Faze

Chapter 6: Tree Hugger

Chapter Six

What did freaks really mean? Were they just people who did weird things? Were they really as bad as they were rumored to be? Or was there something much too deep to find out, something that is meant to be feared, and so they fear.

Marshal told Sunny about his time when he lived here before moving to the city. They were walking around the block, something Sunny always liked doing. It cleared his mind. Apparently, he had many friends and he even introduced the idea of reunions. Sunny wondered if Mackie and Lola would warn him about them too. "Adults can be freaks too," Mackie would say and Lola would nod her head quickly.

But deep down Sunny knew that it was just a high school thing teenagers said to easily bully. But Sunny also knew that Mackie and Lola were no bullies. There was truth behind the crazy things they said, Sunny just didn't know where, but he wanted to look. "Dad," Sunny said, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his black sweatpants. "Do you think the people here are weird?"

Marshal looked confused, concerned even. "What do you mean?"

"At school, some people just act differently. I don't really know," he shrugged and stopped walking before crossing the road.

Marshal asked his own question, hoping to ease his son's concerns, "Do you think there are weird people in the city?"

Sunny laughed at the thought. There were weird people everywhere. Crackheads who couldn't talk right, drunks who found themselves waking up on the sidewalk, people who made silly jokes and were called weird. "I guess so."

"There's your answer, son."

Sunny sighed, still not feeling satisfied, "I guess what I mean is the ones here are sketchy weird. Like they are a part of something top secret, like a gang.

Marshal laughed awkwardly, "I think you should rest on the video games and go outside more."

Sunny rolled his eyes.

"Here, follow me." They made it back home and Marshal walked to the backyard. He took his shoes and socks off and stood in the sun, his feet feeling the ground beneath him. "Come on, join me."

Sunny listened without question, taking off his shoes and throwing them, and ripping his socks off from his toes. He stood in front of his dad, sun getting in his eyes and he felt the dirt beneath his feet. The grass tickled the pads of his feet and he tried hard not to laugh.

"Feel refreshed yet?" Marshal smiled, holding his hands in the air like he was trying to reach for the sun. Sunny left his at his sides, feeling weird about what he was doing. "Or would you rather hug a tree?"

Sunny gave him a sour look, "why would I hug a tree?"

Marsha laughed, his hands falling to his sides, "try it!"

Sunny groaned but listened. He walked towards the woods and hugged the closest tree, the trees he'd been so drawn to were taking all of his energy and replacing it with freshness to cleans his soul. He didn't understand but Marshal did. Grounding was important to the man.

He couldn't believe he was hugging a tree. The same tree he found himself walking towards when he felt something watching him deep in the night. The same tree two big brown eyes stood before.

Those golden brown eyes.

Sunny let go of the tree and sighed, "Is this an old person thing?"

Marshal shouted but it was playful, "Would you rather I make you meditate for an hour!"

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Mackie knew one thing when he walked into school every day. It was that Devlin and Theon were always at each other's throats. Whether it be physical or verbal, the two were always disputing. Sometimes they could settle for a couple of dirty looks, others they needed to push each other around a few times before the satisfaction settled.