the darkness began setting in and tyler was sitting with his legs crossed with a notebook on top of them.
he already told his dad that he would be outside, making his dad extremely happy, and for the first time in years he was drawing. he sketched a small bird that was perched on a branch directly in front of the treehouse entrance.
his notebook was getting hard to look at as the sun was setting, but he wasn't completely finished, so grew nervous as to try and turn on the lights without scaring the bird.
but, of course, by the small noise expressed as they sprung to life, it flew away in a second. he sighed and looked down at his unfinished work, deciding to just improvise the rest as the outline was already nearly completed.
"hey ty!" a voice almost made him jump, and his only friend climbed next to him and scooted her legs so they could hang off the edge.
"ty? that's a new one." he looked up at her and placed his pencil on the paper.
"yep," she shrugged her shoulder as if it was impressive.
"but wait," tyler sat still. "how come you've never told me your name?"
"ohh," she sighed. "i was hoping you wouldn't ask that."
"we've known each other for two weeks now and you've never even told me your name, why?"
she sighed again, "i just don't like my name."
"why?" tyler moved and got more comfortable. she looked at him with hesitant eyes and pulled her hair behind her ears. "it's more like my middle name, actually. i go by my middle name yet i hate it almost as much as my first name."
"well what's your name? i doubt it's that bad." tyler reassured her.
"leslie is my first name." she groaned. "i hate it, it sounds like 'lesbian' and personally, i don't think it fits me at all."
"well, are you a lesbian?" he chuckled, but then wondered why he asked that.
"no! and i'm not trying to sound homophobic because one of my best friends is lesbian, but i just hate that my own name sounds like something i'm not."
tyler nodded, "well, i don't think that's a bad name at all. and if you're lesbian or not." he teased, and she grabbed her hair with frustration but then calmed down. "not a lesbian..."
"just joking around," he laughed. "so what's your middle name? you know, the name i'm actually going to call you?"
she rolled her eyes. "ruby."
"how is that a bad name at all??" he said with a confused and slightly loud tone.
"i don't even have a reason for that one, to be blunt, i just don't like it."
"well i like it," he said. "it's unique and different, not just an average name like tyler."
her eyes met his and she furrowed her eyebrows as she spoke. "your name isn't bad, don't say that."
"sounds pretty hypocritical, ruby." he smirked.
she gasped and crossed her arms. "whatever, you can call me that, but don't think your teases are affecting me. cause they're not."
"how about now?" he sat closer to her and her cheeks slightly raised in color, but she was determined to win. "nope."
"well, then..." he moved his hand from his lap towards hers, and-
"tyler!!! dinner's ready!!" his dad's voice echoed through the background and through every branch in the forest for them to hear.
he realized his hand was nearing hers and his breath hitched, suddenly bringing his hand back to his lap. he wasn't sure what overcame him, and he closed his sketchbook and moved away with an embarrassed expression.
"i guess you should go eat, ty." she argued.
he grinned at her and tried to look calm; he was freaking out inside. "i guess i should, ruby."
she smiled without anger this time, and they both waved goodbye as he climbed down and walked to his house.
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