The Park, Tuesday morning

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

This was a good day for climbing trees. This wasn't something she had done in a long time, and to be honest, the idea had only struck her when walking past a particularly inviting one in the park. Still, it was a good idea, and now River was sitting on a branch, back against the trunk and her feet dangling, while drinking coffee and eating an apple. Looking up at the sky she saw the birds circling, and that made her smile. Definitely a good day for climbing trees.

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[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew was up early. He was still staying in Neil's room, but given the current weirdness between them, he didn't know how much longer that was going to work out. Were they even still together? He was too scared to ask.

So he got up early - way early - to sneak out before Neil woke up, and now he was just kind of wandering through the park. Everything about him, including his gaze, just seemed to be dragged towards the ground. He wouldn't notice anyone hanging out in a tree unless they made themselves known.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River watched Andrew quietly, sensing what was on his mind. She frowned, feeling sorry for him, and as comfort she let her second apple fall down for him to find. It might even hit his head.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

The apple didn't hit him on the head, but it came close, falling about an inch in front of his nose. He yelped and exclaimed, "Holy, Issac Newton, Ratman! Breakfast from heaven!"

He bent down to pick up the apple.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River shifted, swinging backwards to hang upside down from the branch. She smiled cheerfully at Andrew. "Good morning."

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew grinned, despite his mood. "Morning River." He held out the apple. "I think you dropped this."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"For you." She pulled herself up to her comfortable seat on the branch again, swinging her legs.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Andrew said, holding the apple close to his chest and looking at it.

"I got up early and thought it would be nice to walk in the park." It wasn't a complete lie. "Do you often hang out in trees?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Forgot about it. Today is a good day to hang out in trees." River smiled at him. "Want to join me?"

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew had never been much of a tree climber, but this one didn't look too hard. After much grunting, a somewhat feminine squeal, and a splinter, Andrew gave up.

"Is there some trick to it?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Focus." She reached down a hand, prepared to pull him up on the branch if necessary.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Focusing was also not something he was doing very well at the moment. He decided he really wanted to be in that three though, so with a look of determination, he grabbed hold of a branch and River's hand and vaulted up into the tree.

"Oh, hey! It's kind of cool up here," he commented, doing his best not to look straight down.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River nodded. "Good day for climbing up trees." She took a bite of her own apple. "Now you can tell me about you and Neil."

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

A very firm death grip on the branch he was sitting on prevented him from falling out of the tree at that moment.

"What do you mean?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"You're worried. I can listen." She sipped her coffee.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew took a bite of his apple and chewed it slowly.

"It's just that... Well, you see..." How do you tell someone that you feel like you've already sunk half way down the well of despair and the world keeps tying lead weights to your feet?

"You know, after Bart, um... And now Neil is all distant, and..." Andrew refused to cry again, so he just stopped talking. He was sick of being an emotional wreck.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Too many lost in too short space of time." River tilted her head. "The world isn't fair."

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew nodded and stared at his apple for a while.

"I don't have any control," he finally said. "I keep thinking I should have moved on already, you know. I want to just move on, but I can't. And I don't want to talk about it because talking about things makes them real - gives them power over you."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River looked thoughtful. "Words do that. Tricky things. Can also transform. Sometimes they come out different from what you expected."

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew sighed. "I think it would have been easier if I never came here. I should have just stayed in Sunnydale where my aunt doesn't care about me and my brother ignores my existence. Having friends just hurts." The sad thing is, he totally meant every word of that.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Once you've had them you can't just stop," River said quietly. "Addictive. The loneliness hurts more." She had learnt that the hard way after all.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"What do I do?" He was asking himself more than River.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Stop trying to be alone." Even if the question wasn't directly aimed at her she could still answer.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

Andrew took another bite of his apple.

"Do you know Neil?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Not well." River emptied her coffee cup, then attempted to balance it on the branch.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"He is without a doubt the most wonderful individual I have ever met," Andrew stated. "And I think I did something to hurt him, but he won't tell me what it is. I think he wants to break up with me."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Seems unfair. He should tell you." She had of course not had that problem ever.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"I guess we just need to have a talk. I don't think I can sleep in his room another night with all this," Andrew waved his arms about, "hanging over our heads. I'll force him to talk to me, even if it means he finally has to tell me he wants to break up."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River glanced at him. "At least he has not lost the ability to talk," she said.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"I guess that's something," Andrew said, forcing himself to chuckle.

"I'm sorry to mess up your morning." Andrew felt guilty dumping his emo on others.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Not messed up." And he was less loud now. She swung her legs back and forth, smiling up at the sky.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"The apple was very tasty," Andrew said, looking up as well.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

She grinned. "Apples are good. Always share apples with Adah. Should do it soon, even if she's lot all words." She pointed at a bird circling above them.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if the world was upside down and we walked in the air and gazed at the ground?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Then my brother would have constant vertigo." She swung backwards to hang upside down again.

[wannabe-pan.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like your brother and I might have a lot in common," Andrew replied, not daring to follow her lead and tightening his grip on the branch.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River swung herself back up to the seated position on the branch. "Yes." She smiled. "But worrying about it it unnecessary."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

In my experience, that's usually how the urge strikes one.

I really was a nice day for being out and about. Billy'd only been inside for class and lunch really.

"Hey River." he waved to the girl. He'd gotten good enough at meditation that he could make his mind pretty quiet when he needed it to be.

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River raised a hand and waved to Billy.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"How's life treating you? And is there room for one more up there?"