Tryle - Wandering

[Kyle Stockholm]

{ www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92665553 }

They'd  been stopped for a while. When the fog rose and the sun fell, Kyle had stopped and stuck his nose in the air, watching the branches wave goodbye to the day and welcome the night. Kyle found happiness among nature; he just hated the bugs. If it weren't for the creepy crawly critters, he'd probably live in a treehouse out here. Out here, in the middle of who knew where, in a hand-made treehouse with nothing but his thoughts. That, he thought, could prove dangerous... but the idea was still inviting and would probably forever tug at the base of his mind. Regardless, he was here tonight with Trista. It was a Friday and having no classes in the morning, Kyle thought it might be a good day to get lost.

Would you look at that: Kyle actually planned something with a reasonable thought in his head.

Of course before leaving he'd told Rory who, in this case, was posing as the mother figure yet again. This wouldn't be the first time Kyle got lost, but it was the first time he'd planned it. See, Kyle wanted to dig at Trista. They'd been friends for maybe a week now, it having been last Sunday when they met at the ice cream shop. They'd gotten to talking a little bit, but about nothing of real importance. They'd watched a couple movies, had a couple lunches together, usual friend things. But Kyle wanted to know more. Never in his life had he been so intrigued by a person. Never had he seen so much behind a person's eyes without actually seeing any of it all. He knew there was something back there. Just by the way she held herself, the way she acted. He could tell there was more than a mouse with green eyes. He knew there was more than the quiet girl in the corner that liked vanilla ice cream and walks with strangers. He just didn't know what. And other than the fact that he genuinely enjoyed her presence, he'd invited her out for a hike tonight to read her. 

Of course, she was more than welcome to deny or even ask questions of her own. Kyle's never been one to push. He's just... persuasive.

They'd left campus around seven o'clock, a time at which the sky was already darkening. They'd walked for maybe an hour when the street lights turned on, and at about eight thirty, they were well into the woods. Somewhere far off campus, far from most buildings, they found themselves completely immersed in the natural world. Rabbits did not fear them, for they were far more than the two humans, and deer stood their ground. Birds fluttered freely around their feet, and field mice were as friendly as puppies in pounds. It was clear that Kyle and Trista were the strangers here.

When darkness fell, Kyle thanked the heavens for having come to a clearing. It was small, but a clearing nonetheless and Kyle took a moment to locate some sticks and perhaps a log or two. After digging a bit of a hole with a trowel he'd brought along and lining its edge with stones, Kyle threw what he'd gathered in the middle of it all and removed a lighter from his back pocket. Not one for smoking, he carried this lighter strictly for times like this. Within minutes, a decent sized fire was up and Kyle was busy unrolling a fluffy looking blanket which he'd pulled from his backpack. Also in his backpack were s'mores materials, a couple boxes of Trisquit crackers, and four bottles of Coke. He'd thought about bringing tacos and pudding (as was his usual diet) but both would've spoiled by now. Not that he really cared; Kyle was quite happy with s'mores and crackers.

Settling atop the blanket, Kyle patted the open space beside him and smiled up at Trista. The forest was mostly silent, spare for the low crackle of the fire and the distant crinkling of leaves beneath tiny feet. The moon was bright tonight and rose high above the pines. It was a perfect night. Not too cold, but just enough so he kept nuzzled into his jacket. "Warm?" he looked to Trista with a gentle smile, a warming smile.

[Trista Kline]

[ www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=92675706 ]


Trista hadn’t been at peace in a while, until now. Her dreams were calm, filled with vibrant colors and beautiful creatures. She was at ease, and the demons were slumbering in the depths of her mind. Her dreams weren’t plagued with nightmares, and she didn’t wake up frequently. It had been about a week since she’d sought refuge in her closet, the place she went to hide. She had avoided the monsters of her school quite successfully, leaving her alone with nothing but her thoughts. No, no nothing anymore.

She’d made a friend, perhaps for life. Kyle was an interesting fellow, with movements that were not his own. But Trista looked past that and into his soul where she saw a good person. The outer appearance of someone could only tell so much. It was the eyes that were like the pages of a book just waiting to be read. But that’s why she didn’t like eye contact, because she didn’t like to be read. However, with Kyle it was different. She didn’t mind looking him in the eye and letting his see what she hid away. She didn’t want to hide anything from him, but the things that were locked away, even she couldn’t locate.

Since their walk, about a week ago, they’d hung out several times. Trista did whatever he wanted to do, only seeking his companionship over anything else. His presence made her feel safe, like no one was judging her. She’d finally been able to eat lunch without the scrutiny of the other students. She had someone to actually watch a movie with, something she hadn’t done since being with her mother. He knew the little details about her: her grade, when she started drawing, when she first attended Somerset. Just little things that friends would know about the other.

When Kyle had suggested they go wandering about in the woods, Trista didn’t refuse. She liked the idea of an empty forest with the lion. There was no curfew for the two, and there wasn’t school the following day. There weren’t restrictions to hold them back, not that it would’ve stopped Kyle. He was, after all, a lion who couldn’t be tamed. Kyle had mentioned his friend Rory, someone she hadn’t had the pleasure to meet quite yet. From what she could tell, he was the guardian of the lion. She truly wanted to meet him though, because any friend of Kyle was her friend also. He had given her the strength to be more open, to go out and have lunches, watch movies, and be human.

The forest felt like a living breathing entity. It had a mind of its own, and was completely different than anything she’d ever experienced. The animals knew it was their domain, and bustled about free as they wished. Trista felt like she’d stumbled into a movie and everything about her wasn’t real. She looked around in awe, but kept a close distance to Kyle. There were quite a few times that she thought to grab a whole of Kyle when a bird would take flight through the trees and in turn surprising her. She didn’t though, and every time she outstretched her hand she’d snatch it back to her chest.

Trista watched, quite impressed, as Kyle quickly built a fire with ease. She admired how he could do so much, a true renaissance man. After spending time with him, she often wondered if he was even real to begin with. Had her mind conjured up something too good to be true? Had she lost it to the point that her mind felt the need to make her friends to fill the void? She was snapped back to reality when the fire was finished and Kyle was sitting down in front of her with a blanket in place under him. He’d even thought to bring a blanket? She followed suit after he motioned for her to sit, and misjudged the distance slightly and ended up sitting closer to him then she’d initially planned. It wasn’t like they were touching, but the closeness wasn’t something she was used too.

From her sitting position, she threw her knees up to her chest where she wrapped her arms around her legs. She was in this position often, mostly when she was alone in her room. She was simply doing it out of habit at this point, completely comfortable with the setting. She was completely mesmerized by the fire, and to think that Kyle had built it with his own hand. “Yes, I am,” she replied noting that she’d worn warmer clothes than last time. She was comfortable now, and wondered if she’d catch a chill as the night went on. She didn’t have much meat on her bones with little means of keeping herself warm. His smile always made her feel safe, and the corners of her lips couldn’t help but tug upward in response. “It’s very peaceful out here,” she said softly turning her head slightly to look a Kyle,” do you come here often?”

[Kyle Stockholm]

"Good," Kyle said quietly, mimicking the way she'd brought her knees to her chest, only he was quick to nuzzle his nose between them. Putting a hand up over his head to grab at his hat, he tugged it forward a bit, only to push it right back to where it had been in the first place. If she'd said she was cold, he would've let her borrow said hat. But now that he thought about it, he was thankful he didn't have to give it up. He'd worn a pretty thick coat, but underneath it was only a tee shirt. So yes, he'd be needing this hat eventually.

When Trista asked if he came here often, Kyle cocked his head to the side, eyes caught by the fire. He had a tendency to stare at any fire that was lit. He found it so mesmerizing. "Yea," he cooed, "I wander a lot. Usually to the forest." This particular spot, he'd not been in. Or at least he didn't remember. His memory wasn't all so good. But this forest? He'd been in this forest a number of times. And every time after, Rory and he would get tacos or hot dogs. The thought made him chuckle and he nuzzled his face deeper between his knees, pinching his eyes shut as he tried to focus on the here and now, not the tacos and hot dogs. "This is where I come to think," he added, head still between his knees and thus, words slightly muffled. Noticing that, Kyle lifted his head and looked at her.

"I love the forest. The trees, the breeze, the uh.. the birds, the bees..." he trailed off a bit, lost in his own rhyme. Rather abruptly, a hand flew back to the ground and after his phone. Once the screen was lit and a notepad was open, Kyle tapped away at the keys to remember the silly rhyme. Saved, he dropped the phone back to the blanket and acted as if that hadn't even happened. "Its calming, y'know? Plenty of space to think and let my mind unwind." Eyes still fixated on the fire, Kyle began to rock back and forth slightly. Finally, he turned his head a bit to look at Trista who, to his surprise, was already looking at him. He smiled, thinking how nice it was to actually have someone with him for once. Never before had he wandered with someone else. It had always been when he was alone, hurting and sad. He'd never wanted someone else with him.

But he quite liked having Trista here.

[Trista Kline]

Kyle fascinated Trista, made her think about things. He reminded her of a child, innocent yet mischievous. Yet, there was something about him that she thought was fragile. Under the surface there was something to be discovered, something to be fixed. But everyone healed differently, and chose their coping methods. Trista simply kept to herself and sought refuge in her journal of thoughts or book of sketches. Perhaps the reason he mingled with the females frequently was to fill some void within his mind. Again, she only assumed based on observations. He was still a complete mystery to her.

She resisted the urge to pull her journal out and sketch the way the fire glimmered in his eyes. Instead her delicate fingers gripped her legs a little tighter and her gaze turned to the fire. It was an interesting thought to go to the forest. It wasn’t exactly a hop, skip, and jump away. It took some serious effort to get there, or just sometime not paying attention. “I don’t go to a lot of places,” she said softly,” too many people make me anxious.” She had to stare at her feet in the halls just to make it through those tunnels of pure hell. The forest was where he let his mind wander to think? It was an interesting place, but strangely fitting. She always stayed in her dorm to think, or sometimes if things were severe it would be in her closet.Trista tilted her head slightly at the rhyme. She blinked, surprised, as he sudden was doing something with his phone.

Electronics were very complicated. The only reason she had a phone to begin with was because her mother required it. She didn’t have any apps downloaded on it, and the only contact in the phone was her mother. Had she even exchanged numbers with Kyle? She didn’t think so, and it wasn’t exactly necessary since she saw him in school. Besides, why would he need to communicate with her outside of school? Surely he was far too busy for her quiet self. It wasn’t like she had much to offer, and she spent a great deal of time figuring out why he’d befriended her to begin with. She glanced up at the sky, the moon large and beautiful. She remembered staring at the stars with her mother when she was a small child. A pained expression appeared on her face without her even noticing. “It’s really beautiful out here,” she said quietly, her regard moving from the sky to the ground.

[Kyle Stockholm]

"Mm, no people out here," Kyle answered sort of absently, his gaze floating back to the fire when her's did. It was odd, really, how vacant these two seemed. So far, all they'd talked about was the fact that Kyle liked the forest and she didn't like people. He kind of figured she didn't like people very much from the minute he met her. But somehow, two very lost, very quiet souls with very dark depths, were drawn together. And as awkward as it may have seemed to just sit on the forest floor in the moonlight, it was actually nice. Something about her presence made him feel not so alone. And he hadn't really even thought about texting Rory to check in.

When Trista commented on the beauty of the place, Kyle smiled again and lifted his head to look up at the stars. The moon was bright and wide; it seemed to glow directly on them. It really was quite beautiful. And strangely, Kyle thought it a bit weird that she'd said that. Honestly, Kyle hadn't thought of Trista to be the one to comment on things like nature's beauty. She seemed far too locked away, far too closed off and in a shell of nothing but the creations of her own fingertips. She had a blank look about her that suggested pain, or at least the blocking of it. It felt kind of mean to say, but he figured he knew why she didn't have many friends:

she didn't seem quite like a person.

Blank stares, blank (but beautiful) eyes, blank expressions and a generally blank personality. But here she was, a blank in a crowd of full, expressing her enjoyment of the little things. That gave Kyle hope. That made him like her just that much more. She could be so white and bland and blank. But she was alive.

"It is," he answered, letting go of his knees and sliding his feet towards the fire a bit. Leaning back just enough to where he could balance on his elbows, Kyle looked at Trista and smiled. Honestly, the smile hadn't left his face since she'd mentioned the beauty of the forest. It only grew now. He felt this was a good time to make conversation.. to start digging. So, he started simple.

"Do you have any siblings?"

[Trista Kline]

It wasn’t that Trista didn’t like people; it’s just that they were crueler to her than anything else. Just because she didn’t have much to say didn’t mean she was any less human than they were. She didn’t have a ‘pack’ she belonged to, or wasn’t following the latest trends on twitter. She didn’t even have a facebook. She felt like she couldn’t relate to her own generation of students, and they couldn’t connect to her. If only they could see into her mind, see all the vibrant colors she painted the world. But they couldn’t, and therefore judged her for it.

Thought it appeared as though she wasn’t in touch with reality, and always hidden away, she was there. She observed things, appreciated things. She’d often stare out her window from the safety of her dorm room, simply watching the sky and any winged animal that flew into view. She wondered what it would be like to be a bird-to be free. The expectations of society had tied her down with cruel chains, but she had faith she could break free because Kyle didn’t let the chains stop him. He had an abundance of people who liked him, but Trista could feel they didn’t really know him.

Trista had never really felt alone before, or feel much of anything. It wasn’t until she met Kyle that she knew what it felt like to be safe. But when he was no longer there was when she realized just how alone she was. Was it really better to feel something than nothing at all? Things like this made Trista doubtful of the saying. The feelings of being alone made her want to seek Kyle’s presence. He showed her that she wasn’t so strange after all. She shouldn’t fear people, because people like him did exist. Slowly, but surely, he was restoring her faith in humanity. It was nice to finally be able to use the word friend. Kyle’s position changed beside her, but she didn’t budge. Holding herself felt comfortable, felt familiar. It was hard to ignore his smile, like he saw her for something more than just some strange girl. He saw a human, someone who was there and alive.

“I’m an only child,” she stated, eyes attached to the flames. She didn’t wish to have siblings, because she wouldn’t want anyone to experience anything she did. “It’s just my mother and me,” her gaze turned to the ground,” my mother and father separated when I was a little girl.” She hadn’t noticed her rocking motion, but it was soothing. She didn’t have any contact with her father, something her mother supported. The only time he was brought up was when her mother would drink the memories away with a bottle of wine with heart breaking words of remembrance off her tongue. It wasn’t uncommon for Trista to drag her mother to bed in her drunken heap. “I often wonder what it’s like to have a father,” she confessed to him, the grip around her legs tightening. She didn’t even have a father figure. She had herself.

[Kyle Stockholm]

Kyle nodded along while Trista talked, sitting in silence and listening. He really hated being interrupted, so he waited a moment before responding. He didn't want to cut her off. "I think you're kinda lucky to be an only child," he said, returning his gaze to the fire yet again. "I've got three siblings. Two brothers, a sister. They're never really around, though. Off with bigger and better things, y'know?"

At first, Kyle wasn't so sure what to say about the remark of her parents. Personally, Kyle loved his parents. Sure his dad could be a bit distant, but weren't most fathers? They had that general 'tough love' sort of personality. Well, his did anyway. And its not like that's a bad thing, Kyle appreciated it. His mom, though.. she had to be one of the most beautiful people he knew. She cared so much for him. Always had and swore she always would. There were times when Kyle felt he owed his life to her. So when Trista said her parents split and then mentioned not knowing a father, Kyle was almost speechless. He had no knowledge on the topic of a broken family. What was he to say?

"I'm sorry," was all he could muster. He didn't want to say anything because he feared that it might be wrong. Expressing his love for his father might make her sad, and if he said something negative about him, he might sound like a whining baby. He had a father, so why complain? It was a confusing thought process, so he left it at 'i'm sorry'. Well, until he dug a bit deeper into the situation.

"Is that why you're so quiet?" That didn't really make sense. Why would lacking a father make her quiet? He meant it on a personal level, like if for some reason, the parting of her father made her curl into herself. But it sounded awkward; how he worded it, anyway. Regardless, he let the question linger as he looked at her, noting the way she was rocking. Dropping his eyes, Kyle smiled to himself and put his chin into his shoulder before biting at his sleeve. For him, rocking meant feeling. It meant thinking, it meant remembering, and it often meant vulnerability. Something was brewing in her mind.

And he wanted to know what it was.

[Trista Kline]

Bigger and better things? She didn’t believe it. Everything was always relative, couldn’t compare everything. What could possibly be better than sitting in the silence of the night? Surely nothing could be better than that with some good company. Maybe saying something about her father was wrong? Maybe he had a family that loved him, and parents that respected each other. She didn’t know that feeling, never did. She watched her mother get pushed around like a rag doll where she hid away in the closet. There was something else though, something she couldn’t even access.

Trista turned her head to look at Kyle when apologized. She was confused by his reaction. “No need to apologize. It probably was for the best,” she left out why it would be for the best. He didn’t need to know about the abuse or toxic relationship her mother had with her father. But she followed in her mom’s footsteps and thought she fell in love. She remembered the yelling and shoving from the ‘love of her life’. She didn’t tell her mother everything, the woman she trusted with her life. Some secrets she couldn’t even admit to herself, and she liked it better that way. She didn’t want anyone to know her burdens.

“Quiet?” she asked herself, more like silent. She relaxed her legs to sit cross legged with her hands in her lap. “I’ve just never met someone to talk to,” to fiddled with a blade of grass between her fingers,” until now.” It was true; whenever she tried to she locked up. People just made her really anxious, and she felt judged. “I don’t like to talk unless I feel… safe,” She was intently staring at the grass in her hands. She didn’t know how else to say it,” I have all the words in my head. I just think people don’t understand.”

[Kyle Stockholm]

Kyle felt his cheeks get warmer when she said she only spoke when she felt safe. Obviously, that meant he made her feel safe. That was a good feeling. Kyle rarely felt important, and it was nice to know that this girl thought he was. It made him smile gently, and even giggle a little bit. "I'm glad you can talk to me," he said before looking at her as she held the grass. "We're a pretty good pair, huh? I like talking to you, you like talking to me. No better pals, yea?"

Though he felt a little bad for not sharing much about himself, Kyle didn't feel like it was the time. She was just opening up, and though he wanted to share a bit of himself, he wasn't about to cut her off. She said she was comfortable with him, and he didn't want to be the one to ruin that. What if he let something go and it scared her away? Could she even tell what was wrong with him? Or did she, like most others, write it off as a twitch? He wasn't sure, and he honestly thought that if he told her, she'd stop talking to him. Rory and Gillian had been the only two people to accept it. And they hadn't been the only people he'd told.

"You should talk more, though," Kyle spoke up a few minutes later. "Seems like you've got some pretty important things to say." With that, Kyle turned his head just a bit more so he could see into her eyes. He had to crouch a little bit even, but it was worth it because her eyes held such powerful stories. He could see them sitting there... he just wasn't sure how to tap into them. Should he ask? Or would that be weird..? "What's, uh... hmm. I dunno. I've been trying to think of more things to ask you but I just, uh, I dunno. I don't know what more to ask," he said, ending with a bit of a snort/chuckle.

[Trista Kline]

Trista hadn’t expected such a reaction from Kyle. Had she embarrassed him by saying something she shouldn’t had? Sometimes this was exactly why she didn’t talk much, because she usually just said what she was thinking without much of a filter. She couldn’t help it though if she did feel safe in presence. She didn’t feel judged, like her blank exterior didn’t make her an outcast. His words caused a tug at the corner of the lips. He liked talking to her? That was enough to make her sleep easy tonight. “A good pair indeed,” she said, a slight sparkle in her eye.

Kyle wasn’t being talkative about himself, but Tris found she didn’t quite mind sharing about herself. He’d tell him story when he felt comfortable, or maybe later in the night. The night was still young, and stories were bound to be told. She was curious about him though. He wasn’t some test subject that needed to be picked apart, but he was a human with a story for the world. She was fascinated by the single person that gave her strength that made her brave. She remembered that small muscle twitches he seemed to avoid at the ice cream shop. She could tell they weren’t just some coincidence, but the way his avoided them made her not want to ask questions.

“I’ve never thought anything I did was important,” she confessed, feeling like a small speck of dust in the universe. But it amazed her that he thought what she had to say was important in general. She could see him shift forward a bit, as though trying to see something. What had caught his eye? She turned her head slightly to lock gazes with him. In most situations she’d look away quickly and hide, but with Kyle she didn’t budge. She felt like he didn’t look at her with scrutiny or judgment. “You can ask me anything,” she said bravely, unafraid of what her past held around him. She wanted him to know her, the real her.