Escape

Winter was the worst time of the year. The blistering cold air made Alie feel colder than it already was. She trudged off. Alie did not know why she went out. The layers she packed on seemed to let out warmth rather than keep it within her.

Patty's Diner was closed that day, because she needed to restock from yesterdays rush in. The boys were fun, Alie admitted that and Ella was simply a bundle of joy. She had sat with them until closing time, just talking, making jokes and eating. She had not had that much fun since... since her father.

Alie found the swings and sat down on one of the freezing seat, slowly rocking back and forth. She watched the sunrise higher in the air and the sky turning a pinkish red finally settling into a bright blue. In moments, the sky turned from that bright blue into a paler thick white.

Never mind the stupid sky Thought Alie as she swinged more.

"Lie-Lie! Lie-Lie!"

Alie turned towards the voice and saw the girl from the Diner. Emma ran as fast as she could, forgetting that her brother was right behind her. Forgetting that the winter jacket Felix bought her was weighing her speed.

Like the first time the two girls met, Emma latched onto Alie, and nestled her cold nose into her warm sweater. Alie's hands wrapped around Emma, held her, and sat her on her lap.

"She likes you a lot."

"Yeah, I think so too." She raised her head looking at Blake as he sat on the swing next to her.

Ella, Alie and Blake swinged in silence for some time contemplating who should speak first. Until Ella hopped of Alie's lap, the pair didn't speak. She ran to the slide and started rapidly sliding down laughing and smiling each time. It almost made Alie to laugh at Ella's antics.

"So what brings you here?" Blake asks after the fifth cycle of the Emma vs. Slide.

"I could say the same."Alie replied, ignoring the question.

"Emma and I used to live here when we were kids." He rubbed his hands together before putting them into his pocket. "Guess I forgot how cold it got here. You're turn."

"Road trip." She said simply. "If you used to live here, what brings you back, your family?"

"Nah, Memories and the occasional new friends I make here." He turns and smiles at me.

I am that friend Alie thought, blushing. She turned and watched Emma start playing on the jungle gym, so Blake did not have to see her blushing.

"Emma's the only family I got." Blake blurted. He felt his face get hot, and his eyes widened at his stupidity. Why did I say that?

"What?" Alie now faced Blake, her face etched with concern. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, sorry." He muttered. His head hung low concentrating on the blur of brown and black of the park's ground. He felt Alie's stare, but dismissed it. He did not want to relive that day.

Alie was nervously twirling her straight hair. She did not want to seem nosy and did not want to seem ignorant. Family problems just made her feel like she was not the only one trying to forget.

"Lie-Lie, 'Lake! I want to play on the teeter-totter!" She sat on the seesaw on the end that was on the ground and impatiently stomped her two feet. Her tiny sneakers fell on the ground hard, as she desperately tried to push herself up.

Alie walked towards Emma, Blake following, and put her sneakers back on. Blake pushed down on the higher end, which made Emma fly up. Emma giggled profusely as her brother sat on the end. Alie pushed Emma down and Blake followed by pushing himself down. This repeated so many times, Alie's arms hurt.

"Emma, can you tell your dear brother that he has to lose some weight?" This was a false statement of course. Anyone could tell Blake Davis was too skinny for his own good. The skinny jeans proved that fact.

"'Lake, Lie-Lie says your fat."

Blake narrowed his eyes jokingly and refused to push himself up, "I heard her Emmie." Alie's efforts to push Emma down subsided.

"Very funny Blake." When he still would not move, she jutted her lip put and pouted at the boy on the seesaw, "Please?"

"No." He smirked and looked to the side, crossing his arms around his chest.

"Fine, come on Emmie . Let's go play somewhere else." Alie picked Emma up and carried her on her hip. She walked towards the sandbox, and even if it was freezing cold, the two girls started making a wall.

"Lie-Lie, look! 'Lake is coming!"

As soon as she said those three words, Alie looked up to see a partially mad and humored Blake.

"What are you doing?" He tried to say, peering at his sister patting down a corner of the tiny sand wall and Alie narrowed eyes. She's so weird."

"It's a wall to keep out sarcastic, mean fat boys like Blake out." Alie stated, her eyed still narrowed and her mouth still forming a smirk.

I retract that statement she is crazy. Blake thought. Alie was completely serious.

"Oh really?" He said raising one eyebrow. He lightly kicked the sand wall sending big amounts of sand and water to Alie and Emma. "Oops." He smiled like a Cheshire cat and watched the scene develop around him.

Alie's eyes widened and saw her outfit buried with sand. Ella toppled over and had sand bury her as well. And in the cold, the wet sand was freezing.

"'Lakey! Meany pants!" screamed Ella. She started to cry, tears welled up in her green orbs.
Blake picked her up sweeping the sand of her small body. "I'm sorry baby girl. How about I go make you a hot chocolate at home?" Emma's tears turned into small whimpers and she nestled her nose into the crook of his neck, her arms hugging her brother's neck. She nodded slightly as Blake placed a kiss on her hair.

All of a sudden the fake anger towards Blake disappeared, and Alie looked at the hugging brother and sister talk about home. If only

"Alie, are you coming with? Considering the fact that you're not angry at me?" He held out a hand for Alie and had a smile.

"If you will make me a hot chocolate too." Alie grasped the hand and pulled herself up.

"Of course." Blake cheekily smiled.