tree climber-- clifford

XIII {thirteen}

wow wow wow I love you guys lots --- 3.3k+ ! (,:

-

I wouldn't be mad if your cup of tea left a stain on my bedside table. I wouldn't mind if you broke my heart a million times. I let you, all those times before, didn't I? I will mind though, when you leave me again like last time and every time before that, because that's the only thing I can't stop you from doing. Even if I could, I never would be able to, and when you come back- I'll let you right in again, and you'll do it once more.

- b.d (yes I wrote this, sorry it sucks)

AM

Michael and I had changed into our bathing suits and now he's driving the truck. I give him directions on how to get to the water activity rental place. The road we're on is paved, but the trees are sticking out into the sides of the road, and there's really just trees everywhere. I love is so much. (tweet me @treesmgc)

We arrive to the place I now remember so much, and let the nostalgia take over me for a minute. As we park next to the water, Michael looks over at me and takes my hand. We walk past families and children that all smile at us and we obviously smile back graciously. I'm sure they think we've been together forever by the way I look at him. (Little did I know that they thought that by the way we both look at each other.)

I talk to the owner, who is just as kind as I remember, and she helps us both get our boards sized and all that. Michael whispers in my ear the entire time about how many times he's going to fall because he's never done this before and how he has shit balance. I stifle my laugh and playfully push him off me. Michael gives the woman his wallet to keep inside so we don't get it wet, (I'm actually positive he's going to fall multiple times) and we push our boards into the water. I climb on mine and stand up easily, remembering how to do it almost instantly.

Michael and the other hand, is struggling terribly. His tall frame is trying to stand up and get his balance on the board, but he repeatedly fails. I hold his paddle to help, and he finally gets it.

"So, how do I actually steer this fucking thing?!" Michael helps, crashing into some bushes. The water ripples around him and the children's laughs behind us sort of drown out most of his swears.

I burst out laughing and try my best to tell and show him how. Michael sort of learns, and we surprisingly make it out of the cove. We make our way towards the calm water. The river is wide and completely clear, giving you the ability to see clear at the bottom, which is at least fifteen feet under. The fish swim in groups, deep and shallow in the water, and they seem to follow us. Michael yelps and I turn my attention to where he is ahead of me.

"What?" I ask.

"That was a big ass fish, Autumn May!" Michael uses his paddle to point in the water, and I laugh. I do spot a decently sized catfish, though.

I agree and laugh some more at him. Michael and I pass families on the small beaches on the shores, I smile and wave, he follows my actions. I'm actually surprised Michael hasn't fallen yet. Too soon said, Michael steers wrongly into a tree's branches, yelling and screeching about how the branches are "pokey Autumn May!" He falls sideways trying to avoid the 'pokey' branches, but catches himself. Once Michael caught his fall, he had lent the other way too much, and he's now falling on that side. His long body crashes into the water loudly, butt-first. I burst into obnoxiously loud laughs, but then I lose my balance and fall in.

When I rise from the rather cold water, Michael's already laughing and struggling to grab our boards before they move away too far. He pushes mine towards me and I grab onto it. I pull myself up and Michael does the same. He continuously makes fun of me for it, and tells me all about his theory on karma. I stare at Michael as he moves swiftly (as swift as Michael can get) on the water next to me, and I think that I should tell Michael my true emotions toward him. Maybe I should? What would be the problem for him to know?