Tree Girl

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*********

"Sorry, but no." My parents say in unison.

I asked them if I could go to the nature walk for school, while I handed my mom a jar of pickles to open. I used to love pickles, but now I can either try to open the jar by just holding the jar, or just holding the lid. It's kinda sad, but I like watching my mom light up at the chance to help me.

I half sigh, half ugh, as if that was going

to help anything.

My dad tries to reassure me."Liv, it's just unsafe. You know that-"

"Yeah I get it, I could die or something. Whatever." I shoot as I almost stomp into my room, taking the not-opened pickle jar from my mom.

I just slam the door behind me, staring at the wall, where I hang all my pictures I take. If you haven't noticed, I am addicted to my Polaroid camera. It just let's me know where I have been, when I hang it up on my walls. The camera imitates an actual thing in a matter of a minute, and I think that's amazing. So my wall is almost completely covered in people, places, and mostly just the woods.

I have this one picture that I love. I took it in the woods near the trail. My parents weren't home, so I went back there. Any other time, they wouldn't let me go, but what they don't know can't hurt them.

It was raining. The green leaves looked like newly cracked glow sticks against the grey bark of the trees. That's what the picture was. It was a little blurry, raindrops landing on the camera lens. I took the picture then ran back home, racing my parents, hoping that they wouldn't find out where I was.

I ran, realizing that I was late. I slid through some parts, the mud almost speeding along the path. I tried to jump over a log, but I fell short, and landed on my prosthetic arm. It was nothing, it just fell off. I just grabbed it, and ran.

I got home in time, but my parents were a little suspicious why my arm was off-Oh my god, saying that to myself, I now know why I am a freak- so I just lied.

"It was bothering me, so I took it off." I replied, with a fake smile.

That picture along with all my pictures have stories. I sit here in my room, the dim light of my twinkling lights barely letting me see. I just lay down, and listen to all the stories, and I feel calm.

~~

The next day at school, I open my locker, and sticks fall onto me.

"Hey tree girl, I thought you would like this" some idiot jock says, laughing, as he slams my locker closed.

"Why are you laughing? Stupidity doesn't amuse me." I reply, grasping at any comeback I could say.

"Ha." he says, his voice now strict. "Clean it up."

I agree, because it's not that big of a deal. I start to pick up the sticks as they walk away, making rude comments most likely about me.

I hold the sticks with me all day until lunch. I set them along the tarp in an unorganized way, and I take a picture. I wait for the picture to develop as some guy I have never seen walks up to me.

"Hey." he says, his voice polite.

I look up at him. He is tall, has brown hair, and was skinny. Although he was skinny, he had a well chiseled face, his blue piercing eyes were staring right at me.

"Hi." I reply, almost startled that he found where I was.

"Can I sit down? They didn't let me sit in the cafeteria so..."

"Yeah sure."

He sat down on the tarp with me, and he saw the picture hanging on the tree.

"Nice picture." he says with a crooked smile.

"Thanks."

We sit there, watching the jocks throw themselves at each other, cheerleaders laughing.

"They suck." he sighed.

"Yeah. I know."