Imperfect Life: Arc 5

Chapter 5

Crys woke up in the morning still holding Brandon tight. She took a deep breath, then carefully tried to let go of Brandon without waking him. It didn't seem to matter since Brandon was already awake.

"You okay?" Brandon asked quietly with concern as Crys let go of him.

"Yeah." Crys said, still sounding a little tired. She scooted over to give Brandon some space, then rubbed her eyes as she kept waking up. "Thank you for letting me sleep in here." She said after a moment.

Brandon rolled over from his side to his back. He looked over at Crys. "It wasn't a nightmare, was it?" He asked. He was mostly certain it wasn't, but he figured he'd ask anyway just to be completely sure.

"No." Crys said. "I uh, I just felt very... lonely." She admitted. "I just wanted to be with someone."

"Oh." Brandon said. There wasn't really a good way to respond.

"I know I'm with you a lot of the time," Crys said after a few moments had passed, "but I just felt... I mean..." She sighed. She didn't know how to describe it. "I don't know. I just felt very alone." She thought for a few seconds while Brandon remained quiet. "Maybe it had to do with that friend talk from yesterday. I don't know... but um, thank you, again." She grinned awkwardly.

"That's what friends are for." Brandon said with a caring smile. "I'm here for you, Crys."

Crys looked over at Brandon and smiled. She was glad to have such a good friend. A few quiet moments passed before anyone spoke up again. "I'm uh, gonna go head back to my room and get dressed and stuff. I'll meet you downstairs." Crys said.

"Alright." Brandon said.

Crys got up out of bed and headed back to her room, leaving Brandon behind.

Brandon got up out of bed as well, and started to do his own thing.

Later on in the day, Brandon wound up relaxing outside on the beach. He was in his swimwear and he was drawing in the sand by the shore, just far back enough from where the tide was rolling in so that his doodles wouldn't wash away.

"So you're out here." Crys said from behind him. He hadn't noticed her approaching.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Brandon replied, still a bit in his own little world.

"I looked all around the house, but of course you're in the last place I thought to look." Crys said teasingly.

"I like the beach." Brandon replied.

"You like being inside, too." Crys said in return.

"I like the beach more."

Crys gave a laugh. "Wow, something other than gallivanting about that can get you outside." She said in slight awe. "It's a miracle." She added on sarcastically.

Brandon rolled his eyes. He sighed in lieu of an actual reply.

"So what are you doing?" Crys asked. She looked over Brandon's shoulder, standing over him.

"Just kinda doing whatever, really." Brandon said.

Crys took a moment to look at what Brandon was drawing in the sand. It wasn't anything in particular. Just some pretty looking patterns.

"I'm kinda just enjoying listening to the waves." Brandon continued after he realized Crys wasn't going to speak up. "It's nice out here. Very peaceful."

"I think I like the forest more." Crys said.

Brandon glanced up at Crys with a confused look. "Why?" He asked. He had no idea how in the world Crys could think the forest was nicer than this.