Chapter 11

I was breathless by the time I slowed down to the walk, already seeing the tall tree of brown, red and green. I can count on one hand how many times I've been here. The first time was freshman year, an archeology class exercise. We were in groups with supervising teachers. The second time was with Nessa, I don't even remember what exactly we were doing there. And that's about it. There are wild animals rumored to be in there, cayotes to be premise. So it's just a matter of courage, I don't think it's safe to go in there when it's dark anyway, anything can happen.

I walked around, my jacket tied around my waist as I looked for Sky. I didn't want to go in alone and it'll be harder to find him if he went it. I continued stepping on leaves and branches and looking around to make sure no one who knew me or my Ma was seeing me. I heard a groan and I stilled, waiting to hear something else.

"Sky? Are you there?"  I ask out into the air when I hear nothing else. I stand still in position waiting until I heard footsteps and my breath caught in my throat before dark hair and cat eyes walk into view and I breathe out in relief, a small smile making it's way to my face. "For a moment there I thought it was someone else."

Sky tilts his head to a side, looking at me. "Are you expecting someone else?"

I shake my head, walking closer to him. He looked just as beautiful as the last time I saw him, thirty minutes ago but now something was off. Maybe his mood— "no but you know what they say about the woods?"

"No, I don't think so."

I blush a little, "well my Ma says it's where loafers and deadbeats come to waste their life hidden from the sky."

"Ouch," Sky says but he has his smile on now. "I won't say your mum is wrong. They could still waste their life hidden from the sky in buildings too."

I nod, "true."

He smirks at me, "well, I'm please to inform you that there's no stoner, loafer or deadbeat around. From my opinion anyway."

I frowned. Did he think I'd categorize him into any of that? "Me too."

"Come on then," he nudges his head forward, already turning and walking away. I quickly followed behind him. We walk further in, the trees closing around us and the welcoming scents and breeze soothing any worry. Sky walks with ease and purpose, so comfortable like the ground beneath him is tarred and smooth. When it's actually the opposite and I try as much to walk carefully on the uneven ground and steeps.

"How often do you come here?" I ask watching him easy climb a boulder without holding anything as support.

He turns to me when he's at the top, stretching his hand down to me. "Quite frequently."

I take his hand and pull myself up, he doesn't let go until we carefully get down again. There's a fallen tree here, looking sandpapered without molds or creepy insects houses. It can't be completely natural, I conclude when Sky sits on it and I realize this is our destination.

I run my hands over the sandpapered top, dusting it a bit before I untie my jacket, placing it beside me as I sit. "Why?" I returned back to the question I asked before, dusting my hands together.

Sky pushes his cheek out with his tongue, then shrugs. "It's quiet, very peaceful and comfortable and the birds sing in a melody that's very pleasing to me." He shakes his head, "and Samantha Hunt once said "these woods are where silence has come to lick it's wounds"".

He looks passionate about it and I can just see that this place is cherishable to him. I smile at the thought of him being a woods guy, it fits him. He feels just as dark, as bright and as refreshing as the woods do. "See, you do know a saying about the woods."

"Yep, who would have thought."

It seems like I've broached bigger topics and to make things lighter, I pat on the tree, "did you do this?"

He smiles and pats on it too. "Yeah, I was going to—"

I cut him off with a gasp on seeing his bloodied knuckles. "Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" I reach for his hands before he sees what I'm talking about, already inspecting it.

He pulls his hand away, glaring at the drying fresh blood. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like it," I pull his hand back to me, trying to see what happened. Not that I'm a nurse or have been involved with injuries much but I was curious. "Did you hit something?" When he didn't answer, my eyes widened. "You fought?

"I hit something," he answers with a low voice. I am relieved hearing that.

"More like punched something," I correct, pulling out my handkerchief from my pants pocket. "It would be better to wet this."

"I've got water," he takes out a bag that was lying hidden behind us, I didn't even see it before. I hear the crunching sounds of paper before he pulls out a bottle of water, he offers me a smile before wetting my handkerchief. I silently thanked God that I hadn't used it on my face earlier, it might have stung his wound.

Sky offered to clean himself up but I insisted on doing it, at least then I'd concentrate on something and I don't have to talk. I wanted to ask why he punched what he punched but it was none of my business and he didn't look like he wanted to talk about it anyway.

"Do you know there's a lake about a few walk from here?" Sky asks out of blue after silently watching me tend to his wounds for a minute. I shook my head. "Years ago it was bigger and fishes could be found in it. Now it's dried up a bit with just frogs."

"You fish?" I ask looking at him from the corner of my eyes.

"No, but I would have if fishes still lived there." He pat me with his other hand and I looked up at him. "You know you can apply pressure on that right? I won't die."

I narrow my eyes at his smirking face. With my eyes still on his, I pressed on a knuckle. He winces, flicking his eyes from the wound to me. "Like that?"

I see something wild flash in his eyes right before he laughs, then drew his lower lip between his teeth, eyes holding mine. "Yeah, just like that."

I can't pinpoint what that did to me but it feels like stomach flipped and the urge to see him do it again makes me look away sharply, eyes back on his wound, fighting a blush. "You must be crazy."

He laughs again and I don't dare look at him. "Why the hell don't you come out more?" He asks, not surprising me. "It's always school, church, house. And after school you just run off. You know I thought it was because of your sister but now she doesn't drive you around anymore. You still never come out."

I can't explain the pang my heart does anytime I hear him say "come out". It's like he was talking about something in my life that I didn't even know about. Or it's just the smell of woods messing with my head.

I clear my throat, "that's how I am? I'm introvert, I'd rather remain inside."

"Oh fuck that," he says and I try not to react to the cuss. Jamal cusses too so it's not a new thing. "Even introvert come out for an afternoon stroll once in a while and attend school activities, visit people. Even some parties once in a while."

"It's just how I am Sky. And my mum won't let me attend parties or visit people, especially if she doesn't know them. The world is a dangerous place."

"So... Your mum is like on paranoia crack?" I don't know why but that makes me laugh.

"You can say that."

"You can talk to her more and I'm sure she'd loosen her hold on you a bit." He says and I look at him seriously.

"And if she does, where would I be going?"

He smirks, "you'd get an unlimited Sky Hunt. I'd show you everywhere you don't know, open your eyes to your world."

I smile, "like you know everywhere?"

He sticks his tongue out at me like I did once. "I know way more than you do." I burst out laughing.

"And why should unlimited Sky Hunt affect my decision?" I raise brow at him, my lips tilted challengingly. I was done with his bloodied knuckles but I still held his hand.

Sky leaned in closer to me, "you tell me." I almost closed my eyes as his scent graced my nostrils, pushing every other thing out. It took me my will power to move back. Sky backs off, looking a bit apologetic. "Sorry, didn't mean to get so close."

I want to say it's fine but even though it is, somehow it isn't. I don't say anything and I just exhale. "I don't even know you."

"Hence why were here Israel," he squeezes my hand and I look at him. "I really, really want to be something more than strangers with you." Before I say anything more, he turns around, bringing out the bag again. "I brought somethings for us to chew on."

He brings out a McDonald's paperbag, a bag of chips and plate of cookies. "I didn't know what you'd like so I brought what I like that I hope you like too."

I frown, "is that burger and fries?"

He nods bringing out the goods. "You can't go wrong with meat burgers, right?"

I sigh the way my Ma does when she's displeased, rubbing two fingers on my temple. "Actually I hate burgers, the disgust me completely and make me sick."

"Wha—" Sky's face is completely priceless. His mouth closes and opens and I've never seen a more confused, disappointed face. I plan on holding on longer but I just can't and I burst out laughing, almost falling out of the tree in laughter. "You piece of —"

"Did you see your face..." I burst out laughing more, no more sitting but squatting down. I've never laughed so hard, my eyes even watered. "I'm so sorry."

"Shut up," his cheeks were tainted red. "It's because I want you happy that I ain't punching your throat in."

That stops the laughter and I clear my throat, going back to sitting right. "I don't— thanks for not punching my throat in."

Now he laughs, "would you relax, I was joking."

I looked at him and chuckled. "Your face was really priceless though."

He shrug, "it is what it is."

I open the plate of cookies, smiling to see they were banana cookies. "What's your favourite food?"

He stops unwrapping his burger to think, "um— favorite food?"

"Yeah," I swallow the bite of cookies I took, turning to face him and crossing my legs under me. The tree was that wide. "A food you love most above others. Something you're always in the mood for?"

"Always in the mood for," he shakes his head. "I don't have a favourite food."

"You sure?" I ask over a mouth of cookie, then use the back of my palm to cover my mouth in embarrassment.

He nods and smiles at me. "There's no food I'd eat when I don't want to eat."

I shake my head in amusement, "the way you put it."

"What about you? Favourite food?"

I don't even think about it. "Extra cheese pepperoni meat pizza."

He looks at me with interest, "that was fast."

I nod, closing my eyes already imagining it. "I love it with all my soul."

Sky chuckles and I'm not even embarrassed. "Okay... Why?"

"My mum doesn't let us eat it much. Says it's junk and she's always dishing out home cooked meals so we can't exactly complain. It's a once in a while thing, maybe to cheer us up. I just love it, it connects with my heart every single time. I can eat pizza all week."

"I'm so fucking jealous, I'm losing my appetite." He says but he has a smile on his face though and I smile too. "I hardly eat home cooked meals though."

"You mum's not much of the kitchen type?" I ask, biting the delicious cookie.

"Uh, she wasn't."

I look up sharply, "wasn't?"

He nods and when I stay silent he turns to me, then his eyes widen. "No, she ain't dead." I sigh so loud in relief, Sky laughs. "She's just not with me and my dad anymore."

"Oh," I bite on the insides of my cheek. "Divorce?"

"Not really," he takes a deep breath in. "Dad hasn't signed."

"I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

He quirks his lips despite the sad look his face has on now. "Don't be, it happened years ago." When I didn't say anything, he continued. "When dad wanted to permanently move here to abuela's house, she refused to come because of work. Said she'd visit but she never did and two years ago, she sent divorce papers."

"That sucks." I don't know when I say and I immediately clamp my hand over my mouth.

Sky looks at me eye wide and struggling not to laugh. "That's not vulgar, relax."

"It just came out," I explain.

Sky nods, "shit happens." Then he bursts out laughing and I do too.

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