He stares at me for a while, I stare back.
"Why are you here?" I ask him, looking down at the floor, and then jumping off the remainder 30 centimetres. I wipe my hands onto my dress, not something I usually do, but it’s a black dress, so you can't see much on it. I look back at him, and he is still standing there. He is next to the bridge that my mother made out of old trees that she was able to carry herself. I pick up my high heels and walk to the other side of the uneven bridge, waiting for his reply. He doesn't reply. I put my left foot onto the bridge, balancing myself with my hands, I lift myself up and pull my right leg onto the bridge too, slowly walking over to him.
"Are you going to reply, or are you going to make me walk this whole bridge?" I tell him, he walks closer to the bridge and pulls himself up to it. I am about two metres away from him when he holds out his hand. I reach for it, and he brings me down off the broken trees.
"I haven't seen you for ages." Archie says, and that’s all he say for a while, expecting me to reply. But I don't, I don't know what to say. So I just wait, until end up just asking him the question I asked before.
"Why are you here?" He sits down on the floor, and inviting me to too, I look at the floor, and then slowly sit, putting my heels next to me. He hasn't changed much, still mysterious, still has bright green eyes. Still him.
"I just needed some peace. That’s all." I look him up and down, he looks fine. He doesn't look tired, sad, or anything like that. He looks perfect.
"Oh, I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy" I start to stand up but grabs my hand, making me stop moving. He looks into my eyes, somehow telling me that he wants company. I sit back down.
"You needed peace too?" He asks me. I smile a little at the floor. I guess I did just need some peace, away from my real life. I look up to him, and then to the tree I was crying in, the orange and yellow and brown leaves. The way the branches spread out in the perfect direction for someone to sit on. I look back at him, and notice he hasn't taken my eyes off me since he asked me the question.
"I guess I did." We keep talking for about 30 minutes until I hear Tim's voice, shouting my name. I get up and leave Archie, and walk in the direction of Tim's voice. Over the bridge and left a little, I can see him by the time I get off the bridge. When I get to him he tells me that the funeral has ended. I forgot about everything while I was talking to Archie, I forgot about what has happened in my life to make it depressing. I just completely forgot like someone wiped my memory from all the bad things.
"Who was that?" Tim asks me as I shove on my ruined high heels. I look up to him, his eyebrows have moved in a way that makes him look like he is confused. I still can't get my shoe on so I sit down a little, and start again.
"Just someone else who wanted some peace too. Where is everyone?" I try to change the subject without even noticing. Eventually I put on my shoes, and Tim puts his hand out for me to grab, which I do. He lifts me up and we start walking to the car. Nobody is here, it looks like a ghost town. Everything has gone. I get into the car with Tim, who is driving. I guess father is not in a great mood to be driving. We get home and I get changed into some leggings and one of Tim's jumpers. I lie in my bed and read my book. Before I know it, light is reaching through my closed curtains into my room. I check my alarm clock to see that it's 6:39am. I've been reading for 12 hours. I get up and go downstairs for some orange juice. After a while, I put on some boots and run to the river. I try to go there as much as I can, usually the mornings are good because my father wakes up late and my brother stays in his room until 10am if he can.
When I get to the river, I sit back on my tree, and before I notice, I fall asleep. I must of been tired from reading the whole of last night. I wake up to the sound of a crow in front of me, it scares me at first. It's sitting at the end of my branch, about 3 feet away from me. I take a closer look, I'm not an expert of birds, but I start to think that it's a raven. I smile a little at it, but it fly’s away. I rest my head on the trunk of the tree, and close my eyes a little.
"ZELLA!" I hear a shout of my name, and by the I open my eyes to the shout, I notice that i'm falling from the tree. Head first. And then I’m on the floor. I feel arms wrap around me, someone trying to wake me up, I hear their voice. "Zella, Zella, are you alright? Zella wake up!" I open my eyes to see Archie. He smiles at my eyes, and then I feel pain in my neck, shooting down my back. I make a weird noise which indicates that I am in pain. His smile drops and he slowly lifts me up, the pain slowly goes with the touch of his hands on my neck.
"Are you alright?" He asks me, his voice is soft, and calming. I feel like falling asleep to it, but I don't.
"Just a little painful. You must of caught me of guard and then I fell." I say, suddenly losing control of my breathing. It started with a coughing fit, and then Archie noticed that I can't breathe. He lay me down on the floor, and listened to my heart, which gave him a fright. I don't know what’s happened, but I try to keep my mind on my breathing. But I can't, was my heart beating when I was talking to Archie after the fall? Or was I almost dead? My mind wonders off, and I feel myself wondering off. I close my eyes, and hear Archie shout my name again, I feel someone pushing on my rib cage, I feel a rib snap. And then...
I feel his lips on mine.
