The Boy in Blue

Chapter 12

Eden was alone on her roof once again. For mid autumn, the sky was serene and calm, clouds crowning the rising sun in a halo-like manner. For the first time in weeks, the weather forecast had predicted no morning showers, so Eden had forced herself up, up and onto the roof again, sketchbook in hand. She had been working on ideas for her art project, jotting down thoughts in her book and trying to twirl her pencil in her hands, although she didn't seem to get much better at it. How Lei and Lucas did it, she did not fathom.

Still deep in thought, the clouds betrayed her stupor as a wet pelt of rain slid down her nose and dripped onto the page.

The weather lady had lied to her.

Wet drops landed on her sketchbook page with various intensity and clung onto her skin as she clambered down clumsily from the rooftop. Eden found herself earnestly wishing she had brought her raincoat. She now stood under the roof's canopy, looking up at the rising sun now adorned with liquid colour.

Frowning, she strained the water from her hair, and climbed back into her room through the bedroom window.

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Lei was peacefully minding her business, scrolling through her feed when she was pushed to the side by someone sprinting full force towards her. She pushed the girl off, rolling her eyes as she picked her hat off from the ground when it fell.

"Late" She side-eyed her friend.

Eden feigned hurt as Lei looked on pointedly, mockingly turning her head away.

Eden looked around the school drive, making an effort of searching for one particular person.

"Lucas ain't here yet so guess i'm not *that* late."

Both girls laughed it off, asking each other how their mornings had been. They lined up outside the bus that had been parked for their grade as the scary head teacher ironically yelled to silence the chatter which had been gradually increasing in volume.

"What are we supposed to be doing today again?" Eden whispered to Lei.

Eden, amidst her early morning pondering, had no recollection of why the school was chaperoning her grade to the city.

"Data collection for maths, remember?"

"Nope, not a clue."

Lei chuckled, before she caught sight of Nikita and Hanna, who were busy complaining about the musty morning air, the boys loudly chattering in front of them and what seemed to be the concept of mathematics in general. They caught sight of Lei and started to walk towards them.

"H-hey, Oh!"

Eden turned around to face her friend who had just let out a sound of surprise and confusion. Kash and Lucas snickered behind her as Lei adjusted her ponytail which Kash had playfully pulled loose. She pulled up her hair again and glared at the boy who was now sauntering away comedically. Lucas stayed behind him a little, following his friend and laughing.

Nikita and Hanna pulled up to them, glancing slyly at his retreating figure. Lei caught on, dissolving all their hopes.

"Don't worry guys, nothing's up, he's just a pain."

Lei tied her hair up again, the imperfectness of it making it look perfect. She truly was the prettiest girl that Eden had ever seen.

Eden also couldn't help but notice how Lucas's eyes seemed to linger on Lei as he glanced back at them.

She smiled to herself.

Ah. So that was how it was meant to be.

"Alright everybody, you know what to do. On the bus please."

The city air was fresh that day, almost sweet and floral as Jacaranda season promoted beautiful purple trees through various intersections and crossroads.

It was no longer spitting rain, although the win was slowly picking up its pace.

Lei, Nik, Hanna and Eden merged with the group of boys, tasked with tallying different objectives they saw through the various locations.

It was a city of wide avenues and small places to sit and eat, to relax as folk went about their day. There were the sky towers in the centre, what was once thousands of homes now took up less ground space than an old shopping mall. The rest was parks and wild spaces, a chance to walk among nature or enjoy the trails on bicycles.

Yet perhaps Eden's favourite thing was the river that flowed through the centre. It was mighty in its flow, demanding attention. As the group walked down the pedestrian next to it, Eden marvelled at the water and the thousands of dancing illusions it encompassed.

Eden and Lei ran ahead of the group, laughing as they vicariously crossed streets and skipped through walkways. Nikita shouted after them, fearing they wouldn't make it out alive by the end of the day. Hanna lagged behind, arguing with Kash while Hong, Rav and Lucas chattered amongst them.

As the day carried on and the group wandered through various scenery, they realised it was time to head back to the bus and the teachers.

"Aww, I wanted to go to the gift store and buy a keychain or whatever!"

"Nik, you had time to do that before-"

Lei was cut off mid sentence as Nikita clutched her arm and dragged her through to a little store nearby.

"Eden, you coming?" Hanna asked as she started walking to catch up with the girls.

"Nah, I'll stay here and watch the tree. My wallet is crying anyways."

Hong and Rav followed pursuit, with Kash eventually chuckling and heading behind them.

Eden and Lucas stood under the Jacaranda tree, admiring the petals floating down to meet them underneath.

The tree swept above and beyond, its line of successors casting a purpley-blue glow over the late afternoon sky. It was a sight to behold, its scent wild in the air.

The autumn sun casted its light through the tilting leaves and branches, leaving casts of pale colour on their clothes and skin.

From a distance, they would have looked like little patches of camo, irrelevant specs of lichen in the midst of other sights to behold.

From a distance, nobody would take them into consideration.

"It's summer snow."

Eden turned to face the boy who was squinting up to the falling petals.

"Sorry?" She called him to attention, and they both stood facing each other. She watched as he looked back up at the jacaranda's branches, slouching with his hands in his pocket.

"The petals...look like snow...but it's not winter. Summer snow."

"Oh." Eden absorbed what Lucas was saying and looked up with him. It was indeed snowing.

They stand, awkwardly, for a second more, and then he turns away from her.

She herself turned away, but looked behind her to see if she could glimpse the boy who talked poetry.

But he was gone.

An unreturned backward glance.