Sequel: About A Girl ›
Status: Hey kids! I've written all I can with this story. I loved it but it wasn't really going anywhere. HOWEVER!!! I did rewrite the story in treatment for in a new 'light'. If you're interested in reading that :)
It's Not All About You, Luke
Behind The Bush
Over the next few weeks a few things happened, mum got promoted so she worked a lot more and was hardly ever home, dad had to cook and was burning everything so we started to live off takeaway, surprisingly; Luke and i were still talking and Todd was contently texting me. The work thing was okay; i mean, work was mum's life and i was happy for her, but she always put us second which really pissed me off, and with dad's cooking; don't get me started! It was horrible, he couldn't even cook to begin with so burning it just made it totally uneatable. Takeaway is good for a few nights, but after a while you star to get really sick of it, i was complaining to Todd about it, and he invited me over a few times, but i just couldn't. Not after the scene i made last time, oh no i wasn't going to be showing my face around there anytime soon. Then he turned up on my doorstep.
I was going to invite him in, but i figured it was better not to; so we went for a walk to the park a few blocks away. "So how's everything?" asked Todd, he sounded concerned.
"It's okay. Well I've been better, but... I've gotten used to this." I'd stopped and turned to face him, "But I thought things were changing for good!" I cried, tears swelling up in my eyes. "She's started coming home earlier to be with us, and now she's gone back to work. Her putting her family first was short lived." I guess Todd was taken aback by this, i suppose he wasn't expecting to see tears, i guess he thought it was stronger then this and thought it was better to get me out of the house.. i don't know what he was thinking.
"I want to show you something." He said as he grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. We headed towards the park, but didn't stop; we just continued through it, up the hill and onto Progress Rod.
As we walked down the other side, he squeezed my hand and pointed to a block of land which headed into the local bush area. "I wanna show you something in there," he whispered. "Come on." And he dragged me into the bush.
"In here? What could possibly be in here?" i asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Just wait and see." he said, showing a hint of a smile. As we made our way through the bush, stepping over broken branches and ducking under others, we came to a clearing. "Wait here." Todd shouted over his shoulder and he went around the corner. I heard some rustling in the bush and he re appeared with a broad smile, "Come on."reaching out to grab my hand he took me around the corner.
"Wow. Whose is that?" I asked with amazement, looking up at what appeared to be a giant tree house.
"It's mine. I built it a few years ago with my dad after our parents split up; we grabbed all the material from Dad's old shed, a bunch of tools and some old furniture. He said this was for me, if i ever felt lonely or needed somewhere to go; i could always come here." We were standing before a giant two story tree house made of corrugated steel and wood, a rope ladder and a tire swing. i couldn't see inside it from here, but i know what was in it; a home away from home; everything a teen needed. "I brought you here because i thought you might need it. Let's go up." So i followed him up the ladder to the first story.
Todd walked over to an eski and pulled out two cans of Pepsi. "Here," he sat down on a bean bag and patted the rocking chair next to him, "sit." So i did.
Looking around i saw what looked like a replica to the wall in his house. "So you like photo's too?"
"Funny you should mention that. I used to hate that wall, hated looking at it when i walked down the stairs every day and night, hated looking at it when i came home everyday. When we built this, i knew it was missing something; it was missing the love that was forgotten; sounds corny i know."
"No, no it doesn't... not to me anyway."
"Well if you look at these pictures you'll see their different to the ones on the wall at home; mum's not in any of them. Their just of dad, Anthony and I." He was right, it was different. I'd never seen his dad before but by the looks of it he was a nice, caring guy. I suppose i understand why his mother liked that wall; they were all happy photos of what was, nothing sad, nothing empty. Just like this one.
"What's upstairs?" I asked.
"Oh, just another floor. It's empty though... 'cept for s couple of sleeping bags and pillows." He answered, looking up the ladder to the floor above. "Elise, i was wondering... I brought you here because i thought you needed it, to get away. I understand you'd not comfortable in my house... and that's not your fault; Anth acted like a wanker, but if you ever need to get away, talk or anything; come here, call me. I know I'm a bit different, the kids at school comment on it a lot; but i guess i care too much, i just wanna make things better."
"That's so sweet of you, Todd. Thank you, i really appreciate it, it's just what i needed." I smiled, I wanted to thank him for this, make it up to him for being so abrupt at his house, and for such generosity; no ones ever been like this towards me... people like me never get anything.
"Stay?" suggested Todd.
"If it makes you happy."
I was going to invite him in, but i figured it was better not to; so we went for a walk to the park a few blocks away. "So how's everything?" asked Todd, he sounded concerned.
"It's okay. Well I've been better, but... I've gotten used to this." I'd stopped and turned to face him, "But I thought things were changing for good!" I cried, tears swelling up in my eyes. "She's started coming home earlier to be with us, and now she's gone back to work. Her putting her family first was short lived." I guess Todd was taken aback by this, i suppose he wasn't expecting to see tears, i guess he thought it was stronger then this and thought it was better to get me out of the house.. i don't know what he was thinking.
"I want to show you something." He said as he grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. We headed towards the park, but didn't stop; we just continued through it, up the hill and onto Progress Rod.
As we walked down the other side, he squeezed my hand and pointed to a block of land which headed into the local bush area. "I wanna show you something in there," he whispered. "Come on." And he dragged me into the bush.
"In here? What could possibly be in here?" i asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Just wait and see." he said, showing a hint of a smile. As we made our way through the bush, stepping over broken branches and ducking under others, we came to a clearing. "Wait here." Todd shouted over his shoulder and he went around the corner. I heard some rustling in the bush and he re appeared with a broad smile, "Come on."reaching out to grab my hand he took me around the corner.
"Wow. Whose is that?" I asked with amazement, looking up at what appeared to be a giant tree house.
"It's mine. I built it a few years ago with my dad after our parents split up; we grabbed all the material from Dad's old shed, a bunch of tools and some old furniture. He said this was for me, if i ever felt lonely or needed somewhere to go; i could always come here." We were standing before a giant two story tree house made of corrugated steel and wood, a rope ladder and a tire swing. i couldn't see inside it from here, but i know what was in it; a home away from home; everything a teen needed. "I brought you here because i thought you might need it. Let's go up." So i followed him up the ladder to the first story.
Todd walked over to an eski and pulled out two cans of Pepsi. "Here," he sat down on a bean bag and patted the rocking chair next to him, "sit." So i did.
Looking around i saw what looked like a replica to the wall in his house. "So you like photo's too?"
"Funny you should mention that. I used to hate that wall, hated looking at it when i walked down the stairs every day and night, hated looking at it when i came home everyday. When we built this, i knew it was missing something; it was missing the love that was forgotten; sounds corny i know."
"No, no it doesn't... not to me anyway."
"Well if you look at these pictures you'll see their different to the ones on the wall at home; mum's not in any of them. Their just of dad, Anthony and I." He was right, it was different. I'd never seen his dad before but by the looks of it he was a nice, caring guy. I suppose i understand why his mother liked that wall; they were all happy photos of what was, nothing sad, nothing empty. Just like this one.
"What's upstairs?" I asked.
"Oh, just another floor. It's empty though... 'cept for s couple of sleeping bags and pillows." He answered, looking up the ladder to the floor above. "Elise, i was wondering... I brought you here because i thought you needed it, to get away. I understand you'd not comfortable in my house... and that's not your fault; Anth acted like a wanker, but if you ever need to get away, talk or anything; come here, call me. I know I'm a bit different, the kids at school comment on it a lot; but i guess i care too much, i just wanna make things better."
"That's so sweet of you, Todd. Thank you, i really appreciate it, it's just what i needed." I smiled, I wanted to thank him for this, make it up to him for being so abrupt at his house, and for such generosity; no ones ever been like this towards me... people like me never get anything.
"Stay?" suggested Todd.
"If it makes you happy."