New Year's Eve weekend, also called "sorry I forgot to congratulate you because of the holidays, but happy birthday Paisley."
Or as she thought of it, "forget-me-not-week." Besides being forgotten, she felt annoyed by all the late messages, social media post, missed calls, she wanted to delete all of them but didn't. The new year was hastily approaching and she'd also ignore and forget this whole devastating holiday season. School would soon be here to push the sadness away and bombard her with homework, quizzes, announcements, and gossip.

For now, she had this, a flower for this occasion, her books were filled with them. They had been plucked from the park obviously, in a low part under the small bridge leading to the playground. Around the two feet shallow pond of dirty water. She loved the little things, they were always there even if the snow covered them, one or two could always be found if dug like JoJo did when she brought him here sometimes on their walk. They spread themselves quickly never needing much attention. Paisley wanted to plant some of her own at home but didn't want anyone to see or ask questions.

Jacobi had asked about the flower he had found in her book, he had gotten as far as to search some information about it on his own accord. He wanted to know what was so special about the little blue flower she seemed to adore. Of course, he doubted Paisley would even entertain the idea of telling him why. He summed up that they were scarcely found in their area, but were sold for gardening. That night he saw an idea forming in his head.

:::

When at the park she sat on a branch with her legs dangling at her sides. Her secret place of comfort, the tree she deemed hers. Still having no idea what type of tree or what those little green balls that dropped from it were. It was one of the thickest, more spread branches than the others at Farely park. Paisley had been sitting up there for a while now, she felt her cellphone vibrate in her pocket periodically, but didn't think it was important. When she felt the vibration of a call coming through, she laid face down on the thick branch and hugged it with one arm to look for her phone with the other. It was Jacobi's missed call, she rolled her eyes and went through all the messages he sent. Giving in, she told him where she was because he wouldn't stop messaging her while up there.

Jacobi didn't live too far, only a ten-minute walk. He made it into the park right at the mark.
"Paisley, where are you?" he searched for her, looking around for her was a tough task in this low sunlight coming through and her dark clothing that didn't help.

"Up here, duffos."

He walked swiftly to where he heard her familiar voice, he came to a stop just to look up at where she spoke once more. He stared in shock at her sitting on a tree branch arms clutched to it, hugging the branch with her head turned looking in his direction.

"H-how did you even get up, there?"

"I'm a ninja squirrel," she dropped the sarcasm when all he did was stare at her disbelievingly and a bit concerned, "climbing."

Obnoxious silence filled the air as she laid on the thick branch and he stayed there thinking, looking frazzled.

"Please come down, Paisley," Jacobi pleaded for her to listen.

"No, I don't think I will," she stubbornly sat in a better position on the branch, hands still clutched to it.

"I just want to talk."

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?"

"I meant talk to you without having to look up, almost shouting and having the neighborhood hate me for it," he stated, exasperated.

"Then leave me alone," was her rebuttal.

"No," he huffed. "If you're not getting down I'm coming up-"

He hugs the tree trunk grunting, trying to lift himself to no avail, he did not have enough upper body strength. She rolls her eyes, smirking at his failure to climb the tree. Slowly, she starts coming down and off the tree, holding onto every near branch cautiously. Reaching for the opposite branch on the split tree trunk she switches her footing carefully. Near the lowest branch on that side, she hangs from the last branch, too loosely. She falls and right on her leg as it was angled all wrong.

"Paisley!"

He dashed to her side and tried to carry her in his arms, but she just swatted him away with a hand on her foot. She hissed at the pain as she pulled herself up only to come tumbling down to the grass once again. Jacobi watched her with a frown but waits for her to look him in the eye and accept his help, which doesn't take much time since she can't get up independently. They walked to her home without protests from her this time, one of his arms around her waist and the other clutching her arm that was thrown over his neck. Now, bending her leg at the knee to keep her injured ankle in less pain.

Taking her key from her pocket as she watched his hand closely, they open the door and walked through the threshold in a similar fashion as they've been doing so. He carefully lets her go onto the couch then skedaddles into the kitchen for the ice pack, he knew he would find. He hands her the ice pack and sits next to her.

"I've never fallen, well not enough to get hurt there..,", she starts to think aloud as the ice pack does its work on the swelling of her ankle.

Jacobi stays silent, still a little stressed about her injury and what her parents would say to him if they find out it was in his care that she fell. He didn't know what the repercussions of this would be or wanted to find out. Her parents trusted him and he didn't want to upset them just as he had moved back into town and re-met them.

"You and your dumb questions, why were you texting me anyway?"

"Not important now, just keep icing that," He kept his eyes lowered to her leg and foot as she took off her other sock from the opposite foot.

"You're bad luck to me..," She said offhandedly and removed the ice pack to check on the swelling.

"Can you help me to my room? I want to lift my feet up."

Paisley offers her outstretched arm to him and he helped her up. They take the stairs at a gentle pace one by one and right to her room. He doesn't care about her mumbled cussing or that she pinned the blame on him, just keeps helping her into the room and sit on her bed. Settled in and popping her injured leg out of the blanket over her body, she sits up perched against the headboard.

He took her ice pack before replacing it and walking back to her room. She gave him a questioning look as he does this and racks her brain for something to say to him. All his emotions were flashing across his face and he didn't seem to care and hide them. His face reminded her of something she couldn't put her finger on. She could not get a word out as he began to exit the room then stopped turning his head to look back at her, "You have a good night, Paisley."

"I-," He doesn't give her time to say much else as he descends the stairs and walks out.

She felt weird, almost guilty, but still upset with the events that just occurred and that he left without hearing her last words. He was partly at fault for the incident. He wanted to know where she was, came and found her to talk. He was too persistent, messaging her, making her phone vibrate against her leg when she was up on her claimed tree. He probably saw carved claim on it, she thought. What was on his mind that he wanted to see her so bad?

"He's so-," at a loss for words she groans tilting her head back. She grimaced, she rubbed the spot that had hit the headboard gently. Now she'd doubled the pain.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Suess