so he could sit down next to me.

He plops down, rather ungracefully.

"Hi." He breathes, looking down at me while adjusting the hood of his sweatshirt.

I breathe a "hi" back, not bothering to look up at him from my lap.

"Tha-"Shouting interrupts him, I automatically look up.

There's his group of guys, shouting and motioning at him from across the courtyard. Michael grabs his bag and runs off. Great, how sweet.

-

I am staying at the trees a bit longer today, because of what happened earlier. It upset me. It shouldn't have, but it did. Because of it, I sit in a different tree than usual, farther away. Music blasting louder than ever, mind running slower than ever. I guess that now, everything is catching up to me. it's the thing I've been most worried about. I don't want to go back to that place. I hate those people, that pretend they care. Because, I know they don't. No reading tonight either, I don't want to think. No thinking.

I feel something touch me, but I ignore it. It's probably just the bloody wind. I get hit again, almost making me jump. I pull out my headphones and look down, screaming a what the fuck in the process. When I look, its Michael.

"What's wrong?" He asks sweetly.

I mumble nothing, trying to put my headphones back in. Michael pulls them down towards him, catching my ipod in his hands. "Give it to me, Michael."

"Common babe, we just met," He smirks. I cringe.

"kidding, I'm kidding. Chill."

"Just, go please." I rest my back flat against the tree's bark, letting my head fall backwards so my eyes face the night sky.

"No, make room."

"No, leave Michael." I shoot, turning my gaze back to the sky.

"You don't want me here?" I look down, his facial expression matches one of a puppy's.

"No- I didn't say that. I just want to be alone, please."

"Nothing good ever happens when you're alone. I know, Autumn." Michael's voice lowers.

"I don't really care, Michael." I say back, ignoring his expression and hiding mine.

"Oh, but you do." I look down at him.

"Why are you here?"

"To apologize for earlier, I didn't want to leave you."

"But you did." I whisper, looking back at the stars.

He climbs up the tree, despite my earlier protests. I huff, almost pushing him back down. I would never, though. There's really no other branch big enough for him near me, but he climbs to an above one, then he hops down to my branch, pushing me in front of him so he sat behind me. I immediately disagree, climbing down the tree.