Lessons Learned I

"This...has got to be the biggest tree I have ever seen," I mumbled, staring up at it. Alex, Lee, and I were all in the park, just wandering around and talking.

The tree had a huge trunk and it was really, really tall.

"Yeah," Alex began, "and the branches are perfect for climbing." He climbed up one.

I glanced over at Lee to see her staring at his butt. She looked at me and shrugged. I simply rolled my eyes.

"You don't expect us to climb up there, do you?" I asked, staring up at Alex.

"Nope. I just like sitting in trees..." He paused. "You have pretty hair."

I could feel myself blush a little. "That was random. But thank you." I smiled at him.

Alex looked about as red as me. "My pleasure." He looked up at a higher branch, then said, "Look, a blue jay."

"There was a blue jay nest outside my house last spring..." Lee mumbled.

"Really? I bet that was cool," I said.

"You get used to it. A cow almost came on our front yard once," Lee said.

Alex raised his eyebrows. "Did you grow up on a farm or something?"

"Nope. We lived across the street from one."

"Why do I keep hearing the Green Acres theme song in my head when you talk about this..." Alex mumbled.

Lee laughed before saying, "That's about what it was."

I laughed and smiled. Alex smiled at me; I could feel Lee staring back and forth at both of us.

Some guy walked by and looked up at Alex. He gave Alex a devious look, then picked up a stone and threw it directly at Alex's head.

Poor Alex rubbed the back of his head, then mumbled, "Ow..." He looked behind himself and watched the dude run away while laughing. "Run like a pansyass, you bastard nugget!"

"Who was that?!" I asked, trying to hide my laughter. It was the whole 'bastard nugget' remark that got to me, but I didn't want to laugh and make it seem like I was laughing at the incident in its entirety.

While Lee quietly snickered, Alex replied, "This asshole in my calculus class. He's been bullying me since I got here." He shrugged. "Jackass."

"Wonder what his problem is..." I mumbled. "Did you throw a spitball at him or something?" I joked, smiling at Alex.

Alex laughed. "No. All I did was accidentally slam his fat head into the wall while passing by with my desk. I come in peace, I swear!"

Lee and I both began laughing really hard. "Why did you do that?!" I asked.

"It was an accident!"

"How can you accidentally slam someone's head into the wall with your desk?!" I questioned.

"I told you! He's got a fat head and it got in the way while it was floating down the hallway. I told him to move it, but he obviously didn't..."

Lee was still cracking up. I raised my eyebrow at him, thinking he was a violent ass that made no sense.

Alex stared at me for a moment. "Oh, God...I came off as a violent asshole, didn't I? I'm not. Like I said, it was an accident, I wouldn't intentionally hit someone."

"It's fine, Alex. He sounds like my stupid brother," Lee said.

I just nodded my head.

Alex got down from the branch. "So, um..." He scratched the back of his neck.

I raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

"You guys hungry or something?" Alex asked.

I continued staring at him for my own amusement. I gave him a criticizing look, although I believed him. Alex stared back at me and blushed. I think Lee was looking at both of us, probably giving us a weird look.

"I believe you," I finally spoke up. "After all, you said you were an honest person, and I said I'd hold you to it. So, I'm holding you to it."

He smiled a little. "Thanks."

I nodded and smiled at him.

"So...who's up for coffee at the Bean Scene? What kind of name is Bean Scene anyway? Odd," Lee said.

"Hey, I like the Bean Scene!" I said defensively.

"I do, too! Just saying..." Lee said.

"The Bean Scene is the shit," Alex said.

"I know!" I exclaimed.

"Shall we go, ladies?" Alex asked.

I looked at Lee. "Charmer, isn't he?" I said with a girly grin.

Lee giggled and Alex looked back and forth between us. I looked at Alex and wiggled my eyebrows at him.

Alex laughed and Lee looked behind the tree at someone. It looked like the guy that had thrown the rock at Alex's head.

Lee slowly picked up her messenger bag and hid it behind her back, then walked over to the guy. "Hey," she said, giving him a flirty smile.

"Hey, babe," the guy said, looking her up.

"What's your name?" she asked, giggling girlyishly.

"Louise."

"You're quite handsome."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. Hey, what's that over there?"

"What?" He looked the other way as Lee slapped him over his head with the bag.

Louise fell on his face and bawled his eyes out. He got up and ran away.

I began laughing. "Nice one," I said. I turned to Alex. "I think she might be the violent one after all." I chuckled a little.

Lee walked over, putting the bag back onto her shoulder. "Three brothers, what do you expect?"

He laughed. "I have a brother and I'm not even that violent..."

I stared at Alex, then looked back at Lee.

She shrugged. "Don't worry, I only hit if it's necessary."

Louise ran past us and fell into a puddle of mud. Lee pointed to him and laughed while Alex snickered.

I stood there in a dazed off state.

I wish I had my journal nearby. Oh at the poetry I could make out of this.

"Let's go..." Lee mumbled.

Alex looked at me before asking, "Wanna go?"

"Yeah...I'd kill for an iced coffee right about now," I said.

"Me, too," Lee said.

"Me, three, man," Alex said.

I raised my eyebrow at both of them. "Let's go," I said.

We took off.