Karen lay silently, staring up at the blue sky above her. She blinked slowly as she began to create shapes among the clouds. Her head cocked to the side slowly despite the grass underneath it. She turned her head completely to face her friend beside her.
"Kyle?"
She watched as the boy practically jumped out of his skin, fumbling with the thick book that had been dropped from his hands. Karen frowned in confusion. She really didn't believe she was that scary.
"Y-yes Karen?" Kyle asked as he turned nervously to face her from his spot against the tree trunk. Karen's frown deepened as she turned back to the sky.
"What are clouds?" She asked.
Kyle glanced up at the sky as if noticing it for the first time. "They're dust particles clinging to evaporated water called condensation. When they gather too much water then they release it, making precipitation like rain or snow or hail."
Karen raised her eyebrows in surprise. They weren't made of white cotton candy?
"Kyle?" Karen turned over onto her stomach as she stared at the boy, her head cocked slightly to the side.
"Yes Karen?" Kyle said nervously as he gingerly placed his book on his lap.
"Do you know everything?" She asked curiously as she stared at him. Karen watched in confusion as Kyle sputtered and blushed deep red. Was he sick? Karen's eyes widened as it dawned on her. Was he chocking? Karen's mouth fell open at the thought. She didn't know CPR! She looked frantically at her surroundings. Where were the pretty Baywatch people? Weren't they supposed to come when situations like this happened?
"N-n-n-n-no I-I…I don't know everything. I don't e-even know that much!"
Karen cocked her head further and frowned.
"Yes you do. You know babies don't come from the pelican birds," if possible Kyle blush deepened though Karen could not imagine why. "And what colors make green. You know all the answers to Miss. Jenkin's questions in class and you even know how to spell tomorrow!" Karen looked at Kyle seriously. "Hardly anyone knows how to spell tomorrow. You know everything."
Kyle blushed and sputtered for a few more moments and Karen wondered if this was normal for him. Maybe he was having an eczema attack?
"I-I don't!" Kyle protested but Karen had stopped listening. She turned back onto her back to stare at a particularly pretty cloud in the shape of a bunny.
"Kyle?"
"…Yes Karen?"
Karen looked up at him from her spot on the floor and frowned. "You're upside down."
Kyle smiled, something he almost never did. It was a little half smile that Karen was sure that only she ever got to see. Karen was confused as to why Kyle didn't smile more. She was sure he'd have a lot more friends if he did.
"No, you are Karen." Kyle said softly. Karen frowned deeper and reverted her eyes back up the sky above.
"Oh."