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"Sometimes coincidence is a plan in disguise."

- Anonymous

Rowan

I have been walking for hours. It has been a night since I left. I walked around town trying to get further out of the city area but I felt like I couldn't walk because of a gigantic weight upon my shoulders.

My parents are probably awake by now. They are probably wondering what I was thinking? Where did I go? Why would I want to leave them all behind? These are questions that I can't even answer myself yet I know somehow, exactly what I'm doing.

Last night I cried myself to sleep. It was the best thing to do, eradicate all the sadness and pain that I have and keep moving forward, with optimism and determination.

I don't know what time it is but it is dark and cold, my fingers and ears are numb and all I want to do is sleep.

The Ophelia park is amazing, somehow I have never been before. I have never really been in this part of the city before at all. The adventure is already beginning but not the way that I had in mind.

It is exactly like parks that you read about in books, with old fashioned street lights, a fountain, green grass and a playground that looks sad and lonely at this time of night.

There are a lot of benches dispersed around as well, I choose one by the fountain opposite a sleeping boy. I wonder is he homeless, or is he in a similar situation to me. He does not look very much older.

I struggle to find a comfortable sleeping position on this bench. It's all about adapting Rowan, come on adapt you're good at this. I lie straight staring at the starry sky. I can now say that I have slept under the stars, even if somehow I don't get any further. My feet poke out of the end of my blanket. It is severely uncomfortable.

"You don't look too happy there," smirked the boy of whom I had previously believed to be sleeping.

"I am not happy. How can one possibly be happy in freezing cold weather among blaring car horns outside the park, trying to sleep on a hard bench. Might I add that you do not look very comfortable either." I sit up, totally abandoning the prospect of finding a good position.

He mimics my actions. "This is because it is simply impossible. It is not comfortable and will never be but you can make the most of it. Why are you here I have never seen you around before?"

"I am about to set out on a great journey of exploration, but first I must find my footing."

He looks slightly bewildered. "So are you homeless? Is that the journey?"

I feel somewhat offended. "No I am absolutely not homeless. I chose to do this."

It is his turn to look utterly disgusted. "You chose to sleep on this cold hard bench. You are absolutely insane why would you do that?"

"You're just like everyone else! How come nobody understands? I need to do this, I want to do this and I will do this." I sigh trying to lie down again.

"You know," he laughed slightly "you meet some pretty weird characters around here but you take the prize." His features are sharp, almost elvish if that's a word. He looks as if he could have been Peter Pan in another life.

"You're really funny I'm rolling around laughing right now," I huff sarcastically as I turn away from him. I had never thought that what I was doing was extremely unusual but apparently it was.

For about 30 seconds I just lay there facing the bench before he walked over to stand beside me.

"Cheer up, we need a few more weirdos in the world. They're the ones who have all the great ideas." He smiles.

I look up and can't help but smile back. "Why are you being nice to me? I don't know you. For all you know I could steal the bench you were planning to sleep on."

"Maybe but I got here first. I don't know why I am being nice to you, but if I were you I would go along with it and stop being so inquisitive because I'm not nice to a lot of people."

I nod. "Rowan."

"I assume that's your name that you're blatantly stating, so Thomas," he grins.

"You don't look like a Thomas."

"I used to look like a Thomas."

"What do you mean?"

"I used to be a privileged rich kid which in my opinion is a Thomas."

"That's not a Thomas," I wrinkle my nose.

"Yes it is. And I am, so your overall assumption of what a Thomas supposedly is has proved to be wrong hasn't it?"

"I guess so," I shrug.

"So will you be moving on from here tomorrow morning on your great journey?" he asks.

"Yep. I want to find an airport or something. A cheap one with those illegal rickety planes, because that's all I can afford and I need to get out of here."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It does but it sounds exciting, like an action movie, it will be the start of my Indiana-Jones-like new lifestyle."

"Well I think you should get some sleep for that. I wish you all the best on your capers Rowan," he says as he turns to go back to his own bench.

"Thomas?" I don't know where what I am about to say is coming from. I never planned this, but I need to do it.

"Yes?" He turns back to me.

"Do you want to come with me?"

(A/N)

I'm excited for the next chapter I know exactly what will happen c:

Things are getting starteeeedd

So yeah enter my cover competition just PM me if you want to enter and we'll arrange something I guess XD

Thanks for reading!

Lily-Ann.