We got to the park, walking. Levi had managed to convince me to walk instead of going in car. I guess he was feeling outdoorsy today.
The park was small, there was maybe two other people there, two moms with their children. I hadn't been to this park before, but then again, I didn't get out much either. There was trees everywhere, you could barely see the park. Inside the dense forest, there was slides and swings and a merry go round. It didn't look to old but that was probably because of the lack of use.
"C'mon! I love this place!" Levi left my side and ran toward the swings. I didn't feel too much like running but I followed him anyway. I sat down on the swing, grabbing ahold of the twisted chains and kicking off the ground. My swing started swinging back and forth and I kept it going, higher and higher. Levi and I were basically at the same spot, our swings would come up and down at the same time. I knew that the swing was bolted down into the ground but every time that I got on swings, I would get too high for comfort. After I was pretty high up, I stopped swinging my legs and just let myself move back and forth, slowly stopping. Levi continued to go higher, I watched him kick his feet on the ground, throwing sand up into the air.
After a while, we were both still in our sits, rocking back and forth a tiny bit. I had swung leg to the other side of the swing and was facing Levi, he was facing me.
"Are you okay?" I asked. It wasn't because he looked bad, he looked great, happy. It was because he hadn't said anything. You can't just decide that you're going to quit smoking and then never try it again. There has to be problems, complications, there has to be.
"I didn't mean to ruin your day or anything it's just you haven't said anything and i'm worried." I kicked my feet against the sand, making a small pile in front of my sneaker. Levi wasn't answering, so everything was really silent. The moms had left with their kids and all that could be heard was the rustling of leaves and the creaking of the swings.
"I'm okay. I think I am. It's not taking as much of a tole on me as I thought. I'm just glad that I decided to stop before it did something major to my life. I've been going to a therapist."
"Really?" My eyes widened, not in shock but disappointed in myself for not thinking of that first.
"Is that weird?" Levi looked down, rocking his swing harder, side to side.
"No, of course not, it's great. I just didn't know. Is it helping?" I'm so horribly awkward with him sometimes for no reason and I hate myself for it. I know it makes him feel uncomfortable and it makes him feel bad but sometimes it just happens.
"Yeah sort of. I mean, he's giving me tips on how to stop, like chewing gum." Levi turned his head up, his blue eyes piercing my own.
"That's great. Is the gum thing working?" I kept eye contact with him, not wanting to lose his gaze. But I turned away anyway, a strong gust of wind swept up around us and threw a bit of sand into my eyes.
"I think so. But it's a bit hard because everywhere I go, people are smoking. Like I went to class earlier today and there was a guy and a girl smoking outside of the building. And before I got up to your apartment, there was a guy smoking in the hallway." I continued rubbing at my eyes while Levi talked.
"You're doing great though. You haven't smoked have you?" I looked at him, my eyes not burning any more. I was worried that he was going to nod his head, but instead he shook it instantly.
"No, no, of course not. I'm trying to quit, i'm really trying." He assured me.
"That's great. Okay, i'll stop being depressing. Why did you want to come to the park? You would usually prefer staying inside." I swear sometimes, I talk really weird. My words they sometimes seem rehearsed. It sucks.
"I didn't want to spend all day watching Tv, I at least wanted to try and do something fun."
"Okay then, let's go on the merry-go-round." I suggested. I looked over at the contraption. It was painted a bright red and had been chipped only a little. It was all the way across the park, sort of hidden by a group of tree's.
"Alright. I'll race you." Levi had a wicked smile playing on his lips when I turned back to him. I swung my leg to the right side of the seat, like Levi had and stood up, standing right next to him.
"You're on." I said.
"1...2...3!" Levi counted down, we bolted towards the spinning red circle. We would have gotten there a lot quicker if we hadn't been trying to slow each other down. Levi kept sticking his foot out in front of me, trying to trip me. It worked, it slowed me down just trying to avoid him.
"Hey! Stop, that's cheating." I yelled, about two feet behind him. I sprinted up towards him, trying desperately to catch up.
"We never set any rules." He laughed. I was hoping the he would run out of breath from laughing while running and slow down.
"UH!" I groaned, a tiny bit behind him, then I got an idea.
"Hey, what are you doing?! You can't do that!" I had leaped up onto Levi's back and was holding onto his shoulders. I honestly don't know how I managed to get on his back with him being taller than him, but at least it slowed him down. Not that it mattered to much anymore, if he got there, I would get there. Now I was the one laughing.
"Yes I can, we never set any rules!" I cheered. Levi made a sudden halt and I had to hold on tighter. He started spinning and zig-zagging all across the park, just trying to shake me off. But I held on tight.
"I hate you!" He yelled as he tried to get me off.
"No you don't!" I laughed.
"Fine, I don't." Levi smiled. We weren't that far from the merry-go-round but Levi kept going backwards just trying to get me off of him.
"Good." I grabbed on tighter.
"Get off of my back women!" He yelled, jumping up and down. I couldn't contain my laughter at that one.
"What the heck!" I exclaimed, still laughing, but my head started to hurt.
"Stop it, i'm getting dizzy!"
"Then feel free to get off any time!" Levi yelled. The merry-go-round wasn't to far, I could still beat him.
"Fine." I jumped off his back and sprinted towards the bright red. I could hear Levi behind me, trying to catch up but I had already reached it. I jumped onto it and raised my hands up in the air.
"Hey!" Levi stopped, panting.
"I win!" I yelled.
"Uh. I'm tired." He sat down on the thing, and I sat down next to him. His black tee shirt was all messed up, probably from me pulling at it while I tried to hold on to him. His blonde hair was ruffled up all over, his hands couldn't stop running through it. He looked over at me and smiled. Levi still looked tired but his vibrant eyes were wide awake.
"You have dirt on your pants." I laughed. I pointed at a large streak of sand on his jeans.
"It's probably from your shoes no doubt." He pointed at my sneakers, they were covered sand.
"Your fine," I put my hand on his leg and brushed off the dirt, "see."
"Yeah, okay. I'm still mad that you won though." He leaned back and played on the floor of the merry-go-round.
"Oh boo-hoo, you were trying to trip me." I defended myself.
"So you jumped on my back?" I leaned back with him, laying next to his relaxed body, our feet dangling off the side.
"It was the only thing I could think of."
"I'm sure it was." After he spoke his words, the sky started spinning.
"Are you pushing it?" I asked, a little confused.
"No, I thought you were." He said.
"What the-" I bolted upright, leaning over the edge to see. Levi's feet were moving along the floor, pushing the darn thing. I looked back at Levi, who was still laying down, only to see him smirking widely. I punched his side and laid back down.
"You suck."
"Only because of you."
"Wow."
"Witty, right?"
"Totally."
"Totally."