Walk in the Woods

“I’m telling you I saw him here!” Josh shouted, throwing his arms into the air. Alison smiled and shook her head. Despite her reserves, she had actually enjoyed her walk into the baron woods with Josh. The man had told her tales of their youths, all attempts to drive a disagreement with the raven-haired girl, but Alison refused to give him the satisfaction.
 

“Maybe he left,” she pointed out. “Or you told him one of your stories and he left.” Josh glared at her and Alison giggled. She swatted his shoulder and turned around, facing the way they came. In the distance, a figure stood in the centre of the path, unmoving. Alison stiffened, her smile faltering and breathing heavy. She narrowed her eyes and swung her arm behind her, trying to catch Josh’s arm.

“Josh?” she whispered.
 

“Mm?” Josh responded, his eyes still focused on the undergrowth behind him.
 

“Do you see that?” she asked. Josh shuffled behind her, his eyes settling on the figure. He narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. Alison gently gripped his arm, pulling herself back slightly and pushing him in front.
 

“Hello?” Josh called. The figure didn’t move. Fear started to spread through her, her senses heightened, and adrenaline started to pump through her veins. “You alright?” There was still no response. A shout came from behind them, startling the pair, causing Josh to scream and fall to the floor. Mitchel stood laughing behind, clutching his belly and folding over, a tear rolling down his cheek. Josh sighed and remained on the floor, staring into the sky. Alison’s fear quickly shifted into anger. She stomped up to Mitchel, hitting his arm firmly. The man reeled back, his hand immediately reaching for the developing bruise.
 

“Ow!” he cried, stepping back as Alison pulled her fist back again. “What was that for?” Alison raised an eyebrow, and Mitchel paled, realising the stupidity of his question. Josh got to his feet and walked over to him.
 

“And the reason for that was?” he asked. Mitchel smiled, a wary eye on Alison’s still clenched fist, and slapped his friend’s shoulder.
 

“Remember the day before I left for uni?” he asked. Josh looked at Alison and a smile spread over his lips. He looked back at Mitchel and Mitchel nodded. “Four years in the making.” He justified. Alison lowered her hand, her anger now subsided.
 

“Anyway,” she muttered. “Let’s try that again shall we?” She cast a glance at Josh, and he shook himself from the memory and walked up to Mitchel, shaking his hand formally. Alison looked at the pair and rolled her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips. Mitchel turned to her and stuck out his hand. She pushed it aside and pulled the man into a brief hug, seeing Josh’s grin as she pulled away.
 

“What first?” Josh asked. “Jodie’s let me out all day, so we can do whatever we want.” Mitchel frowned and smiled.
 

“What do you mean ‘let you out’?” he asked. Alison smiled and looked back at Josh.
 

“The love birds moved in together,” she told him. Mitchel grinned and chuckled.
 

“Really?” Mitchel said, almost in disbelief. Josh sighed and rubbed his arm in embarrassment. “When?”
 

“Third year,” he said. Mitchel laughed again and patted the man’s arm.
 

“Good for you man,” Mitchel wrapped an arm around Josh’s shoulders, who wrapped his own around Mitchel’s. Alison smiled as she watched the pair talk and joke about each other. She took the time to look at the two. Josh was taller, much taller than he was a couple of years ago. His jet-black hair was sticking into the air in its usual fashion. His shirt was hanging loosely over his shoulders and trousers tight around his waist.
 

Mitchel was different. Despite standing a good few inches below Josh, he still stood taller than her. His pale blue shirt was tucked into his deep blue trousers, a look that had suited him for many years. His blonde hair was pulled back across his scalp, strands ending in points at the back of his head. His eyes were a pale green and kind, they had always seemed to follow her when she was in the room. That was what she told herself at least. His mouth was in a broad smile and his arms were folded across his chest, his head bobbing along to whatever Josh was saying. Alison shook her head and sighed, turning to face back down the path and to Mitchel’s distraction. She looked back at the two men, who was still deep in conversation, and then walked down to the figure. As she got closer, she realised it was Mitchel’s coat, hanging from a stick, its sleeves held out by a branch. Alison rolled her eyes and pulled the coat off, gently brushing it down and taking a deep breath. She looked back at them, seeing them both looking at her. She cocked an eyebrow and threw the stick into the bush beside her.
 

“When were you going to get this?” she mocked as she returned to them. Mitchel laughed and reached for it, slinging it over his shoulder.
 

“Why? When I have you to get it?” he teased. Alison gave a mocking gasp, placing a hand over her chest. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
 

“I have half a mind to throw that into the forest,” she scowled, her smile still tugging. Mitchel grinned and leaned towards her. Alison felt his warmth radiate off him, a slight blush spread across her cheeks.
 

“You wouldn’t dare,” he threatened in a low voice, a grin forming. Alison smiled at him, her arm shooting out, grabbing the sleeve and tugging on it. Mitchel gagged at the sudden movement and spun himself, catching Alison in his arms and holding her against his chest. “Gonna have to do better than that,” he whispered in her ear. In one fluid motion, Alison reached forward and grabbed the coat, yanking it from Mitchel’s grasp and slipping out from his grip. Without turning back, Alison started running down the path, glancing behind to see Mitchel giving chase, a playful grin stretched across his face. The two ran for a while, neither getting tired of their new game.
 

As Alison entered a clearing, she paused and looked back, but Mitchel wasn’t behind her. Her laugh faltered and she tensed. She gripped the coat in her hand and placed it behind her, pivoting on her heel, trying to catch a glimpse of Mitchel. Soon, she spun back around to the path she had run down. A sudden tug on the coat forced her to spin around and see Mitchel’s playful grin and slightly sweaty face. Her smile returned and her grip tightened further.
 

“Hey,” he teased, pulling on the coat again, this time pulling it from her grasp. With a determined smile, Alison jumped onto the man. They fell to the floor, both clambering over one another for the coat. Eventually, the two tangled themselves in each other’s limbs, forcing them to stop. Mitchel was lying with his back on the ground, Alison’s leg under his and her arm trapped against his back. She let herself fall backwards, the damp grass seeping to her skin through her thin t-shirt. She drew in a deep breath, a light chuckle emanating from her lips. Mitchel joined. Soon, the two were laughing hysterically, accompanied by deep breaths and cries for air. As the laughter died down, Mitchel sighed.
 

“We’re getting too old for this,” he muttered. Alison chuckled and nodded in agreement.
 

“Not a good sign,” she said. “Twenty-four and losing the will to joyfully run through the forest.”
 

“Exactly,” Mitchel replied, lifting an arm, checking his watch. “So how have you been?” Alison turned her head, eyebrow raised. Mitchel looked at her, with the same quizzical look. “What?” he asked. “While I was catching up with Josh, you stole my coat…”
 

“Which I gave back to you,” Alison pointed out. Mitchel sighed.
 

“Then you stole it again,” he continued, chuckling.“And I gave chase. We haven’t actually said a word yet.” Alison nodded and looked back up into the sky, watching the grey clouds slowly pass over.
 

“Passed my course,” she said quickly. “Moved back in with parents, Joey broke up with me, got a part-time job at a restaurant, and am applying for every catering job I can.” She looked back at Mitchel and smiled. “What about you?” Mitchel rolled his eyes and sighed.
 

“Passed my course,” he mimicked. “Then I moved into a place of my own, bought a car, crashed the car, forced to work overtime to pay the repair bills, and am glad to finally see you.” Alison felt her heart skip a beat. “And Josh,” he quickly added, his eyes darting from her back to the sky. They fell silent, watching the clouds roll overhead. The grey started to darken, and thunder could be heard in the distance. Alison looked over at Mitchel, who was wide-eyed, staring into the sky, his fingers tapping on his chest, an action he only did while nervous. Her eyes look back up at his. He noticed, bringing his eyes down to her’s. From her hand under his back, Alison could feel his heart speed up slightly. She gulped and slowly tilted her head closer. A drop of rain fell on her cheek, but she remained still, allowing it to roll down her cheek and across her lips. She watched as Mitchel’s eyes followed it, stopping as the drop fell to the soil below. His eyes lifted back to her’s and she moved her head closer again. Another drop landed on her, and another, and another.
 

By the time the rain arrived, they were locked in a passionate kiss. They untangled their legs and Alison pulled her arm out from under him, her hand gently filtering through his dirtied blonde hair. She felt him rest his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. As the rain continued, their kiss grew more passionate, their hands exploring one another as the rain hammered down on them. Alison pulled herself away, staring into Mitchel’s pale green eyes as they both gasped for air. Without a moment to think, Alison started to laugh, spraying a mist of rain and saliva into Mitchel’s face. Mitchel coughed and pulled back, wiping his face with his free hand and smiling at her. She leaned down and pressed a kiss on his lips, pulling away before he could pull her in further.
 

“We need to get out of the rain,” she said. Mitchel nodded.
 

“I agree,” he replied. “I can't tell what’s what.” Alison chuckled and stood, pulling Mitchel to his feet. Hand-in-hand, the two walked back down the path, Mitchel’s coat suspended above their heads, water dripping off the edges and down their backs. As they walked, they confessed to each other everything. Their feelings that had developed over the years, how attracted to one another they had become as they matured and grew.
 

“And Josh was the catalyst,” Alison joked, laughing, but the mention of their friend forced her to stop. “We left him!” she yelled, gripping Mitchel’s hand tightly, causing the man to yelp in pain. She released him, kissed it lightly, smiling apologetically.
 

“He left when I ran off after you,” Mitchel confessed, smiling, playing with Alison’s hand, spinning his fingers around hers. “He told me to go, and I did. Think he went home to Jodie.” Mitchel frowned, unsure of Josh’s movements after he ran off. Alison smiled and rested against Mitchel, lying her head on his chest. They continued to walk until they arrived at the carpark, with only one car parked.
 

“Mine,” Mitchel whispered. They walked over to the car and quickly jumped in. Immediately, Mitchel started the car and slowly, the car started to warm. Alison looked at him, his blonde hair starting to droop over his eye, as it had done for a majority of their childhood. She watched intently as Mitchel rubbed his hands together and threw his coat behind him.
 

“Can I ask something?” Alison asked. Mitchel smiled at her and nodded. “Why did you agree to go for a walk when you knew that there was a storm.” Mitchel stopped and looked at her.
 

“Josh offered me a walk in the woods with the old group,” he said. He smiled at her genuinely, “And I couldn’t resist.”