The Fault In Our Parkour

Smile

About the sixth time running up, Kela pulled herself up with one of the smaller branches she managed to grab. By now, her shoes were lying on the grass, and she had been trying to get up barefoot.

Liam swung his legs, back and forth. He pretended not to see her as she navigated through the maze of branches underneath.

"Liam!" She called, stepping onto an unstable branch beneath the one he was perched on.

He glanced down her, his purple cheek quite visible.

"I thought I told you to screw off, girly."

"Um... Yeah, no." She held firmly onto the thick branch Liam was on, trying to get her footing balanced on the branch below her.

"That ain't too smart, you know." Liam shook his head. "I'll bet in a few seconds, it'll break and you'll be hanging- or even worse, face down in the grass.." He was taunting her. "..... But that's not a guarantee."

"You're certainly enthusiastic about it," Kela mumbled.

The branch creaked. Kela grunted as she tried to pull herself up and onto the higher branch----

CCCCRRRAAAA-ACK!!!!!

The base of the branch partially detached from the trunk. Kela gasped as she lost her grip and her footing---

Yet, she wasn't falling.

Liam stared straight down at her with those cold, blue eyes. Now that's a look that could kill.

His much larger hand grasped around her stick-like wrist.

"I said you might end up flat on the grass-- but I didn't guarantee it." He muttered under his breath, but was secretly relieved he caught her in time.

"You have a way with words." She, in return, wrapped her fingers around his wrist as he pulled her up.

"You're lighter than you look," Liam remarked as Kela clumsily took a seat next to him.

"I'm flattered," Kela answered. "So what are you doing all the way out here?"

Liam gave her a look that he need not use words to explain.

"......oh. That's a nasty bruise you got there.... But you still didn't answer my question."

"I got into a fight with Kyle." He met her eyes with a child-like innocence. Kela felt her heart soften for him, and wanted to hug him. She restrained herself, though. Liam disliked her- or so he showed.

"So Kyle slugged you in the face?" She lightly teased.

"No. It was a verbal fight, about the bruise." Liam looked at her blankly.

There was an odd silence, but not awkward.

"....... Isn't this the part when you ask me how I got it?" Liam inquired, almost serious, but it was still laced with sarcasm.

"Well?" Kela waited.

-

Kyle, Jae, and Cole sat around Kyle's dining table, eating chips. They were all sitting in silence, except for Cole's loud crunching. He scraped the last of the salsa from the bowl, and smacked his lips loudly.

Jae glanced at him, waiting for someone to break the tension between the three.

Kyle banged his forehead on the surface of the table a few times, showing his frustration. "I don't know what to do..."

Jae re-tied her hair up, sighing. "Don't do anything to interfere."

"So... what was the deal again?" Cole disentangled his curly bangs.

"Liam has a huge contusion on his face, Kela went after him, and everybody is super confused at the moment." Jae explained calmly.

".....what does contusion mean, Kyle?" Cole whispered to his friend.

Kyle shrugged in reply.

"Just leave them be for now." Jae got up and refilled the chips.

-

"..........and that's how this happened." Liam finished.

"Wow. That's kind of harsh." Kela looked up at him.

"Eh, you get used to it, yknow."

"Yeah.... I guess."

Plip.

Plop.

The rain started to drizzle, then came down as big droplets from above. Liam sat there, on the branch a few more minutes. Kela sniffled, but smiled as she watched the droplets hit the grass in a wild flurry. She stuck her hand out and grinned as the water from the leaves hit her palm. Her shirt was drenched, and it stuck to her back transparently.

Liam swallowed with difficulty as he looked away. Dammit, his heart was beating fast again...

A sharp wind pierced through the branches, as Kela swayed beside him. He shivered as it hit his back, but he could only imagine how cold Kela was.

Instinctively, he put his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"Wha...?" Kela looked up at him.

"D...don't take it the wrong way." Liam stuttered. "You just looked cold." His gaze was to the opposite of hers.

"....thanks." Kela snuggled up next to him as he held her supportively.

"...it's nothing. Heh."

-

They stayed there for about 30 minutes, as the rain started to clear up. There was silence- but it was not awkward. It was a peace and calm kind of silence.

"Liam, it's okay now." His smaller companion looked up at him with jest. "It stopped raining and it isn't as windy. I'm fine now."

"Oh." Liam withdrew his arm from her shoulders.

"..... We should get going."

"Yeah." Liam nodded, cooly. In all truth, he felt good- so could it felt like he could scale 3 buildings in one run! "I'll go down to the bottom first, just in case you slip or something..." He mumbled, manuvering down the maze of branches with ease.

Kela went down after, not as smoothly, but made it down safely to the bottom.

She scooped up her now-soaking wet bag.

"Let's go." She smiled.

'That smile,' Liam thought, 'Could brighten up any rainy day.'