Tanith's Escapades- A nice Tree like that.

An ageing brown leaf landed resolutley on Tanith's shoulder; Tanith turned her head to look at the grim thing.
"Now why would you want to leave a nice tree like that?" she asked it quietly, glancing at the lovley old Dutch Elm from whence the leaf had come.

Shannon glanced at it too. "Watcha talkin' to a leaf for Tan?" she asked, And Tanith heard the thread of annoyance creep back into her voice.
"Nothing," Tanith sighed, letting her head fall back against the trunk of the tree. She could feel the deep ridges in the bark through her hair.
For the millionth time Tanith wondered why she'd even started talking to Shannon again.

It turned out that Shannon had 'accidently' overheard Erin telling a curious Jaynie Morrison why Shannon hadn't been hanging out with Tanith anymore.
So Shannon, who actually accepted being in the wrong for once, had apologised to Tanith and they'd started hanging out again.

This time Shannon gave Tanith a little more space, but still, Tanith found her company wearing somedays.

Another brownish leaf, evidently deciding to take its chances, landed with a rustle on Tanith's dirty black school-shoes.
Tanith regarded it sadly for a moment- it looked as tired as she felt.
On impulse, Tanith turned to the leaf on her shoulder, "Look!" she demaned of the still leaf angrily, "See what you started!"

Shannon made a choking sound, and Tanith turned quickly to find her old friend doubled over in silent, gasping laughter.
In a moment, a pair of hard brown eyes met a pair of laughing blue. The brown eyes seemed to soften, as Tanith began to tingle with a suppressed giggle.

Finally, with a helpless cry, Tanith joined in.
Their maniacal peals of laughter echoed in an impossible harmony through the trees,
She didn't wonder why anymore.



©Leah Petts, 20th March '08