Talented » Places

         Danielle shimmied up the tree and waited for Landon. She sat sideways, her legs dangling and her arms against the bark of a lower branch. Landon popped his head up after a bit and settled in, sitting next to her so that their arms were touching. A giggle escaped her lips when Landon remarked how he managed to get up fine. Danielle looked at Landon and saw he was looking at their surroundings. She smiled and sat quietly, giving him time to do so. It didn't take him long to finish and turn his attention back to her. He questioned her and she smiled, looking at the ground below them before lifting her head back up and responding. "Well, I was walking around after the whole Williams thing and I just wanted to find a place to sit and relax. So that's what I did. I just walked around until I found a tree I liked. Plus, the fact that there is a lake and a bunch of plants around makes me feel at home." She inhaled deeply and then exhaled, enjoying the fresh, cool air. She listened as he continued to talk. "I'm glad I showed you this too. I was hoping you'd like it." He grabbed her hand and she grinned. She put the bag she was holding down on the thick three trunk and made sure it wouldn't fall or anything. After that she used her free hand to move her hair over to her right shoulder, twirling it before it touched her again.

Landon seemed to tense up or jerk a bit and Danielle noticed. She looked at him and furrowed her brow. He seemed to be staring out ahead of him, and she followed his gaze. Nothing interesting was going on and she didn't see Sydney or Laurie, or anyone else who seemed dangerous. Danielle looked at him once again, but she didn't say anything. She looked down and swung her legs, watching her feet disappear and reappear repeatedly. A few seconds passed and she could feel Landon look at her. Her head shot up and she looked at him, curiously. "Uh, are you okay?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "You kind tensed up and zoned out. So, what's up?" Danielle wondered what caused him to move so suddenly. It was pretty random, she had to admit.

As she waited for his answer she looked out in front of her. There were a few large gaps between the branches and Danielle stuck her leg out in front of her, closing the gaps so the leaves and branches hid them from the world. Once they were hidden, she lowered her leg and looked past the tiny leaves. She could still see beyond the tree, which she liked. It was like a one way mirror. They could see everyone below and outside of the tree, but they couldn't see them. "Sorry," she said quickly. "It's kind of a habit. I like my privacy. We can still see out, they just can't see in. I can move it back if you want." When she spoke her voice was soft and distant, as if she was drifting away. When she moved to America she started climbing trees at her new house. There were many kinds: short, tall, fat, thin, old, new, oak, maple, etc. She didn't care what kind of tree she climbed, as long as she was hidden. She hated when her parents saw her in the trees and fished her out. It always bugged her, but when she found out what she could do she moved the tree's limbs so they could hide her from the world. It was odd how much comfort it gave her. It was like she had a secret hiding spot, out in the open. She hoped Landon didn't mind. If he thought of it was weird or anything, she didn't know how she would handle it. For once, Danielle actually cared what a guy thought of her. Usually it was no big deal, but Landon wasn't like the others. He was one of a kind.