***Sorry I haven't been posting in a while, I have typed up a lot of prompts and stuff, I just need to turn them into chapters. But, this month I've been at Camp NaNoWriMo and it's been great on account of writing a story from scratch. Thanks you for your patience ***
"Hey," Jasper greets to me as I wipe tears away from my face, balancing myself more on the thin apple branch. I don't look at him, I don't know why, but I just can't.
"Hey," I sniff, I don't really know why I'm crying but I have a small idea.
"I missed you today selling papers. I went to your apartment and walked all of Central Park, but I thought you'd be in our tree so…" he trails off. I kiss him gently as he wraps his arm around me. There's a breeze that passes periodically as it makes the tree sway. "Are you okay?" he asks slowly, "you're crying."
"I'm fine," I lied. Not exactly though, I have no reason too, female stuff I guess, hormones, Hype just recently had her twins too so everyone seems to be in a mood.
"Well, here's what I made today," he offers, pulling two quarters from his pocket, putting one in my hand.
"You can keep it," I whisper, "you sold everything today." He shakes his head in protest as he doesn't say anything for a while. He slowly takes my hand as he loosely fingers my curls.
"Just take it and save it or something," he begs. "What are you doing later?" Going home and crying in a corner, I thought, or maybe a bath before Elsie gets home. Maybe I'll read a book; I don't know I just feel awful. No, that's not the right word drained would be the right word. Maybe I'm just tired or fed up with all of the cat calls Race yells at us.
"Nothing much," I reply, gazing at the ground several feet below us.
"Let's do something tonight," Jasper says soothingly, "get your mind off of things." I nod slowly and wipe away my last tear. We don't hear anyone comes up to the tree until a shriek sends a shock wave through us.
"Jasper, did you make the lady cry?" Race shouts to the top of our tree. He fakes a sympathetic face as he comes up with all of the possible reasons why I'm sad. "Did you break up with her?" he pushes. "Get her pregnant?"
"Can't you shout to the world that you're single?" I scold at him as Jasper chunks an apple into Race's head as it knocks him out. He doesn't move for a few seconds as we start to panic. He's going to be ticked at us when he wakes up.
"We should go," he decides, helping me out of the tree.
"Where?" I ask as he gives me a piggy back ride and shrugs his shoulders.
"Zoo, Harbor, Grand Central, City Hall," he spits out.
"Race's showing signs of consciousness, let's get out of here." I smile, "to the zoo!"
"Well that was fun," I smirk as he gasps for whips of air.
"No offence, but your heavy, how much do you weigh?" He smiles.
"Exactly one hundred pounds," I say in mock defense.
"That explains everything; I'm one hundred twenty five." He gasps. "How much do you eat a day?"
"Not much, we're poor remember, come on," I laugh, "Let's go see the bears."
"I'd rather see the swans," he sighs, "bears scare me."
"Just like speaking in public, falling off a high place and garden gnomes?" I speculate, looking him in the eye.
"Don't say garden gnomes, gosh they are creepy." He says as I roll my eyes.
"They aren't real, what is so scary about them?" I laugh.
"I don't know it's just one of those common fears that people have." He sighs.
"And your scarred of them," I finish.
"Well," he starts.
"You are I can tell." I smirk. "It's okay, I'm scarred of horses."
"Really," he sasses, "that's pathetic."
"You're afraid of garden gnomes," I snap playfully.
"Oh, Look, swans," He says happily, pulling me to see the swans. We circle the swan exhibit as he makes rude remarks to them like: that swan is fat. Usually my reaction would be that swan is pregnant. It wouldn't work though; most of the swans were boys.
"Well, they're better fed and don't do much during the day." I remark.
"Whatever, let's go see the bears." He says, dragging me along. "I thought you wanted to see the bears."
"I did, but you're scarred of them so..." I trail off.
"Well, I'm not now, your with me," he smirks as I kiss his jaw.
"Come on," I say playfully, "I heard that in the future, they are making plans for an elephant. God they cost a lot."
"And eat a lot," he smirks, holding my hand.
"And smell," I admitted. The bears were a bit frightening as I cling to Jasper a little tighter. We sit down on a bench watching people walk by with their children.
"So tonight," I whisper, looking at the ground. "Never mind"
"Ella, don't say never mind, tell me what you're thinking." He pushes.
"I was wondering if I should bring a few blankets and…"
"You're lying to me," he frowns.
"I'm sorry," I sigh as he puts his arm around me.
"I'll think of something," he promises. "Now what were you crying about earlier? Was it your dad?" I shake my head.
"Female stuff I guess." I replied.
"Okay, I won't ask anymore," he promises, making a silly gag face.
"Later," I smile as he picks me up as we run out of the zoo. We go into a store and buy a bunch of carrots as I can't control my laughter.
"What are you doing?" I smile.
"This," he replies, talking to a driver of a horse drawn carriage. He pulls me into the front of the horse as I let out a squeal.
"Hold this," he instructs as he hands me a carrot, gently leading it to the horses' mouth. I squeal as it starts chomping away. The driver lets out a light laugh, saying it won't bite.
"Good horse," I stutter as Jasper guides my other hand down the horse's mane.
"This isn't that bad right Ella?" he smiles. I shake my head then scream.
"He bit me." I whine.
"It's a mare, her name is Nellie, and that's her way of showing affection." The caretaker says. "She really likes you," the horse nods her head up and down in response and whines with excitement.
"Hate to interrupt her feeding, but I have somewhere to be in an hour." He sighs.
"Fair enough, thanks!" I say as Nellie finishes her last carrot. She's had five large ones already. We step out of the way onto the sidewalk as Elsie and Les run up to us.
"Race is coming, we have to hide," Elsie says, taking hold of me, Les does the same as I ask where we are going.
"To the apartment," she shouts at me, "Les, Jasper, hurry up."
"Go, Go, Go." She says, beckoning everyone to come inside and she locks the door quickly. Out of breath, I pour water for everyone as we sit down in the empty apartment. Dad must be grocery shopping or something. Walking around Manhattan or going to the Harbor or admiring Central Park.
"What happened to you guys?" I gasp, wiping a small drop of blood from Elsie's head.
"Well, we were selling in the park; actually we sold our last paper when we see Race laying on the ground right?" Les starts. We nod our heads, for fear we know where this is heading. "Well, anyways, we help him up as he kicks and cusses at the tree, causing rock hard apples to find and they hit us.
"Uh oh," Jasper sighs. "Hey Elsie, Les, we have to tell you something."
"Ella, are you pregnant?" Elsie giggles.
"No," I snap. "Where did that come from?"
"Well," she starts.
"Never mind," I mutter. "Anyways, Race cat called to us and we got kind of hot headed and threw an apple at his face knocking him unconscious."
"Actually, I did it," Jasper sighs, sinking further into his chair. "Sorry he got mad and kicked the tree."
"It was actually pretty funny," Les jokes. "It was obvious he was high."
"Minus the cussing though, he looked like a naughty toddler," Elsie breaks out laughing.
"Well, sorry you bleed today, but a least you can laugh at it," I smile. Les and jasper signal there are leaving within ten minutes as Elsie begs Les to stay. I ask Jasper if he wants to stay, but waves it off as we will be seeing each other in the park when the sun goes down. I slowly nod my head as he tells me to bring a few blankets, it may rain again like the last time when I carried him home. He did not enjoy sleeping on the floor that much.
"See you later at our tree?" he whispers as he stands on our doorstep. I look at him with a sweet smile and nod my head. "Well, until then…"
"What?" I ask as I look to Elsie and Les smirking at us from the living room. "Oh, never mind them, just kiss me."
"Will do," he smiles, as he kisses my neck. I blush red and feel the color drain from me as he leaves. With that, I watch him as our door closes and he descends onto the street mixing in with the regular crowds of Manhattan.