Rhythm
She sat down beside him on the wooden bench. "I thought you might be here," she told him conversationally. "I wish you had told someone you were leaving. You didn't even take your Tracker with you. What if you had gotten into trouble?" She snuggled close to him.
"Go away, Rose. I don't want to talk to anyone. Just leave." Mack moved away from her. It hurt her feelings, and Rose tried to reason with him.
"You're not any different. I hope you know that, Mack. We're always going to be your friends. So you're special. Who cares? I don't." Mack turned to look at her, and her eyes were sad.
"I'm not special, Rose. I'm a freak." His voice was cold. She frowned. He'd never spoken to her like that before. Rose didn't like it.
"I don't think you are. I-"
"You would love to get a look at my insides so you could study me." He was glaring at her. Rose wanted to cry, but she didn't. She couldn't. She had to try to make it just a little better. There was only one thing Rose could think of.
The pink ranger scooted close to him again. She lifted his left arm and dropped so it fell over her shoulders, and then she rested her head on his chest. She smiled contentedly.
"What are you doing?"
"Listening to your heartbeat."
"It's not real. It's some computerized sound. I don't have a heart."
"It sounds real to me."