Him and Her *ON HOLD*

Chapter 5- Um... Hi?

Hey! Author speaking! Sorry for not updating last week; I had exams. 😝 Just to let you guys know, in case you didn't already know, Rhys is a boy, so, yeah. Thanks for reading! I just realized I have so many exclamation marks. 😋 Also, the song up above is totally unrelated to this chapter! I just discovered it though, and it's so good! That's coincidentally the name of the song. 😜 I found the song because of this guy named robin mackay on YouTube, and he plays a bit of it at the end of his YouTube videos. Ok, I'll stop blabbering now!

Crystal's P.O.V
The gentle throbbing at my wrist, a reminder of what I almost did, is the culprit for waking me.
I eat my breakfast slowly, and as I digest, I decide to take a break from the beach.
I head out, in search of something new.
I wander for hours, and the sun moves across the sky, getting ready to visit other parts of the world.
As I stroll along, I catch sight of a park, with laughing children, and joyful parents. I almost turn away, but some magnetic pull drives me forward.
I wander aimlessly, then stop to rest on a park bench. It's a beautiful view, with the sun setting in the trees, the light catching in the leaves. I take a deep breath. Is this what paradise is? If it is, I'm glad I've had the chance to taste it, even if it's only for a little while.

Rhys' P.O.V
The first time I see her, she looks to be in deep thought. Her hair blowing in the wind, an ordinary girl on a park bench. She's pretty too. But something seems amiss. The light in her eyes speaks not of joy, but of sadness. I am about to pedal past, but at the last second, I veer off onto a path leading to the park. I stand in the trees, watching her. She is so melancholy. I feel as though I'm stalking her, and I make to leave, but before I can make my get away, the girl looks up, and her gaze meets my eyes.
Looking at her head on, I see pure anguish, and pain. Her emotions speak to me, reaching out like tendrils searching for water, and I end up walking towards her.
"Hi..." I say hesitantly.
"Hey..." She returns, eyeing me warily.
I can see her mind calculating every single move I make.
"Um.." Now that I'm in front of her, I don't know what to say.
"May I sit down?" I ask.
"I guess. It's not my bench anyways," the girl jokes.
We sit in awkward silence.
"Nice day, isn't it?" I blurt out.
Great. Total face palm. You meet a pretty girl and talk about the weather, I chide myself.
"Yes," it is," the girl replies, all seriousness.
"Um," I say again.
She turns to me expectantly.
"I don't even know your name," I say in a rush.
"Crystal," she introduces, holding out a hand.
"Rhys," I shake her outstretched hand.
"Nice to meet you," she nods, then returns to staring at the sky.
I follow her gaze, and see the beautiful hues in the sky: reds, yellows, oranges. Even a touch of purple and pink. It could be a scenic setting for a poem.
As if reading my mind, Crystal speaks.
"It's like the perfect palette of paint, isn't it?" She sighs, almost wistfully.
We sit in contented silence, as we watch the earth fulfilling its duties.

Crystal's P.O.V
As I travel home, my mind keeps returning to the boy at the park. I had the sensation of being watched, and finding my instincts to be true surprised me quite a bit. And the way he watched me curiously was quite a difference compared to the way others viewed me. With indifference. Indignation. Disgust. Annoyance.
A semblance of happiness finds its way to me, and I find myself humming a tune under my breath, then singing aloud as I reach my door step.
"Somewheeeeeeerrrre, over the rainbowwwww! Way up highhhhh! There's a land, that I've heard of once, in a lullabyyy..."

In the morning, I decide to revisit the park and see if Rhys is there. He's the only person in ages who has made me feel like a regular, normal person. As I snatch my bag off my bedroom floor, I pause. Maybe he won't be there. He came last night after all. Not yesterday morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have seen him, I guess. He might not even come regularly. I brush it off. I can wait all month for all I care. It's not like I'm doing much else, anyways.

Rhys' P.O.V
The next day, I wake excited, and pedal as fast as I can to the park. Then I realize my mistake. If Crystal even comes here frequently, it would probably be in the evenings, since she had done so last night. Reluctantly, I start to wheel my bike around, but I look up to see Crystal waving on the bench with a shy smile on her face. I feel a mile wide grin inching along my face, and head over to her.
"Do you come here everyday?" I inquire.
"Yesterday was actually my first day coming here," she admits.
"Wow, a coincidence," I say, running a hand through my hair. "I'd never been here before either."
Crystal's jaw drops.
"I know right?" I intone.
"It's like, these things just happen, and, you know, I guess it's kinda cool..." I know I'm rambling, so I tell myself to shut up before I say anything else stupid, but Crystal just looks amused.
"Uh huh," she says, her lips twitching.
I can't help but grin.
My phone beeps, and my smile fades. I check my notifications, and my eyes widen.
"Dang! I have to go to my friend's birthday party, at 12:00, and I totally forgot about it!" I explain to Crystal, who looks apprehensive.
"Well, you better hurry, it's almost 11:30," she warns.
"You wanna come?" I question. "It'll be fine as long as my friend knows you're with me."
Crystal seems to shrink, and she mutters, "No thanks, I'm cool."
"You sure?" I press.
"Yes!" She cries, almost yelling. "Now go before you miss the party!"
I stand there for a moment, unsure as to whether I should stay to make sure Crystal will be ok, but she makes a shooing motion, and practically shoves me away, so I go. But I can't shake the feeling that there's something brewing just under the surface of her soft façade.