POSION OAK

"Poison oak, some boyhood bravery…" I sung out loudly as I navigated the branches of the massive tree I was in with agility and ease. I loved it, the scent of damp woods filling my lungs and the sun dappling patterns on my skin through the leaves... I felt so alive and organic. The drizzling rain was slowly soaking me, but I was used to it. I was in the water almost 50% of the time, swimming in the ocean most days, so my tank top and shorts were fine for the finicky tropical weather.

Besides, the dull trickling was almost rhythmic, and my singing was steadily thrumming along. "When the telephone was a tin can on a string… And I fell asleep with you still talking to me, you said you weren't afraid to die…" I burst out louder as I reached out hastily, but I grabbed the bark wrong—it was wet and slippery from the rain. The next thing I knew I was falling, crashing into branches and distantly I felt one steal my army pack. I didn't even have time to scream as I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for impact.

The impact was nothing like what I'd imagined; a hard, flat-backed pain to knock the breath from me. There wasn't any pain really, and it took me a second to register that I was being held.

"Wow, Black! She came out of nothing!" I shot my eyes open at the remark, only to be greeted by the scarred confused eyes of an unfamiliar guy. I stared at him a minute before looking back up to the tree I'd fallen from "yeesh, maybe climbing in the rain isn't such a good idea…" I mused out loud before looking back at the face, who was looking slightly more confused but mostly stoic. "You can let me down now, yeah?" I asked. "…Yeah" the guy responded, carefully placing me on my feet with effortless ease. "You talk weird, flying girl" I located the same source as the first outburst, an odd-looking kid with a bear hat/helmet…thing on. He was eating ice cream cone as he smiled at me, and I couldn't help the lopsided smile that found my face.

"Eh? Yeah, I know… and I was climbing, not flying" I glanced at the boy who caught me and grinned sheepishly "I just sort-of…slipped" I finished and laughed at myself, rubbing my neck embarrassedly. "Were you the singing?" the weird kid asked, and I focus on him again. "If you call what that was singing, yeah" I said with a laugh but, in spite of myself, I felt the blush hot on my face from my careless singing.

I noticed what they were wearing for the first time; swim trunks, and some plain t-shirts. Must have been swimming down at the beach before it started raining. "You guys coming back from the beach, huh?" I asked, and the talkative one nodded, taking another lick of his ice cream. I eyed the two of them for a second, and then looked back up at the sky. I'm already mostly soaking wet, but both of them looked relatively dry from keeping safely under the trees; but I knew the path they were following would lead them away from the cover soon enough.

I weighed my options silently in my head before deciding that I was, in fact, a good person really. "How far d'ya live?" I questioned, and the talkative one was about to answer before the other cut him off "why do you want to know?" I almost giggled at his face, even though I couldn't stop myself from smiling; I could tell he was protective from the first stoic look he gave me. Protective people are always so quiet; but they're also the most interesting.

I turned and retreated up the tree to retrieve my army rucksack from the branch it caught on and began to dig through it as I jumped easily back to the ground. "Aha! Need a lift? 'Least I could do" I said as I found the umbrella I was looking for, big and clear, and popped it open. "Ooh, I love seeing the raindrops!" the odd kid said as he jumped under straight away. "Yeah? It's the same for me, it's my favorite umbrella" I said happily and smiled. The kid started to smile back but then, as if remembering something, he turned back to the other guy "hey, black, you're coming right?"

The other guy looked dubious and eyed me warily, but when it became apparent that the odd kid was going with me regardless, he reluctantly consented. "I've never seen you guys around here, you new or something?" I asked as we began to walk, and 'black' actually answered; "we just moved" I smiled at him "not much of a talker are ya? Nah, but its cool. Least I'm making progress, yeah?" the odd kid grinned at me. "Black doesn't have to talk, but his brain's always churning away" he tapped his head for emphasis and I smiled at him. "Ah, I know someone like that too" I said with a chuckle. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot to ask; you guys have any names?" naturally, the odd one spoke up first "I'm agent white! But you can just call me white if you want to be my friend" he says with a grin that's infectious.

"White? Uh but—" I look at the other guy "isn't you're name black? Man, that's weird…" I finished, looking between the two. "So you will call me white? So we are friends from now till whenever?" white asks eagerly and I can help but grin right back at him. "Yeah, yeah, most definitely man" I say, and he grins again before stopping and squinting a bit "but you never said your name, how can we make it official?" I conked myself on the head "duh! I'm so forgetful—my name is Ginger, but most people call me Gingi" he held out his hand for a shake, and I chuckle as I take it "pleased to meet you, white—" I release his hand and steal and handshake from black "and you too, black" I finish and give him a sly grin. I think he smiled a little.

Turns out, they didn't live very far at all. It was a nice house, a little cottage thing implanted between two others. It was just outside the woods, on the seafront almost. Pretty much all the houses there are cute, but this one looked so homey. It was the kind of house I've dreamed about having before. Blue, with white shutters, sandals by the lawn chair, bag of shells by the door… Usually I stay away from the homes on the seafront, but I felt this wish bubbling up: that they would invite me in.

"Whoa, you guys got a nice house, huh?" I said with a short whistle as we stepped onto the porch and I swung my umbrella out from above our heads. Even if the roof was a bit leaky, there was no need for it anymore so I shook it out and watched the rain splatter. As I turned it became apparent that White and Black were trying to have some secret conversation, with a lot of whining coming from White's side. Trying not to laugh but not being able to hide my smile, I stood and stared at them as they whispered harshly back and forth.

As his eyes suddenly drifted to me, I could tell Black saw me watching. He straightened up and shut his mouth so fast I couldn't help but let out a snicker. "Black? What are you looking at?" White questioned, waving a hand in front of his face before he turned, following Black's line of vision. "Gingi! Come on!" White exclaimed, grabbing my hand and dragging me into his house. I'm guessing this is his way of inviting me in. "Here, what do you think of my pictures?" White asked eagerly as he dragged me to what looked like the kitchen table, drawings strewn all over it.

I smiled at him before picking up a picture. I started at the scribble a minute, catching the look in Black's eyes over the paper's edge; a look that clearly threatened me not to denounce White's drawing skills. "…A fish with laser beam eyes, yah? Man, that's cool, White!" I said with a grin, and white stared at me in silence. I looked at the boy, slightly confused as he turned to black "Did you see that? Did you see?" White asked excitedly. "She got it! Even you didn't get it on the first try, black!" the boy exclaimed, jumping around the room excitedly.

"Do you like tea? I just learned how to make it. By myself, too!" White asked, stopping and bouncing in place in front of me. I glanced at Black, looking for a reaction as I answered, "If, you know, it ain't trouble…" So far, I couldn't see any reaction. Then again, black just seemed like that type of person who had a good poker face. I couldn't tell if he wanted me to stay or not… "We don't make any trouble anymore" white informed matter-of-factly, catching my attention to him again as I raised an eyebrow and watched him bound over to the counter.

"Now what is that supposed to mean, eh?" I questioned aloud, almost jokingly. Black's presence as he stood beside me, and the expression in his eyes, made me drop my kiddish smile. "Forget about it, white says stupid things sometimes" Black said, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I stared at him, giving his face a once-over before I opened my mouth "you—" "I'm not stupid!" we both turned at the loud voice, spotting an annoyed white with clenched fists. "Why would you say I'm stupid, I'm not!"

"I didn't mean it that way, ok?" black said, sounding sincere but doing no gestures to convey it. Most people would be nervous under that scrutiny white was releasing. I think black's been through a lot. I don't know why, there's just something about him. Something that says he isn't a kid anymore; He had to grow up fast. Its not just the protectiveness for white either, his face is cold too—but his eyes are dark. I believe white, how he said black was always thinking--

I jumped out of my thoughts as the kettle on the stove whistled loudly.

"Black, white? You guys back?" I turned at the voice, flinching at the heavy footsteps coming from the hall. "Oh? Who did you guys find?" the man said, smiling at me and looking slightly surprised. "Uh…uh" I knew it would look bad, but I skittered back, bumping into black on accident with my back. I jumped, swinging away from him as I caught his eyes--I could tell. They were…studying me. White definitely didn't lie when he said Black's brain was always churning.

Suddenly I felt claustrophobic. The house was to hot, black's eyes on me burned, and the man was still standing in the doorway (albeit looking confused). I had to get out, and fast. "S-sorry..uh…I-I have to—this thing" I stammered, nearly tripping over my two feet as I made it to the door. "But what about the tea?" white questioned whiningly, but I already had the door opened. The sound of the rain was louder, and the downpour had gotten worse. "Sorry!" I said again, stepping hurriedly from the house and unintentionally slamming the door behind me.

I took the steps two at a time, flying down them and racing away from the house. I was halfway to Frannie's when I realized I'd left my umbrella. Good thing I had enough sense to grab my pack, though. Looking back at the small welcoming cottage made my cheeks burn, it was foolish to just bolt like that. Then again, it wasn't like I was ever going to see them again; so it didn't really matter. But there was something about black's eyes… when they burned on the back of my neck. I swear it was like he knew what I was thinking…