Friends or More?

Preslea laid in the woods, listening to the rain. She laid in a little sheltered spot she made a few days earlier just in case. She hummed as she wrote in her journal. It was nice to be away. The calmness of the rain helped her think and she needed all the help she could get. However, she forgot her coat in the rainy weather. She shivered all over. Shoulders, arms, legs...You name it. She was freezing. She rubbed her arms and continued to write.

Mal liked the rain, he always had. He liked the way it smelled after the rain, he liked the sound of the rain, he just liked the rain, so it was no surprise that he was out and about that very day, despite the downpour. He hadn't expected to see many other people out there, and he was happy when he managed to find Preslea, the girl he met in the cafeteria not that long ago, hidden away in a little sheltered spot. He wandered over and plopped down beside her. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, I guess you found my hide away." She chuckled and stuffed her journal in her bag. "Um...How'd you find me out here?" Preslea said as her teeth chattered from the cold. The air became colder every minute. The chill was refreshing but also dangerous. She scooted over more to make room and nodded.

Mal shrugged. "I dunno, I was just out walking and spotted you. Maybe it was your blonde hair that stood out." He shot her a smile that then promptly faded when he saw how cold she was. "Or maybe it was the chattering of your teeth... You're freezing!" His expression had transformed to one of concern in a matter of seconds as he searched for a way to warm her up. "You're gonna freeze to death!"

Preslea nodded and laughed softly, her breath making an appearance in the cold air. "Ha ha, real funny." She smiled and shook her head. "It's not that bad! I-I'm fine! Please don't worry about me!" She said in a convincing tone. She didn't want him to worry. She wasn't someone to worry about. She was just there most of the time. "I'm okay.." She rubbed her arms and bit her rosy lip.

"Nu-uh! You're not fine, you're shaking waaaaay too much," he protested, shaking his head like a difficult child and sending little droplets of rain flying. He thought for a moment longer, then unzipped his jacket and began to take it off. Though the outside was soaked from his walk in the rain, the inside remained relatively dry and warm, and he wasn't that cold anyways. Once he freed his arms from the sleeves, he offered her the coat. "Here, take it," he insisted.

"Please, don't wor-" She got caught off by the rain droplets from his hair, hitting her in the face. She laughed and shook her head. When she saw him take off his jacket, she completely protested. Preslea bit her lip and sighed. "Mal, I can't take it. It's yours, please use it."

Stubborn as he always was, Mal crossed his arms and continued to hold out the jacket towards her. "Well, I'm not going to use it so if you're not it can just sit here and feel completely useless," he said, trying to look serious, though he failed and gave her a smile. "Besides, I'm not cold."

Preslea crossed her arms and laughed. "Fine..I'll wear it." She slipped her arms through and sipped it up. The jacket looked as if it had completely swallowed her. "Thank you Mal...That's very sweet of you." She smiled softly and patted his back.

"You're welcome!" Mal grinned at her and ran a hand through his soaked hair. "And thank you for wearing it and saving me from the guilt I would be consumed by if I let you freeze to death in front of me," he said in an over-dramatic tone, and then, more serious, "is it helping at all?" He was determined to warm her up, and wouldn't rest until she stopped shivering.

"Well, you're very welcome." Preslea said softly and nodded. "Um, yeah. It helps. Thank you Mal, that was really sweet of you." She bit her lip and rubbed her wet face. Her hair was try but some pieces were wet and curly. Her eyes looked like stain glassed windows. Green and brown in her eyes swirled together to make it look unreal. 'Why were you even out in the woods? People always say it's dangerous.." She glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow.

(*resists urge to get him to quote TLK*)

"Danger? Nah, danger's nothing, I live on the wild side." Once again he tried to keep his expression serious and failed, puffing out his chest. "I laugh in the face of danger."He then dropped the "macho" act and shrugged. "Actually I just felt like going for a walk and I haven't really checked out the forest yet." That, and Mal wasn't the best when it came to common sense, and had a habit of "adventuring" places he probably shouldn't have been, and this was no exception. "So, what about you? What're you doing out here?"

"The wild side? Mal, I can't see you being wild." She shook her head and raised her eyebrow. To her, Mal was too sweet and kind to be wild. He was the boy that you just wanted to all the time. That's how he was in her eyes. "Ah, I see. Well, I wanted to hide. My room mate won't leave her brother and it's quiet out here." She whispered, warming her small hands.

"Don't doubt meeee," he whined with an over-dramatic pout. She was right though, he was far from "wild" -- sure he could make some pretty stupid decisions sometimes that would wind up with less than stellar consequences, but he definitely wasn't wild. "Wait, your roommate won't leave her brother? Like, ever?" He frowned and shook his head. "No offense to her, because I'm sure she's a nice person and all, but that's kind of weird. I can see why you'd want to escape."

"I'm going to doubt you all I want!" She whined and playfully pushed him. She was right. Doubt was something familiar to Preslea. Lots of it. "Yes! It's awkward! I'm trying to take a damn shower and he's there! Yeah, they're nice but it's hard. I haven't really found any friends yet.." She shrugged and looked over at him with sad look.

"Hey now," he protested, pretending to look offended, "am I not your friend?" He gave her a smile, to show that he was joking, and playfully bumped her shoulder in return. "And after I gave you my jacket and infiltrated your hideout and everything!" Though he was joking around, he knew how she felt. By nature he was a social person, and starting at a new school where he didn't know a soul was foreign and uncomfortable for him. He just wanted to make friends and he was glad that, sitting there and just talking with Preslea, he was starting to.

"Yeah, I guess you're my friend, Mr. Byrd." She bumped him back and stuck her tongue out at him. Preslea let out a loud laugh which made her throw back her head. She enjoyed Mal. He was sunshine in the storm. The calm in the hurricane of her life. "Okay, maybe you are. Malachi Byrd, we're official friends. Okay?" She held out her hand for him to shake on it.

Mal glanced at her hand and then at her face, raising an eyebrow. "Come on? A handshake? That's how you close a business deal!" he protested, not even trying to hold back his teasing grin. "Should we do something more... personal to make this official?" He laughed and shook her hand anyways. "And hey, if you're still cold, a hug might help that too?"

Preslea giggled and hid her blushed cheeks. "Mal, you're a dork!" She shook his hand and held it for a second. "Yeah, being friends with some is pretty personal...Right?" She smirked and hugged him. She was much smaller than him. Like doll sized compared to him. Her head was laid on his chest and her dainty arms were wrapped around him a tight hug. Pres gave the best hugs, you could ask anybody and they would tell you that for a fact. "Good?"

He grinned and hugged her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Of course I'm a dork, it's what makes me so lovable, don't you forget that." He released her after a few moments, his t-shirt now damp from the rain water on the jacket she was wearing. "I'm great now! I have an official friend here, it's exciting."

She nodded and smiled softly. "I don't think I ever will." Preslea whispered and let go of him with a grin on her face. "Oh my God! You're shirt! I'm so sorry." She held her head and chuckled. "I know! Since we're friends, we should be equal. You're wet and now I've got to go get wet." She got up and ran out in  the rain. "Come on Mal!"

"Well so much for being cold!" Mal called after her, laughing. He shook his head briefly, and then got to his feet and raced after her. Though the rain had slowed down a little by now, it was still raining pretty hard and it only took a few seconds out in the rain for the downpour to drench him. He ran until he caught up with her and laughed. "Something tells me that this is less about my shirt and more about you just wanting to play in the rain," he teased.

Preslea smirked. "Maybe a bit. Come on though, it's so much fun!" She splashed him when she jumped in a puddle. "Oh! Did someone get wet?" She fake pouted and grinned. "Hey Mal, I bet you can't catch me.." She trailed off and started running down the trail.

Mal jumped back to avoid the splash, not that it would have gotten him any wetter than the rain already had, and lost his footing for a second on the soaked grass. By the time he had regained his balance, she'd already taken off. "Hey! That's cheating, that's what that is!" he exclaimed, taking off after her.

Preslea quickly hid behind a tree on the trail. Her soaked hair was covering her face and eyes so she couldn't see anything. She kept her giggles quiet and covered her mouth. It was silent in the forest. Like your ears would ring quiet and it was an amazing feeling. Two kids in the forest with the rain, playing like kids. It was a scrapbook moment for them.