Pastel Days and Floating Away

Part 4: The Forest

Aeron followed Georgie out of the estate while they made their way to a sidewalk lined with trees. Georgie started to hum a tune, one Aeron had never heard before. She began to sing the words softly. The lyrics hung in the air, as if the two could see the letters in front of them.

"I don't know that song," careened out of Aeron mouth, she had been fighting a losing battle against the urge to spill her guts to this girl she had just met.

"Neither do I," she smiled. Without an explanation of what that meant.

Walking with Georgie felt comfortable, which Aeron kept thinking was strange, but the thought kept being pushed aside by the weird feeling in Aeron's gut. Georgie's blue hair swung wildly as she began to skip. Then, taking Aeron's hand, Georgie sped into the street and stopped to face the imposing forest that stood on the other side of the road. "This is my favorite place," Georgie blurted out while gesturing wildly with both her arms, "I've never actually gone in, though. You want to?" She turned her blazing smile to the rigid girl staring at her own hand. The hand Georgie had held.

Aeron looked up, finally realizing Georgie expected her to say something. Everyone expected her to say something. Anything, and usually she didn't... but today, "Yes."

They trampled through the underbrush until they stood in a forested area, "This is pretty," it felt like such a rush to say what she thought. "Can we stay here? I don't want to get lost, and my sister is still at the party thing." remembering that she couldn't disappear with the mystical girl (even if she wanted to).

"Oh, yeah, 'course, we can just," she stepped closer to Aeron, "stay right," she grasped the small hands that suddenly felt too sweaty to be touched by such a breathtaking human. "Here." and the two girls' lips connected with a shock wave down Aeron's spine and an explosion in her stomach.

Until the kiss ended and Aeron took a step back, releasing Georgie's hands. She felt a tingle, her whole body felt like a stick of dynamite. Aeron grabbed Georgie's hands again and pulled her down until they were sitting. "I want to tell you something." she stated in the loudest voice she could produce.

"What do you want to tell me?" asked Georgie.

"Everything. I never say anything- to anyone, but I want to say something to you. Well, say anything to you. Can I do that?" she spit the words.

"I'm not... going to stop you" Georgie looked unsure for the first time that night.

"My mother hates me. She has ever since she and my dad separated. That was when I was nine. They got back together after, like, a month, but she never forgot that I stayed with him. It didn't help my sister is so perfect. They look so alike. Same hair, same smile, same everything. And I'm... nothing like either of them. 'Cept, my dad. He's the one I feel most comfortable with. My brothers prefer him. Both of them. Although, if one of them does something the other does too. Twins." She trailed off, "I don't know I became kinda mute after that. I mean, I had friends, I talked to people, but nobody important. And I just--don't want to, I want everything to be quiet." she looked up into the tree's overhanging branches, "I guess I wanted to become like the sea. Just there, calming, and everyone loving you, even when you're scary." When she looked down Georgie was staring at her, calm. Leaning against a tree, Aeron wanted to pull her close, kiss her again.

"Why don't you just run away?" she shot out, "you're obviously unhappy, and you hate your family? Run away." she looked to the side, away from Aeron, "I did. I came here. After my dad died." She turned back to Aeron, her eyes seemed both empty and filled with anger and tears.

Georgie felt her eyes become damp. She didn't like to think about her father, but the quiet girl suddenly seemed to flower and her soul become so loud reminded her of him. "Look, maybe you don't have to run away, don't be as dramatic as me, but do something to make you feel better-- take up a hobby, swim really far out in the ocean, dye your hair, punch your sister, start dating a girl-- I don't know." Now she felt she had gone too far, she was talking to a girl who looked sixteen, probably younger!

"I'm only seventeen... can I even do anything?" She felt, and looked, miserable.

"Yes. You can come with me." She stood up. Then snatched Aeron's hand and yanked her out of the forest, down the street towards the shore.