Ch. 12.
Shannon began asking her standard questions in a slightly shakier voice than usual, avoiding eye contact, while her tiny tape recorder registered the answers. Although he appeared to be concentrating on answering the questions, Chris was noting Shannon's uneasiness and he eventually broke off in the middle of a response.
"How did we let this happen?" he sighed thoughtfully.
"What?"
"THIS," he said, gesturing vaguely with his hands, "We used to be able to talk about anything. Now ..... now we're like strangers trying to make polite conversation, instead of two people who were, at the very least, FRIENDS, once upon a time."
"Once upon a time." repeated Shannon, nodding, "That just about says it all - our meeting up after all this time, it is a bit like a fairytale. Or maybe a movie."
"Ah, still the movie fanatic then." smiled Chris, remembering the endless trips to the cinema which they had taken at Shannon's command; not that he had really minded, in spite of his protests at the time. "Okay, so if this was a movie, how would it end?"
"Maybe we should stick to doing the interview?" she suggested nervously.
"Oh, come on. I answered your questions, you answer one of mine."
She turned off her tape recorder and considered for a moment, her head on one side, staring into space as if she expected a vision of the future to appear in front of her. "I don't know." she confessed after a few moments thought, "This is one plot that's got me beat. It's like the crew are trying their best, but even the script writer doesn't know where the story's going and the director's resorted to drinking and that leaves the actors with their hands full just trying to keep up, never mind trying to see where everything's going to end up!
"Huh? Shan, are you okay?" asked Chris, astonished and more than a little confused by this bewildering outburst.
Shannon just laughed a little bitterly, getting up from the bench and pacing in front of him, "Okay? I don't even know what that is anymore! Oh, don't pay any attention to me rambling! It's just been a long day."
"It's only one o'clock."
"Well, it's been a long MORNING then."
Chris remained sitting on the bench while Shannon just stood with her back to him, an awkward silence falling over them. He ran a hand over his hair and started to think that this wasn't such a good idea. He didn't know how he could have expected anything else, but it was evident that something was bothering Shannon and he hated to think that he was at the root of the problem. Just as he was about to get up to leave, Shannon spoke without turning round.
"There's only one outcome that I can see. Wouldn't make much of a movie though."
"I dunno about that. With the right soundtrack, a few arty shots and a catchy title, we could be on to a winner!" he quipped before reverting to seriousness, "What is this outcome?"
"Before you leave and I get on with things here, we agree to put the past behind us, have a few stilted conversations and just try to kid ourselves that things can go back to how they were at the very start ...."
"The very start? You want me to kidnap your Barbie and set fire to her hair?" smirked Chris, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her again and hopefully lighten the mood.
Shannon laughed in spite of herself and shot him a mock glare over her shoulder, "Very funny! Try it and I'll make you cry again!"
"Oh, that's hardly fair, I had good reason!"
"I only PUSHED you. Cry-baby!"
"Yeah, you only pushed me - out of a TREEHOUSE!"
Shannon covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back her giggles at the hurt outrage on Chris's face. Without thinking, she came and sat close beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." she managed, trying to keep her face straight, "I was only about five; I don't think my grasp of the law of gravity was too strong - certainly not as strong as the gravity itself! I honestly didn't think that would happen!"
"And anyway, YOU cried for longer than I did!" he insisted sulkily.
"I did, didn't I?" she remembered, "I thought I'd killed you, I cried for hours!"
"You were that upset?"
"More worried 'bout what my Mom would say!" she joked, "Just kidding! 'Course I was upset - you scared the life out of me, not moving like that!"
"Sorry if it seemed I was being inconsiderate, but I was in too much pain to move!" he complained, still pretending to be annoyed. "Actually, I think I was in shock. Who'd have thought that innocent looking little girl would go around throwing people out of trees?"
"Don't!" she protested, swatting him lightly on the arm, "You make it sound like I was a real monster!"
"You WERE!"
Shannon looked away and then, putting on a childish voice, looked back at him with wide imploring eyes. "I sorry, d'you forgive me, Chrissy?"
Chris laughed softly at her imitation of her younger self, "Don't look at me like that. You always did get away with murder with those puppy-dog eyes!"
"Does it still work?" she asked slyly.
"Hmmm, I'll think about it." he said infuriatingly, "But only if you don't call me Chrissy again!"
"Whadda you mean - you'll THINK about it?" she demanded, giving him a whack which only succeeding in making him laugh.
"Okay, okay! I give in!" he grinned, fending her off, "I forgive you!"
"That's more like it!" she announced triumphantly; her cheery tone so different to that which she had previously used, Chris found himself looking intently at her, hoping this change was not going to disappear as quickly as it had occurred. She was smiling now; the first genuine smile he had seen from her since his return, one which lit her whole face and made her green eyes sparkle like stars. He knew only too well the full power of that smile; it was infectious, influencing ..... beautiful.
# /And it's been a while since I've gone and fucked things up/ Just like I always do/ And it's been a while but all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you/ #
"What's wrong?"
Chris snapped out of his daydream and shook his head, "Uh, nothing. Do you realise we just had a perfectly normal conversation - relatively speaking, at least. I mean, it wasn't stilted or awkward, so ..... how about we start over? We didn't exactly get off to a great start yesterday."
"True." admitted Shannon, "I think that's probably a good idea."
"Friends then?" he asked, holding out his arms, "No strings attached - just friends."
Trying to read his expression, Shannon nodded slowly and hesitantly leaned over to receive his embrace. "Just friends." she murmured against his shoulder as they hugged.
*****