Malrich Park

School had finally dismissed and after four or five failed excuses, Sineas finally agreed to go with Clarissa to Malrich Park.

As soon as the siren had rang, they both got into a taxicab and headed west of the school. The park was only one-and-a-half kilometres from Malrich High and as soon as a bright green colour came into view, Clarissa's face lit up. She squeezed Sineas' shoulder. 'That's Malrich Park!' she said pointing through the windshield at what, to Sineas, looked like an oasis. There were no fences to restrict any potential tourists from exploring it and no security to further complicate things. To Sineas, it looked more like heaven on earth. There was nothing but green for miles, strong and steady looking benches along the countless, meandering concrete paths. On the benches sat different forms of people: lovers, avid readers, exhausted behind-the-desk employees…and bosses, tired speed walkers and joggers and the usual construction workers taking a break from their wives' constant nagging at home.

As soon as the taxicab parked by the sidewalk, Clarissa jumped out from her side of the cab. Sineas handed the cab driver money from the backseat and also got out. He came round towards her.

'Isn't it beautiful?!' she exclaimed, grinning towards the eternal green.

Sineas placed his hands in his pockets and shook his head. 'It's great,' he said.

She strutted a few steps ahead of him. She stopped and turned around. 'You coming?'

He shrugged and began walking towards her.

Sineas and Clarissa were now making their way through another intersection. The only problem Sineas had with the park was that the paths were too narrow. An old man in shorts bumped rudely into his shoulder as he jogged by with his Labrador.

'So how long have you been coming here?' Sineas asked Clarissa, still looking back at the jogger pulling his dog along.

'I come here almost every weekend. Especially when I've got a lot on my mind. People have different sources of inspiration: books, movies, music, family. Mine is…' she spun her body around dreamily with her arms wide open.

'So this place holds more inspiration for you than your family?' Sineas asked her.

She looked further down the narrow path they had now stepped on to. Her face turned serious. 'Sometimes family doesn't understand. I mean, they do sometimes but most of the time they're only there to judge. But this place…' her dreamy grin returned, '…This place doesn't talk. It just shows you what you want to see…what you need to see.'

He chuckled. 'Like a mirage?'

She punched him in the shoulder. 'No, silly!' She laughed too. 'It's…It's an escape,' she explained. 'A much needed escape.'

He nodded thoughtfully.

'And what's your escape? Your source of inspiration…Your muse?' she asked.

He shook his head, smiling.

'What keeps Sineas Murphy up at night and encourages him to get out there and change the world?'

'I've never really thought about it, but now that you ask; I don't think I really have a source of inspiration. When…' he paused, 'When I lost my father…then my mother, I just stopped worrying myself about stuff like that.'

'What are you getting at?' she asked him looking confused.

'Plans, Claire, plans. We all make plans; serious plans. We dream, we work and we fight for what we believe in and as a reward, we die.'

She now looked distressed. 'Wow, Sin. That's…dark.'

They walked further in silence. They cut into another intersection.

'My parents don't want us to be friends,' she said.

'Why?'

'They said you're bad for me. They said your past is too complicated. They say that, in your case, the apple truly doesn't fall too far from the tree. Is it true?'

Sineas replied, 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Claire. But, pick it up, wash it up and you're good to go.'

She immediately began to laugh.

'I'm serious, Claire. Pick seven more of those bad boys up and you got yourself an apple pie.'

She laughed even louder. She began to attract unwanted attention from the people on the benches.

'But Claire…?'

'Yes?' Her laughter was gradually fading out.

'We already know what the students and teachers at Malrich think of me. We know what your parents think of me…'

'Yes?'

'My question is…What do you think of me?'

She looked straight ahead. 'I don't like to see myself like other people. Not in the ego way but what I mean, Sineas, is that I don't like people who put other people in a box and ship them off to Reject City. I look past the opinions of others. It's what my parents have always taught me…well, until now. Sin; you're a great guy. You're funny, easy to talk to and you're there when I need you.'

He immediately felt shy. He turned away. He began to regret having asked her that question.

She swirled and began walking backwards in front of him. 'Your turn,' she said grinning.

He looked surprised. 'My turn for what?'

She poked his chest teasingly. 'Me, silly! What is it that you like about me?'

He tried to open his mouth but it snapped shut.

She bit her lip. 'You do like me, don't you?'

He turned away. 'Yeah…Yeah, I guess so.'

'Then let's have it.'

'Well…you're…you're…smart.'

She bit her lip harder. 'That's it?'

'Yeah, that's it.'

'Oh,' she turned around. She began to walk beside him again.

Sineas could sense disappointment in her tone. That "oh". That simple, two-letter, one syllable phrase; "oh", etched into his heart. He opened his mouth. 'Well…'