Strawberry skies

Chapter 6

"Coleman... what are you doing here? Isn't it too late?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's just seven. Sarah had to go somewhere with her boyfriend and begged me to fill in for her."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... well, when will you be done?"

"In a few minutes..."

"Alright. Meet me in the garden at the back."

I rolled my eyes and kept walking. "Not today, devil."

She laughed. "Oh, c'mon, now you're just being dramatic. It's just to hang out."

I didn't even turn around, but I muttered under my breath, "See you there."

---

A few minutes later, I found Bee sitting on the bench in the garden. Her laptop was on her lap, and she was completely absorbed in whatever she was working on. I sat down next to her, glancing at the screen. "So, what's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

She didn't immediately answer, tapping away at the keyboard. "Well, I've been working on something."

"Yeah? What?"

She hesitated, then looked at me with a small smile. "There's this animation competition coming up."

I raised my eyebrows. "Animation competition? I didn't know you were a nerd."

Bee shot me a playful look. "Oh, shut up," she said with a chuckle, her voice muffled by the earbuds she had in. She pulled one out and handed it to me. "I needed something to distract myself, so I figured, why not? I love animating."

I took the earbud, surprised. "I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing."

"Yep, big surprise, huh?" she replied with a grin. "The thing is, I want it to be perfect. So I'm still figuring out the story and all that."

I leaned back on the bench, not sure how to respond. She was so... different. It was like she had this whole world in front of her, and I couldn’t quite figure it out. "So, what's the story about?" I asked.

She shrugged, tapping the side of her laptop absentmindedly. "I’m still working on it. I want it to be something deep... but not too much. I was thinking maybe something light-hearted to make people smile, but also a bit emotional. It’s harder than it sounds."

I nodded slowly, not fully understanding what she meant. "Sounds like a lot of pressure for a competition."

Bee gave me a knowing look, pulling up a page with some sketches. "I like the challenge. It keeps me focused. I don’t know... sometimes it feels like the only thing I can really control."

Her words hit me a little harder than I expected, and I suddenly found myself wanting to say something more than just the usual snark. "I get that," I said quietly, surprising myself. "Control, I mean. Sometimes, I feel like everything around me is out of my hands, but... you have a choice in this."

She met my gaze for a second, her eyes softening. "Exactly," she said, almost to herself. "I just need to make it perfect. If I can do that, maybe I can show people the things I can create. Maybe... I don’t know. Just something to leave behind, you know?"

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Bee wasn’t just a quirky, fun person with a laugh that was impossible to ignore. She had depth, something I hadn’t expected. I was starting to see that there was more to her than I had thought.

Before I could say anything, she snapped out of her thoughts and gave me a playful shove. "Anyway, enough of the deep talk. I need your help."

I raised an eyebrow. "Help with what?"

"With the soundtrack," she said, pointing to her laptop. "You said you’re good with music, right? Maybe you could help me pick something that fits the vibe I’m going for."

I couldn’t help but laugh. "You want my help? You’re really desperate, huh?"

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Come on, Coleman, help me out. I need something that’s both upbeat but also emotional. I can't figure it out alone."

I sighed, pretending to be reluctant, but deep down, I was actually kind of interested. "Alright, alright. Let’s see what you’ve got."

---

We spent the next half hour listening to different tracks. Bee would suggest one, and I’d give my opinion, even though I had no idea what I was talking about. But it was fun. The whole process felt... easier than I thought it would.

At some point, Bee got distracted, her head bobbing along to one of the songs. I just watched her for a moment, feeling something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. She was so passionate about this, so focused. It made me think that maybe she wasn’t just filling her time with this—she was putting herself into it, heart and soul.

"So," I said, breaking the silence. "You’ve got the animation, you’ve got the music. What’s next?"

She hesitated, then closed her laptop with a soft click. "I just need to finish it. But sometimes I feel like... like I’ll never be ready. Like I’ll never get it right."

I gave her a sideways glance. "You’ll get it right. You’re good at this."

She smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes that I couldn’t ignore. "I hope so. I just... I don’t know how much time I’ve got to finish it."

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, I was interrupted by a voice calling from the distance.

"Hey, Bee!" It was one of the nurses

Bee quickly snapped out of whatever mood she was in, forcing a smile as she waved. "Hey, Nurse Adeline! I’ll be right there!"

I stood up with her, and she grabbed her laptop, slipping it into her bag. "Thanks for the help, Coleman," she said, her tone back to its usual playful self.

"No problem," I said, shrugging. "If you need more help with the soundtrack, just let me know."

"Will do," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "See you later, grumpy."

"See you," I replied, my lips twitching into a smile as she walked away

For once, I wasn’t thinking about escaping. I was just... here.