Sky's The Limit

v

five | ishaan

We sat parallel at this tiny ass table, cracking jokes while feasting on an amount of burgers and fries that were fit for royalty.

It was the most I'd laughed in a while— well, the most I'd laughed without the assistance of Branson's latest pack.

"What'chu wanna' do after this? I still got a little time," I stated, watching the hands on the wall clock of the establishment approach 10:45.

She shrugged. "Whatever you wanna' do."

"Nah, you don't wanna' give me that kind of power, shorty," I shook my head, my forearms resting against the table a bit— but not too much because the table was wobbly.

"Oh, really?" her eyebrow raised as she sipped punch through a straw.

"Really," I nodded, "I'll have you upside down."

She laughed as if I weren't serious. "Well, let's go then."

Within only fifteen minutes, she was screaming with delight, her fingertips reaching for me as she smiled.

"Help me down, 'Shaan!" she had found herself 'stuck' while trying to out-do me on the monkey bars.

"You ain't stuck!" I chuckled, standing next to our bags from the record store.

"Yes, I am! I can't get upright!" she giggled, fighting to keep her shirt from exposing too much of her torso as she hung upside down.

With her legs hooked onto the bars, she was just dangling from the steel while I laughed.

"Autumn, the bars ain't even that tall. You could really just—"

"Unh-uh. I ain't doin' nothin' till you come over here!"

With an assembly line of snickers still pushing past my lips, I moved closer to her. "Okay, how you wanna' do this?"

"Okay... just... just spot me, a'ight?" she said.

With that, she slowly began straightening her legs, allowing her hands to meet the wood chips that covered the playground.

I supported her in doing so, making sure her feet were safely planted just as her hands were. Once she was standing on solid ground once more, she gave a loud "whew!" of relief.

I only continued to laugh, even as she brushed her hands free of any debris that stuck to her palms.

"It ain't that funny," she was trying not to join me in laughing.

"It kinda is," I noted while draping my arm over her shoulders.

"Whatever," she playfully rolled her eyes as we approached our record store bags once again.

It was quiet as we grabbed our rightful bags and began to walk through the rest of the park. With my arm over her shoulders and her arm along the width of my back, we enjoyed the sound of our in-tandem footsteps.

It was so peaceful that I didn't want to ruin our silence with conversation, but knowing that we didn't have much time left together, I wanted to fill the air and dig in her brain. I wanted to make the most of our time, even if it meant ditching my crew...

I mean— if I spent an additional ten minutes with Autumn right now, I'd be late to Tony's crib anyway. What's another hour?

But I knew I couldn't do that, seeing as I'd made a commitment to my crew, and I hate being late to the things I care about. Maybe Autumn would have some free time later tonight, at least to talk on the phone.