They are hanging around the public park that afternoon. They have made up yesterday, after Sander apologized over and over in different sentences, that he was really busy with homework and he just needed some focus. Britt finally shrugged her shoulders, and they kissed a bit after that. She wanted to hang out at his house, but he persuaded her to go to the park instead. He doesn't want her to meet her mom today. He is not in the mood to have both of them looming over him, constantly hounding on him over this or that.
It is a cool day, the sun hasn't set yet, mild breeze blowing through the trees, stirring the leaves into whispers of green and yellow. A lot of people are out. Parents, running after their children, laughing and scolding in turn. Couples, young and old enjoying themselves, not hurrying anywhere. He sees a single leave with red at the edges, falling, caught by the wind, drifting around in mid-air, pushed to the right and pulled forward the next second, unable to touch the ground. It lands on the water at the fountain nearby, floating on the slow current. It's beautiful.
"Sander?" Britt's voice breaks his thought.
Sander looks at her. She is smiling, her eyes shine, she looks happy. He tucks strands of hair that has blown to her face to the back of her ear, smiling back.
"Are you listening to me?"
He takes her hand and continue walking, "ya sure, go on".
Britt looks suspiciously at him, but resuming happily, "so Amber was so annoyed and embarrased. I will be too if I was her, having a stupid boy following you around like that. It's so creepy. He and his idiotic friends have this stupid vlog thing called the Broers. I really don't like them, but they are friends with Jana and the girls."
Sander has no idea what she is talking about. But it's easier to just let her chatters, and zoom out now and again.
"Jens, my ex, you know, is on them.." she trailed off, looking at him.
He doesn't know what he suppose to say. He can not remember if Britt ever mention this particular ex, he really couldn't bother.
"Oh." He added a frown because he thinks Britt expected him to be jealous.
Britt looks satisfied, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Don't worry, I don't care about him."
Sander just nods and smiles.
"Anyway, Noor is hooking up with one of them, Robbe. She's too good for him. I don't know why they all like those stupid boys."
Sander stop walking. Is it him? He hurriedly walking again. Keeping his voice casual, he says, "Oh, I don't know about that. What does this Robbe looks like?"
"Ehm, brown hair I think, wearing headphone everywhere he goes. I don't know, he's not my friend. Why you ask?" her eyes are narrowing.
"What? Nothing, aren't we just talking?
"Do you hang out a lot with Noor?"
He is so confused with the question, that it takes him a minute to understand what she's implying. It's funny how people just assume things sometimes. He burst out laughing, which apparently is the wrong thing to do. Britt looks angry.
He cut his laugh with a cough. "No, I am not really friends with her. You know that Britt. She is your friend right?"
Britt doesn't say anything, but she looks calmer.
Sander kiss her cheek lightly. "Come on, let's not talk about it anymore."
They continue strolling. Sander pretends to look around casually. But he is screaming inside his head. Now he has a name to put with the face. Robbe. The boy's smile filling his eyes again. His heart beat faster and energy running through his body. He feels like running or jumping. He doesn't know why he's so excited by a name. He try to keep his face neutral, even though he want to laugh out just to release his emotion.
He looks around again. He sees a girl in a flower pattern dress. She is standing near a bench, looking up at the orange painted sky. Her bronze hair is waving around her shoulder. She looks serene and so beautiful. Without thinking, Sander walks towards her. He passes some bed of colorful flowers. He pick a yellow petal one, and approaches her.
The girl sense him and look to him in question.
"Hi, you looks so beautiful and I just have to give you this flower."
The girl looks confused, but she smiles and takes the flower. "Thank you. Who are you?"
Sander hears a laugh. Two small kids are playing near the fountain. They are chasing some birds. One of them, a kid with a dark blonde hair is imitating a bird in flight. Sander remembers how his dad used to lift him up and carried him on his shoulder, and he would spread his arms like a bird. He walks toward them. Dimly he hears Britt's voice calling him, but he just doesn't care right now.
In minutes, he's laughing with the kids, he feels so happy. They are taking turns on his shoulder, making their version of bird voices. Someone tap his shoulder roughly. Sander stops, looking at Britt's angry face. He put down the kid. A woman and a man are walking toward them. Shit, I am so in trouble right now.
Sander watches the parents's face. They don't look upset though, they are chuckling. The kids are jumping around near his legs, tugging at his pants.
Biritt are saying to the mother, "I am so sorry Mam, he just fooling around. He gets like that sometime, it just his silly jokes."
"Oh it's okay, they are just playing around. My kids seems to like him so much."
"No, no, I am sorry. You must be upset. He's such a fool sometimes."
"It's really okay. What's your name young man?" The woman turns to him.
"It's Sander." Sander answers through tight lips. He forces a smile and walks away.
Britt is stamping around behind her. Sander just keeps walking.
"Sander! Stop! Now!" she is screaming her head off.
Sander stops and turns around angrily, "Why you always do that?!"
"Do what? Why you always have to act so crazy?"
"I am not crazy! You make me looks like an idiot in front of people."
"You are upsetting them! Can't you see that?"
"They are not upset." Aren't they? They didn't look angry to him.
"They are! and you gave flower to that girl? Why? Who is she?"
"What? Nothing. I don't know her."
"So why you give her flower? In front of me! Why did you do that?!" She pratically screaming to his face.
People are looking at them. Sander is so tired of this.
"I just.. I think she looks beautiful. And I just admire that beauty like you admire sun when its light touch the tree or a flower."
Britt just looks at him with blank and hurt face. She doesn't understand. She never does. Maybe I am wrong. Yes, I must be wrong. She's right, I do things without thinking. He just felt so excited, and he just needed to do something. And the kids and the girl, they are just so beautiful. I just want to laugh with them, what's so wrong? And he didn't hurt anyone. Except Britt apparently. He takes a long breath, calming himself.
"Britt, look.. I am sorry okay? I didn't mean anything. I am just happy, that's all."
Britt is crying now. He turns around and people are really looking at them now.
Sander takes Britt's hand and says softly, "I am sorry. I really am. I am just happy that I am with you. It goes off my head. Let me walks you home now, okay?"
Britt wipes her face with her hand and nod. They walk out of the park. Sander keeps quiet along the way. Britt looks calmer when they arrive at her front door. She lets him kisses her forehead and he waits until she closes the door. Sander takes out his ipod, put on earphones, and let David Bowie's voice accompany his walk home.