Robin hesitantly followed. An email came in on her tablet, so she stopped and looked down at it. Oh, God, no… You aren't going to cry again… She bit her lip and counted mentally. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… There. She was over it now. This was her job, and she was going to do it. She typed out a reply and sent it.
He stepped forward, over to a tree, running his fingers along the coarse bark. Then grabbing a branch and hoisting himself up on it.
She took a deep breath as she slipped her tablet into her bag and left it by the doors. Her eyes watched him climb into the tree. A feeling rose in her chest that she hadn't felt in a little while: freedom.
As he climbed up a few more branches, he was pretty high at that point. He sat on the thick sturdy branch, spreading out his arms and tilting back his head. Breathing in the sweet fresh air. A gush of wind blowing his way, ruffling through his hair and clothes.
Robin gasped aloud, afraid for a moment that he might fall. Her responsibilities were left behind her as she craned her neck to look up at him. Be careful…
He took a deep breath and fell back quickly, though not falling. His legs were hooked on the branch. He hung there for a few seconds, then got back up and looked up at the sky with a little laugh.
She bit back the scream that threatened to burst out. Her eyes studied him carefully. Please don't do that again…
He stood up on the branch, grabbing a hold of a higher one and hoisting himself on it with a slight swing that seemed like he was going to fall. But he kept his balance almost perfectly.
When is he going to come down? she wondered. Another thought hit her: What are you doing to do when he comes down?
He wasn't planning on coming down for a long time. He enjoyed the fresh air up here. Though he saw something rustling in the bushes, which immediately caught his eye. So he started climbing down from the tree, one branch at a time.
Robin saw him climbing down, and her heart began to race nervously. Would he think that she was weird for following him out here and watching him climb some tree outside the school?
Around the second to last branch, he fell backward, falling on his back. He laid there for a little and began to laugh a little.
Though he didn't get up.
She couldn't stop herself this time: Robin raced over quickly. "Oh my God, are you okay?"
He lifted his head up with a little laugh, then sat up, still laughing
"So you finally decided to show up huh?"
He says running his fingers through his hair.
She blushed. "I… I was here for a little while… I saw you climb the tree."
"Oh? Do I have a secret admirer?"
He says teasingly as he sits up, looming at her with a mischevious half-smirk.
"Oh! Uh– I…" she stammered shyly, brushing her hair behind her ear like she did when she was usually nervous.
"hm? Cat got your tongue?" He asks with a flirtatious smile as he quickly got up to his feet, his arms crossed as he looked down on her. His blue eyes darting all over her face, admiring how pretty she was.
Robin stumbled and pushed herself to her feet as well. "I– I guess so…" she whispered shyly.
"Okay well, what're you doing here in the first place?"
He asks her with a little laugh. Her shyness was actually pretty cute in a way.
"I– I followed you," she replied quietly. "I'm sorry, was I not supposed to?"
"Oh….well I did say you could. So I guess so. Anyway, wanna come up?"
He says hoisting himself up onto a branch again.
"I'm not very good at climbing trees," she answered hesitantly. She was better when she had both of her feet on the ground.
"Here, let me help you," he says to her, holding a hand out to her with a gentle smile.