"So when will Cam be joining us again?"

Phillip shrugged. "I dunno. Does it matter?"

She tried not to look disappointed. Lillian hadn't realized what nice company he was on their lunches, until she had Georgia's fire and ice to compare it to.

She racked her mind for topics while they ate and couldn't think of anything, so chewed in pensive silence without making eye contact.

Not that it would have mattered. Nobody else was talking either.

Georgia sat off to the side and slowly ate her serving of rice, whether because she was savoring it or feeling uncomfortable relaxing with them it was difficult to tell.

Lillian had to remind herself that she had asked for these meetings everyday so that she could see her brother and they should be enjoying the moment.

Around the edges of the clearing the leaves breathed in a heavy sigh and she closed her eyes when the wind swept her face.

For some reason at that, a moment of clarity broke into the jungle of her mind and she made a decision. She finished her fish in a few bites and started packing up the food.

Phillip watched her out of the corner of his eye- he'd seen this mood before.

"Lil…?"

She shook her head slowly and got to her feet.

Georgia looked up too- raising her eyebrows.

"I'm tired of this." She said to Phillip.

He frowned.

"Not that the whole picnic thing isn't fun, but I want to see your farm that you're so proud of."

Was that a good idea…? He nibbled his lower lip on the edge in thought.

She took the pack of food and walked past where Georgia and Phillip were still sitting, plates spread out in front of them.

"But why not finish the-"

Lillian could see hesitation on his face and reached down, grabbing his plate from in front of him. "I still have more." She assured, taking the plate over to where Georgia sat watching. "Excuse me." She said, dumping Phillip's plate of rice and fish onto the other girl's without warning.

Georgia jumped to her feet immediately, looking for a second like a spooked cat. "What are ya doin'?!" She fell silent again when there was no response.

Lillian covered the combined dish, scribbled a note on it and began walking towards the Bluebell side of the mountain, stalking through the clearing as if they were going to try and stop her.

Phillip and Georgia looked at each other, until finally he laughed. "All right, you can see my farm. Sheesh."

He had to jog to catch up.

…

Kana hadn't caught anything today besides a moment to himself.

Fishing was like that. Of course the purpose was to have something fresh to cook up later, but even if nothing with gills were biting, there was still something to gain from it.

Today had helped clear up some confusion.

All he had to do was be himself. Setting aside everything that had happened, and who was on what side, and if Lillian did feel that way about Phillip, or didn't, none of it had to with Kana after all.

He could probably make it back in time to have a few bites of the lunch Lillian had prepared where he would put his best foot forward and hold his head high. He had nothing to be ashamed of.

He could admit now that he was attracted to Lillian, and that was it. It didn't have to be dramatic or about losing his chance with her.

Finally after the last several days he had been able to convince himself to reach out to her again- just as friends- and not get too far ahead.

He would apologize on the way home and treat her as he did any one of his friends. That way she wouldn't fall into those uncomfortable silences around him.

As he made it back to the meeting place he noticed nothing unusual… aside from the fact that there was really nothing to notice in the first place. It took him a moment of looking around to realize that the meeting was over and Blluebell was gone, but so was… Lillian?

There was still something left on the shorn stump they'd been using for a table, so maybe they went on a trail together.

As he got closer to the table he noticed the briefest of notes, scrawled casually in atrocious penmanship and tucked under a plate piled high with food;

Kana,

Visiting Bluebell. Eat something.

-L

He stared at it for several minutes, waiting for her to jump out of the bushes like some kid trying to scare him. But she wasn't there, and that's when he started to become really afraid.

Somewhere in him he realized as his heart rate increased and his mouth went dry that this was why Lillian would never be like his other friends.

She was too… disruptive to be his friend.