Less than Perfect

5. Open and Closed {part two}

Chapter Five

Open and Closed

Part Two

Skye ran through the perfectly cut grass, the sun blazing down on her back. Despite the heat Skye was cold; every time she thought about Johnny finding out about Jules her heart would beat rapidly. The city's park was nearly vacant. There were only a few people walking their dogs and a few other people jogging along the dirt path.

She was headed for the only place she could get away from Johnny, the only place she knew she could breathe: the old tree house the town had built years ago. It was made out of rows of wood and had a couple wooden rails but there wasn't much to it. The town had built a better one near the playground a couple years ago, and the one she grew up with was dirty and hidden in the woods, completely forgotten about.

She climbed the dirt caked ladder and sat down at the top. She breathed in the muggy air and it actually felt refreshing for her. No matter how dirty it got Skye would always go to the tree house when she needed space; and she really needed space.

She thought about the many times she had dreamed about what her father was like, and about what he could have offered her. If he hadn't left Leah she never would have had to obtain the abuse Johnny throws at her; but there always the possibility that he could have been just as bad as Johnny or possibly even worse.

She lay on the dirty boards, collecting her thoughts and shoving away as much pain as she could. Her bruises were healing—besides the few Johnny had irritated—and the scratches were becoming only scars. She was finally beginning to heal. Skye inhaled as much of the outdoors air as could, who knows what Johnny will do when he finds out she lied and she goes home. It would only be a disaster.

"Hey stranger, what are you doing up there?" Jules called up to her. She flinched and scrambled to look over the boards of wood.

The moment she laid eyes on him she smiled, her world falling back into the corner of her heart. "I came here to be free, get out of the house and refresh myself. What are you doing here? No one ever comes here." She said as she watched him glance around the small woods. He looked slightly uncomfortable, as if she had asked him a question he never thought about.

"Problems at home?" He countered in response.

"Not exactly; I just wanted to think. You didn't answer my question you know, and you're not getting off that easily." She quietly laughed.

"Ah," he shook his head and chuckled, "You're right. May I join you then?" He squinted up at her, even though it was quite shaded in the cove of trees.

"Sure, I guess you may." She scooted herself back against the tree trunk behind her, clearing a spot next to her. She was smiling as he mounted the top, pulling himself up with ease. His hair hung in his eyes a bit but she could still see the beautiful emeralds underneath. She sighed inside, wishing that she could reach up into his hair and brush her fingers through it.

Skye took a deep breath when he sat down so close that their shoulders bumped for a moment, and let it out a moment later. She struck him with a look that spoke: and?

He laughed and glanced away from her. "I came here to get some air too."

"But how did you know about it? Like I said, no one comes here anymore." She said as she dropped her hand in the small space between them.

"My dad helped build it years ago. We all had lived here in my childhood, but my dad and I moved back a few weeks ago from New York." He said it quietly as if he was ashamed.