Happily (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5: Leaves

September flew by and Fall was here before I knew it. It came over me like a jumpscare. People wore scarves and neutral colors dominated the trend. Leaves painted the world shades of red and orange.

To me it was -for lack of a better word- yucky. Don't get me started on the candles every teacher would buy to hide the stench of their pencil-scented classrooms. The sweet apple-y pumpkin aroma used to make me physically sick sometimes. That was back when I was a kid, though, by now I'd grown used to it.

Here comes the however. 

October second was different, however. I must have been having a rough time with the testing and the high school drama. After going from room to room smelling that sickly scent... it set me off and I had to excuse myself to go to the nurse's office.

Crackers didn't help settle me down, and since it was nearing the end of the school day, I pledged to remain on the examination table until dismissal.

I snuck in a few texts to my friends in our group chat, Pigsty, informing them that I was dangerously ill and all candle wax was to be removed from their homes immediately.

"You poor thing," Elliot mocked when he walked in. "Must have been so lonely in here all by yourself."

"Actually," I said, "Cassidy was kind enough to visit between last class, so it wasn't a complete bummer."

Elliot feigned helping me off of the bed and I slapped the nuisance's forearm. We left with a pass that I threw away at the door because it would have no use at this hour.

It was a relief to no longer have to endure the smell of the school. The nurse's office in particular was not very flattering, for the room had to remain neutral in case there were kids like me with certain intolerability to odor.

Buses were never my preferred transport, as they too held a special stench within. Foreign cheeses and burp if I remember correctly. I usually opted to walk home, but that October day I rode home seated with Cassidy, Harry and Elliot across from us.

It was just as loud as it was when I last boarded in fourth grade, not adding to the list of fond experiences in the grimy thing. 

Harry took the chance to start the conversation by confirming his relationship with Lindsey. I didn't really know how to feel about the whole thing. It was odd to see Harry holding hands with her as they walked down the hallway. If he was happy, so were we, that's what I'd always reminded myself.

☆

I stepped out of the slow-closing doors with Harry long after the rest of the passengers left. Cassidy and Elliot had been gone for ten minutes in between our departure with the bus, so the timing was quite an issue. It affected small talk embarrassingly, sentences being cut and interrupted, all sorts of informalities that our group accepted without trepidation.

Minutes of walking the pavement, we pass many houses, some of which were already decorated with carved pumpkins and talkative decor, bought eagerly by neighbors who refused to delay the upcoming holiday. I could have sworn I even caught a pale blue house with its single crumbling wall already have a Christmas tree set up inside.

The larger tree from my front yard danced in the wind, leaves twirling down from where they were once connected to the branches. As Harry and I sauntered past the lively creation, it cast a shadow over us both, simply due to its size. The leaves spun in an unsynchronized manner above us, only to get trampled over by rushed pairs of feet the following morning. 

A descending leaf blew into Harry's mane, tangling with the curls regretfully. I snorted and brought my hand up to the mess. "You have a leaf in your hair," I stated, grazing my fingers down the vein of the leaf and plucking it out.

The orange on the leaf faded to yellow and rested harmlessly on my fingertips. I admit, there is nothing quite like the texture of a leaf. Better than velvet.

"Pretty," he said softly, and for a moment I liked to imagine that he wasn't talking about the natural beauty that lay in my palm.   

A shrug struggled past my shoulders, and I handed the cursed thing to him. Maybe fall didn't have to be so bad.

☆

A/n: another update because i run this shit

...even tho this is the shortest thing ive written :)

this seasonal grudge is hard 2 write for me bc i loVE fall

*uses author's note to reach the word count*

sRY IM CHEATING HOPE U ENJOYED THO