Closed Making Friends

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus always loved when his mother dropped him off at the park. The park was nice. There were other kids. He had snacks in his pockets. But right now, he wasn't with the other kids. He was standing outside the park, staring up at the leaves of a tree. He'd been standing still for almost a full hour now, unmoving, just watching the sunlight filter through the leaves. Wind ruffled his honey hair, and he liked the feeling of the breeze and his hair tickling his skin. He didn't notice the other kids, lost in watching the way the leaves danced and the sunlight kissed their edges.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley had lived with Killian for a while now and had enjoyed every minute of it. She was happy to hear when she was allowed to go to the park today. She knew that she just had to make many friends at the park today. The young girl had run around the park excitedly, deciding on what she wanted to do at the park today, when she had noticed not too far away, just outside the park, a boy had been standing, staring up at the tree. Curiously, Marley slowly walked towards him. As she stood beside the boy, she looked at what he was looking at. "Whatcha doing?" Marley asked curiously, looking up at the tree to see if there was anything interesting up there.

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus barely shifted at the sound of the voice, not looking to see who was there. "Watching the leaves," he replied, smiling. "The light is dancing, don't you see it?" He asked, brushing his hair back as the breeze blew it into his eyes. He smiled still, not looking to the girl that had approached him. "It's just so pretty," he sighed.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley's face grew in confusion, as she tried to figure out what exactly what he was looking at. It did take her a while to eventually find what he was staring at. She guessed that it was beautiful to look at, but she had also found it a bit boring if she was being honest. "Ohhh I seeee" Marley says, once she found what he was looking at. "I guess," Marley says with a shrug. "Do you do this all the time? How long have you been standing here?" Marley asked the boy curiously with slight concern. "My name is Marley by the way! What's yours?"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus didn't look away from the leaves. "Oh, I couldn't do this all the time," he replied simply. "I have to go home later, my brother would be upset if I didn't," He replied in all seriousness. "I'm not sure how long I've been here, I left the house just after breakfast." He told her. He wasn't sure what time it was. He did finally turn to look at her as she said her name, remembering his mother had told him to always look someone in the eyes and smile when introducing himself. "My name is Amodeus," He told her matter-of-factly, holding one hand out to her while the other was folded casually behind his back.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley nodded as the boy spoke. But her eyes went wide slightly when he had explained about how he wasn't sure how long he had been standing there. The girl was sure that he most likely had been standing there for a while. "You must have been standing here for a while then," Marley says with a giggle. She smiled brightly when the boy turned to her, and she excitedly shook the boy's hand. Man, he was a polite person. "Nice to meet you Amodeus!" Marley says with a giggle, she then turns back to the trees. "What's your favourite colour for the leaves? Mine are orange leaves"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus shrugged at her comment. "Probably," He agreed, running a hand through his hair. He smiled as she giggled and turned his eyes back up to the trees. "I like the red leaves," He replied, sighing softly as the breeze ruffled his hair again. "My dad will rake up the leaves in the yard and he'll let me lay on them and watch the clouds," He told her, smiling. Maybe he could do that when he went home.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley nodded as Amodeus spoke. "Red leaves are cool too!" Marley says excitedly. There were so many pretty leaves around, she guessed she could join the boy and stare at them forever, but again, it was also a wee bit boring. She smiled excitedly as the boy had explained what his dad did. "Oh! That sounds like so much fun! Have you jumped in the pile of leaves?"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus smiled. He liked how genuine Marley was. He shook his head as she asked if he jumped in the leaves. "Oh, no. Is that fun?" He asked, curious now. Was it common to jump into leaves? He just liked laying in them. They just looked so soft. They were actually pretty itchy if he laid there for too long, and they got tangled into his hair.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley giggled and nodded excitedly when he had asked if jumping in the leaves was fun. "So much fun! Back in America, where I'm from. There are lots of leaves and sometimes they rake all the leaves together and we'd jump into the leaves. They were so fun!" Marley says with a giggle, as she jumped up and down, remembering the memory she had. Sometimes she had missed it back at the orphanage, being with a few of the friends she had made there. But she had also enjoyed it here in New Zealand, where she had learnt and seen so many things around her.

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus couldn't help but giggle as she did. Her laugh was contagious. "I'll have to try that some day," he replied earnestly, thinking it would be fun to do at least once. "So," He turned more to face her. "If you live in America, how did you get all the way over here?" He asked, curious how she had travelled so far.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley continued to giggle as he giggled. She loved to laugh and she didn't mind. "I think you should! It would be so fun!" Marley says with a nod. Marley had hoped that her new friend wouldn't mind trying it, and she understood if he ended up not liking it. It was worth a shot anyway. She smiled as Amodeus asked about how she got here. "Oh! I live here in New Zealand. But I was a-adopted like agessss ago, which was when I was living in America. But since my adopted dad lives here I had to move here" Marley explained, as she struggled to pronounce the word adopted a little. The wee girl had some trouble pronouncing words that seemed long to her. "How about you? Do you live here? In New Zealand?"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus nodded. He would have to ask Christian to help him. He brightened as she said she lived here. "Oh! I live here too. Is your dad nice?" He asked. He didn't know what adopted meant. "My dad went away and he's not back yet," he replied. His dad had left a long time ago, Amodeus wasn't sure what his dad could be doing that would keep him away for so long. But his mom was always there. She was a really nice lady. "You're pretty," he blurted. "Like my mom. She's pretty too." He smiled brightly.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley gasped excitedly when he had mentioned that he had lived here too "That's so cool! We should hang out together again soon as well!" Marley says with a big smile. She was happy to make a lot of friends, especially with the fact that she was new to this whole country. Everything was still new to her. She nodded excitedly. "Oh yes! Super nice and cool!" Marley says with a small giggle. Marley frowned a little when he had mentioned his dad being gone for a long time. "Oh, I'm sorry," Marley says quietly. The girl blushed a little when he had mentioned she was pretty. "Thanks!" Marley says with a giggle. "You're cool!"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus was surprised when she said they should hang out again, and he nodded easily. "Oh, absolutely!" He agreed easily. "We could go to my house tomorrow if you want," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He was sure his mother wouldn't mind. He turned his eyes back to her, smiling brightly. "Thank you!" He looked to the playground then. "Do you want to go sit on the swings? My legs are tired."

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley giggled and clapped excitedly as Amodeus had offered to invite her to his house. "Yay! Yes! That would be so much fun!" Marley said excitedly and clapped. She had hoped that Killian wouldn't mind. She'd be happy to spend time with her new friend! She looked in the direction he was looking at when she noticed he was looking towards the park. Marley nodded excitedly. "Sure! Race you there!" Marley says as she giggles and as she started to excitedly jog and make her way towards the swings.

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus was just thinking of if Christian would like Marley when she was moving towards the swings, challenging him to a race. "Oh! Alright!" He broke out in a sprint, dashing for the swings as fast as he could. He didn't even see where Marley was, barreling full speed to the swing set. He had to throw out an arm to catch himself, wrapping an arm around the metal bar and twirling around it. He was panting, running a hand through his hair as he looked around. "Marley?" He asked, trying to find his new friend.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley giggle as she made it to the swing set, Amodeus being there before her. She wasn't the sportiest person, but she found it fun to run sometimes. "I'm right here silly," Marley says with more giggles, as she sat on one of the swings that were near him. She then began to swing on the swing set. "Do you want to do a competition?" Marley says with a small smile.

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus smiled and moved to sit on the other swing. "That was fun," He started swinging with her. He liked talking to Marley. "Okay," he agreed immediately. "What's the competition?" He asked, swinging lightly.

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley giggled and nodded excitedly with agreement. "Yes! That was fun!" Marley says with a big nod. She smiled widely when he had asked what the competition was. "It's whoever swings the highest, wins!" Marley says with a giggle. "You wanna do it?"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus nodded in agreement with her idea, starting to swing. "That sounds fun!" He laughed lightly, already enjoying the wind in his hair. He folded his legs in and out, letting himself build up momentum. "This is awesome! Do you do this a lot?" He yelled over to her, giggling as his stomach dipped up and down in his chest.