Shapes in the Clouds

After many failed attempts at calming down, Kaelyn had cleaned up the shattered glass and moved a plant over about a foot so that its leafy green branched would hide the dent in the wall. She knew she had to let off some steam, so she changed and left a note for her mom telling her that she was out.

Her headphones hugged her ears and she selected a play list from her mp3 player, smirking as the music began to pump from the tiny speakers. It got her adrenaline pumping as she began to jog. It took a lot of effort for her to focus more on her breathing than on trying to sing along. After jogging for a few miles she noticed a small park and, realizing how winded she was getting, decided to take a breather.

She walked around the trails a bit to catch her breath and slow her breathing. She smiled as she glanced around. She had never been to this park before; in fact she had never come in this direction before. She used to jog in the North Hanley district, but now found herself gravitating towards Groveline. She had always lived in between the two schools, but never ventured where she didn’t feel she belonged. Now that she was going to school in Jondell, she only found it fitting for her to explore the city.

The park was spacious and everything a park should be. She had passed by a children’s play structure, a quaint duck pond with typical old people feeding bread crumbs to the ever hungry birds, and a large field with dog owners playing catch with their respective canines. Now all it needed was a gazebo with a live band and it would be picture perfect. She laughed at the ridiculousness of her thoughts as a gazebo came into view, though there was no band.

She jogged up to it and sat on the handrail, looking out over yet another field. In the far off distance she could see a group of guys playing soccer, a couple having a picnic off by the tree line, and a guy laying out in the grass. As she looked closer she realized who it was. Hedley. She looked up into the sky, sighing as she noticed the complete lack of cumulus clouds in the sky. Still, she walked silently over to his side and laid down beside him. He didn’t even flinch or open his eyes to see who it was. She tentatively laced her fingers in with his and squeezed his hand.

“My dad tell you I would be here?” he asked grumpily.

“I haven’t seen your dad since you left me,” she whispered in response.

Hedley’s eyes whipped open and he jumped back. Now that is the response she was waiting for. She wanted to curl up in a ball again, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t let him win. He always won.

“I miss you, Heddy,” she admitted shakily, her voice almost not complying. “I wanted you to come back, but you never did. And then when I got to your apartment and you weren’t there, I didn’t know what to do. Do you know how stupid I looked standing there in front of this guy telling him that my best friend left me without saying good-bye?”

“Some best friend…” Hedley mumbled.

“Yeah, some best friend! You could have told me you were leaving!”

“And you could have given me a reason to stay!” he shouted. “I would have done anything for you Kizzy! All you would have had to do was ask and I would have done it. I loved you, damn it! I fucking loved you.”

His shoulders slumped as he started to walk off. She hurried to catch him, but his long strides drew him further and further away from her. It seemed he was always getting away before she could stop him. She wanted him to stop and listen to her for once. She sighed before going at an all out sprint, nearly tackling him to the ground once she finally caught up.

“Who did you think I was when I laid next to you back there?” she asked quietly, hoping his answer wouldn’t hurt her.

“Someone who cares,” he seethed, trying to walk away, but stopping when her tiny hands latched onto his arm. His answer had hurt and he knew it, but that’s what he had intended on. He planned on hurting her like she had hurt him.

“Please don’t leave me again,” she pled.

“I didn’t leave you before. You avoided me so I walked away. Now… well, now I am walking away.” He looked at her, almost scathingly, before shaking her off. Then he strode away quickly.

She fell to her knees on the grassy knoll, crying softly. When would he understand? She didn’t feel like she could take a whole year of this. She could barely tolerate one day. She knew she couldn’t be alone right now though, so she did the only thing she could think of. She pulled out her phone and called the one person she thought would help.

“Hello?”

She didn’t know what to say though.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Mhmm,” she murmered softly. “It’s Kaelyn,” she added.

“Kae! Are you alright, you don’t sound too good.” His voice was laced with concern and she smiled softly. She had been worried that she would have trouble making friends and she had already made several.

“Can I still take you up on your offer to hang out?” she asked cautiously. She didn’t want to impose, he had probably already made plans. She needed someone though and she hoped he would pull through for her.

“Of course!” he exclaimed. “You wanna meet somewhere or do ya want me to pick you up?”

“I don’t know where I am,” she admitted abashedly. “And I don’t really know my way around Jondell.”

“How do you not know where you’re at?” he asked bemusedly.

“I went for a jog and ended up at some park. I think I’m on the east side of Jondell. Maybe.”

He chuckled before asking, “Is there a gazebo and a whole bunch of fields?”

“How’d you know?”

“It’s the closest one to North Hanley. Faye told me that’s where you’re from. I figured you wouldn’t stray off too far from your town,” he explained. “Where are you in the park?” he asked.

“Sitting in the field by the gazebo,” she informed him as she pulled a blade of the grass and twirled it around in her fingers. She was so caught up in the small piece of green that she hadn’t taken notice to him responding, nor that he had hung up until a harsh tone played in her ear.

“Hey there.”

She turned around to face the owner of the voice, her face turning pink as she realized she still hadn’t hung up her phone. She dropped the blade of grass as he reached out for her hand, grasping it. He pulled her up easily, the ground whooshing away from her.

“Hey Jer,” she breathed out as he held her firmly. She was thankful for that as the world spun from the rush of blood to her head.

“What’s wrong, Kae?” he asked softly, brushing hair out of her face lightly with his fingertips.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just changed my mind and wanted to hang out. I got bored all alone,” she lied easily. The thought made her sick as she realized how effortless it was becoming for her to lie.

“You can’t fool me,” he whispered as he traced down her cheek. “You’ve been crying.”

She then realized he had been tracing the path her tears had followed as they fled from her eyes. Even they didn’t want to be near her. Her body sagged into his as she felt her eyes well up. If not for his support, she would have dropped to the ground with the weight of her emotions.

He held her close to him as he stroked her hair. He led her over to the gazebo and sat her down on one of the benches. As he rocked her back and forth he swore he would get Auto back for what he was putting this girl through. He had only met the girl earlier in the day, but he would do the same for any. No one should feel like this.

“It’s okay,” he lulled helplessly. He knew it wasn’t, but he could at least try. “What happened? I mean you don‘t have to tell me if you don‘t want to, but it might help.”

“He was here,” she said quietly. It was as if she thought that he would reappear if she were any louder. “He was laying in the grass, looking up at the sky, just like old times. I thought that maybe if it was just the two of us… I don’t know. I guess I thought maybe he would talk to me about what happened…”

“What happened?” he asked when he realized she wouldn’t go on.

“We used to be best friends,” she explained. “And then everything got screwed up last year.”

“How?” he asked, wanting to know more. She shook her head at that one though, refusing to answer. “You want me to take you home, little one?”

She smiled and nodded her head, wiping the last of her tears sloppily from her face. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly. When he pulled away he gently rubbed the dampness that she’d missed with the pads of his thumbs.

“You’re too beautiful to let a guy make you cry,” he told her, kissing her forehead softly. He took her hand, leading her towards his truck and her face flushed bright red. He noticed this and chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. This was the start of what would be nothing less than a marvelous friendship. Definitely.