It was as bright an afternoon as anybody could hope for; the sun blazed a vivid platinum, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The grass of the fields glistened emerald, and the trees shook gently as beaten bark revealed its cracks and splits. Patches of golden and yellow flowers could be spotted around the fields, and the odd bee could also be spotted upon those flowers. In the centre of one particular field, a small group of young people were staring up into the clear sky. One was resting his head on a thin and dark hooded jacket, which he’d removed to alleviate the heat of the afternoon. His t-shirt clearly displayed his affection for both rock music and the colour black, and his blond hair was longer than average. The knees in his jeans were worn slightly, and the canvas of his shoes were discoloured slightly. Next to him was a slightly shorter young man with dark brown hair, whose plain sky-blue buttoned-down shirt allowed him to blend into the sky on this particular afternoon. His jeans had been cared for much more intensely than his friend’s, and they led down to a pair of short-heeled shoes. To his left was the final member of this small group, a young woman in a black leather jacket worn over a dark purple vest top. Her dyed hair was a vivid dark purple as well, and her black skinny jeans led into a pair of riding boots. Together, they formed a row of relaxed individuals.
Eventually, the blond man sat up. His hair fell over his left eyes, and as he turned to the other two he blocked out the sun slightly. The other man met his look, and the woman remained watching for clouds. “What’s the matter, man? Too cool for cloud-spotting?”
The light-haired man laughed and stood up. “It’s the best day we’ve seen all summer, and what are we doing with it? We’re turning into these flowers, that’s what.” He picked up his jacket.
The other man sighed and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and rolled up his sleeves. “You got a better idea? Anyway, it was Super-Punk who brought us out here.” He nudged the girl, who didn’t move, but let out a groan.
“Are you guys serious?” Her darkly-glossed lips matched the irritated tone of her response, and her eyes finally revealed themselves behind her dark liner and shadow. “Black doesn’t equal punk, and neither does purple.” She smiled.
“Listening to alt-rock in your spare time doesn’t either, but you needed a nickname, so deal.” The man’s rolled-up sleeves fell slightly as he stood up. He nudged the girl with his foot. “Come on, D’s right. I’m done here.”
She groaned and joined the two standing. “What’s your big alternative plan then, Nicky?” She winked and stretched out.
“You’ve got a plan, don’t you Dane?” Both Nick and the girl stared at Dane for a response.
Dane’s gaze faltered slightly, and he stepped backwards a little, crushing a few blades of grass and letting the sun through to the others again. “Gimme a sec to think, guys, jeez…you still have an empty house, Willow?” Optimism filled his eyes.
“You’re making this up as you go. Come on, grab your stuff, I’m taking you boys on a hike. Seems like I’m in charge.” She started off without them, heading straight for the wooded area. The two men paused as if she was bluffing, then gathered their things as they quickly realised she wasn’t.
The sun seemed to intensify as they approached the trees. Willow’s short bobbed hair moved due to the wind, and her fringe covering her left eye bounced with her walk. She pushed through the trees, and disappeared from the boys’ view. They ran after her, and the world seemed to slow down as they moved.
As she got through the bushes, the world came to a halt. Willow closed her eyes, and in an instant she found herself on her roof again. She’d brought the easel up with her; she frequented the roof for her art. The view she could get here was well worth the effort of carefully negotiating her way along the steps up. A few clouds had appeared to block the sun slightly, and Willow checked the time to discover she’d lost three hours and twenty minutes. She placed her brush next to her supplies, and two small figures frozen in runs caught her eye. They seemed to be yelling at the trees; one even looked like he’d lost his footing. She smiled slightly and stood up to leave the roof.
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