IT WAS six am by the time they got to Wood Acre. The air was stiff and crisp, a stark contrast to the hot, humid and sticky Florida weather Noel was used too.

They lumbered off the coach quietly, sleepy faces and tired eyes, yet there was an unidentifiable buzz in the air, a buzz that was to signify there planned motives and secret celebrations. It left Noel walking with a slight jump to his step, Myron passing him a few glances but keeping up with Noel's sleep deprived pace.

"Is this it?"

They were both standing on a long tarmac road, any vision of civilization completely wiped from there naked eyes, large protruding trees framed the grey concrete from either side. The rest of the coachers had disappeared from sight, a few cars picking them up swiftly and dispersing them to their desired location.

"Are we getting picked up?" Noel asked again. It was too quiet.

"No. No we're going to walk."

"Walk where?" Noel looked at the desolate road, he would much rather be picked up, yet Myron's strangely determined expression stopped his next slaught of thought becoming words.

"Down the road and then we'll turn left – where the forest is, after that I'll be able to find my old house easily."

Then Myron began walking with a gaunt in his step, hoisting his large backpack over his shoulder and furrowing his bushy eyebrows in nostalgic thought, he said nothing to Noel, almost forgetting his presence if it wasn't for the sound of his foot slapping on the concrete and his breath coming out in quiet labored gasps.

And for some unknown reason, Noel was scared, yet it calmed him to see his breath turning into cold puffs of air and Myron's black jacket to rub against his own and produce much needed heat.

Hedidn't even bring a toothbrush with him.

______________

"This is the forest." Noel almost didn't hear Myron speaking, it came out as a soft low murmur, his footsteps slowing down and halting in front of scattered trees and mossy undergrowth. Noel was sure he could see Myron's eyes water slightly but he chose to say nothing and stood by Myron's side firmly. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Lets go."

They began walking into the forest and Noel could honestly feel the air change drastically, it was so fresh, it was the type of air you could see stars in, the type you would be sure to see a shooting comet fly right by your face that it felt like you were wearing those pretentious 4D glasses in the cinema. Noel wanted to bottle this air and keep it with him forever, but he was pretty sure he'd end up looking strange.

"Have you been in a forest before?" Myron broke the steady silence, he saw Noel's bright eyes survey him carefully and it made him feel prickly all over.

"Not really, I've always been a more beach type of guy, you know, Florida."

"Beaches have too many people there."

"Not all of them, if you find a more quieter one and you don't go on the weekends they tend to be a lot more isolated."

"True, but a forest is always isolated."

"Isolated in what way?"

"That it's separate from society." Myron stood for a moment, reveling in the cold and the trees and the slightly wet grass and he let the influx of his imagination break free from the box in his mind. "Over here, you can be you, whatever that is...some days I was a wizard or a ninja." Myron saw Noel crack a small smile that it caused him to fight the hot flush deepening in his cheeks. "Maybe an elf, or a superhero." Myron grabbed a handful of leaves from a tree and looked at the dazzling pattern, these things are always taken for granted. "And some days, I was just human." He let the leaves he was holding flutter to the ground, merging with the rest of the litter on the floor.

"Tag, you're it." Noel's spindly hands jabbed at Myron's stomach swiftly, a large shit eating grin engulfing his features before he took off in a calculated run, nothing but his flat school bag swaying in the silent breeze and that large jarring red jacket that flapped noisily.

Myron could still feel the imprint of where Noel had touched him, he cracked an equally large smile back before taking off after Noel, his battered trainers scoffing up against the leaves and his jacket brushing up against the bark, he was so close, yet so far.

Noel could feel his breath catching up with him, his lungs burning slightly and his legs behaving more like wobbly jelly. He could see Myron's footballer frame catch up with him and he cursed silently to himself as he had forgotten he was an athlete, he hadn't been to a football game since the beginning of sophomore year.

Myron's large arms grabbed at Noel's shoulders. "You're it." He then let go (albeit reluctantly) and began to run through the forest once more, turning his head slightly to see Noel running just as fast.

It was exhilarating, the cold brushing up against their cheeks and there fabrics wrinkling as they ran without a care in the world, Noel was gaining up towards Myron, his long legs sprinting through the grass, he was running so fast it felt as if he was flying, his feet barely touching the ground for more than a millisecond before taking off again.

Myron then stopped abruptly, his running seized into a limped walk. "Over there." He breathed to himself, yet Noel was so in tune with him, he had heard his slight remark over his wheezy breaths. "What are you pointing at?" Noel responded in an equal tone, he had paused over a large tree, his red painted nails splayed across the scratchy bark.

"That's Mr. Adams house. He's a pretty amazing guy, anytime things got difficult I used to stay with him."

"Adams? That's my last name."

"Yeah...he moved here just before I left Wood Acre, he lives there with his wife and son I believe."

Noel looked over at the small cottage tucked in beneath the trees, a small pond and a rickety fence completed the picturesque image, the lawn was littered with a dirt splattered bike and rusty toys, yet it projected a homely and quaint feel.

Noel had never saw a house quite like it.

"It looks...British."

"I think it was built from scratch actually, a perfect place to build a house."

Myron then grabbed onto Noel's shoulders, his tan hands shocking Noel slightly, yet he tried his best to relax his position and tone down the blush that was starting to creep through his cheeks. Myron began to steer Noel into a new direction, where a large wood paneled sign had been fixed onto two sturdy metal poles with distinct lettering carved into the wood. 'WELCOME TO WOOD ACRE.'

Beneath this sign was the most beautiful woodland Noel had ever seen, before him it was just looming trees and thick briars, but what lay beyond that sign was something his own imagination couldn't fathom.

"Are you ready?" Myron nudged Noel playfully, yet his nerves poked through with his shaking hands.

"What is this? Bridge to Terabithia!"

"No. It's Wood Acre."

They then began to walk the cleared path, bright shrubs with ominous fruits gleamed at them as they strolled down leisurely as well as bright green vines which twisted into their locks sneakily, leaving a trail of earth on their faces. A small smile began to creep into Myron's expression, he remembered, he remembered all of it.

Noel looked carefully at the small family of rabbits circling the path, there noses twitching at his presence, for some reason he shot the rabbits a wan smile, resisting the urge to pick them up and stroke them, but settled for admiring there snow white coats from afar. He saw Myron's hand swinging softly as they walked in a comfortable silence, the woodland speaking all the words Noel couldn't quite say, and in the midst of the quiet he realized.

He wanted to hold Myron's hand.