>>58351174>Three times, he checked the jungle gym. >Mostly to use the slide again and again.>He was a good kid.>And alone.>Not another soul here.>Not another soul coming.>Hopefully he told his parents where he went.>And not a desire to meet his possible neighbor-turned-pokémon.>Sensing his growing frustration and discouragement, you called out.“Nobody ever looks up.”
>Finally, he did.>An embarrassed gasp caught in his throat.>To have been watched this whole time and to have missed the obvious blue in the trees was doubly discomforting. >The tree nap called, begging you stay.>A shame you couldn’t.“Don’t feel too bad.” You said, stretching.
>Swinging to a lower branch and kicking off it gave you safe passage down to Conrad.>So quick and so slick, you startled the boy.>A landing which might have broken a person was nothing to you.“Got your message.”
>Wagging the disheveled note briefly took his dumbstruck attention off you.>Too amazed to take the paper back.>Another ruffle reminded him to grab it.>The boy hadn’t a clue how to react.>For so long, he relied on scripts in his head for everyday situations.>Something so strange and new wrung his words and thoughts.>A spiral of babbled greetings and incoherent mutterings was all he could say.“What’d you need, Conrad?”
>”Ah, eugh…” “That was…”
“…”
>He closed his eyes, grimacing with effort.“I didn’t know you’d talk good…”
>You couldn’t help it.>You laughed.>Your light chuckle made the boy more uneasy.“Really?”
>The sheen of shame covered him.>Right, had to be easy with him.“Wait… If you thought I couldn’t speak, why’d you think I could read?”
>You raised an eyebrow.>Excessive exaggeration and a toothy smile let him know.“And hey, meowth could talk in the show.”
“Is it reeeeeaaaaaaly that weird if I can?” You asked.
>Nothing to be afraid of.>Keep smiling. 