On Top of the World ((Open))

[Hope Dawson]

Hope jumped onto a tree, climbing to the lowest branch. She wasn't exactly the tallest person in the world, Hope was on the short side. She barely hit five two, she was more like five one and a half, but she just rounded it up. Besides, what was half an inch anyways?

She slowly climbed the tree, going branch by branch. Why was she climbing a tree? She didn't exactly know. It was more like an urge to just climb and feel taller, climbing a tree made her feel empowered. Hope reached out for another branch, and her foot slipped. She regained her balance and exhaled a sigh of relief. She was close to the top of the tree now, and now she began to feel a little woozy. That was strange, she wasn't afraid of heights. Nevertheless Hope slowly began to climb down the tree, her heart was pounding.

Hope was now close to the bottom of the tree, but still in the middle so she still felt empowered without feeling woozy. She sat on a branch and let her legs dangle off of it. She glanced down at her thin rose colored shirt and noticed she had another hole in it. A groan escaped from her mouth, this is when she needed to know how to sew, or had more than fifty cents that had to last till the end of the month. Winter would be coming soon, and she needed to get clothes that would actually last till the end of winter.

She pushed her brown hair out of her eyes so she could scan over the park. The park was one of her favorite places in Harlem, it was full of life, just like Hope. She sighed a sigh of contentment, the sun was beginning to set, and the view from her tree was incredible. A smile spread across her delicate features, even though she was poor, and was just a humble newsie, there were moments were she felt on top of the world.

This was one of those moments.

[Levi Akecheta]

Levi had climbed the tree at the first sign of light. He had been very homesick lately and he knew the best way to get over it was to be as close to the open sky as possible. Perhaps if he concentrated, he's be able to drown out the noises of the city and imagine himself back home on the plains of South Dakota. He imagined an eagle flying above him, his horse Wind Woman grazing near by, and Napay, Lootah, and Kohana whining for him to play with them. He imagined what he'd say to them... And what they'd say back...

Then the tree began to sway, someone else was climbing up it. Someone rather inexperienced to. Levi knew the were getting dizzier as they reached the top-he felt the tree move more. He opened his eyes and listened. The person was light, a girl or small boy. Levi turned over on the limb and looked down. A girl, her brown head visible slightly.

Levi slipped onto the limb below, neither his hair nor his open shirt getting caught once. He hoped she hadn't stepped on his buckskin jacket as she had climbed into the tree. It had killed him to leave it below, near the trunk. He was right above her now, using all his training to remain quiet. Then, he flipped his head over, he was upside down now, most of his body on the limb above and he looked into her face, his wild black hair standing on end as he dangled there.

"Hello, nituwe he?" he asked her. "Do I know you?" He asked her, grinning. No, he didn't know her, but he wanted to. His boy mind kicked into gear and he began to unconciously flirt. After all, as long as the were older then ten and younger then forty, he was up for it.

[Hope Dawson]

"Hello, nituwe he? Do I know you?"

Hope's blue eyes widened as a boy with wild black hair appeared in her face. "Ah!" She exclaimed in surprise, almost losing her balance and falling off the tree. Hope steadied herself and looked at the boy, he spoke in a different language, something she had never heard before. It was very interesting to her.

"Hello..." She said slowly, before shaking her head "No, I don't think we have ever met. I'm Hope Dawson, and you are?"

[Levi Akecheta]

He grinned. "Hope Dawson, huh? That's a nice name." He said, he rolled over and dropped down to her limb, he leaned against the tree. "Sorry if I scared you, I felt you shaking the tree." He said, laughing. "Micaje Levi Akecheta. Or Boo, or Indian. I prefer Levi though." He said. "No, we haven't met before. I don't usually come to Harlem. I rarely leave Brooklyn. Except today. Today, I need to climb a tree." He nodded.

[Hope Dawson]

"Hope Dawson, huh? That's a nice name."

"Well thank you." She said, pulling up one leg to adjust her shoe so it wouldn't fall off." "I'd like to think its a nice name too." Hope said with a laugh, letting her leg dangle again.

"Micaje Levi Akecheta. Or Boo, or Indian. I prefer Levi though. No, we haven't met before. I don't usually come to Harlem. I rarely leave Brooklyn. Except today. Today, I need to climb a tree."

Her eyebrows raised, "You have a nice name too, Levi." She said, "Its nice to meet you." Hope paused for a moment before asking, "Are you a newsie?" She pushed her hair back. "I love climbing trees, its just difficult to do so in a skirt." She said.

[Levi Akecheta]

Levi snorted. "Nah, I ain't a newsie." he shook his head. "Me? I'm the pickpocket in New York." He said proudly. "My name's alright. It stuck out in my tribe though. Everyone else was Napay or Lootah or Kohana and my name's Levi. Weird huh?" He asked, his grin growing. "It's really nice to meet you." He listened to her. "I love climbin' trees too, I was raised climbin' trees. It's the best way to find buffalo." He nodded. "Then wear pants," He suggested. He let his feet in moccasin boots dangle down from the tree. His arrowhead necklace bounced against his bare chest as he adjusted. He smiled at her, waiting politely.

[Hope Dawson]

"Me? I'm the pickpocket in New York."

"That must be interesting, back when I lived on the streets when I was oh, ten or eleven years old I had to pickpocket to get money so I could eat. That was before I became a newsie." Hope said, remembering back to when she lived on the streets. She kicked her legs back and forth.

"My name's alright. It stuck out in my tribe though. Everyone else was Napay or Lootah or Kohana and my name's Levi. Weird huh?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together, "Your tribe? Are you an Indian?" She asked, looking over at Levi.

"I love climbin' trees too, I was raised climbin' trees. It's the best way to find buffalo."

Hope smiled, "I've never seen a buffalo in these parts." She said, chuckling. "I've never really come across any sort of wild animals, unless you count a squirrel."

"Then wear pants,"

Her jaw dropped, "I can't do that!" She exclaimed, "Its improper." Hope said, playing with her navy blue skirt.

[Levi Akecheta]

"Yeah, I'm an Indian. Lakota Sioux from South Dakota. Well, half, my mom's Lakota, my dad was a calvary officer. I don't know where he is now, I was raised with my mom's husband, Chayton." Levi shrugged. His dad had run off, and it hurt Levi and his mother, but that was the past.

"Oh, buffalo are huge. Why, just two years ago I was hunting them. I preferred bow and arrow, the other boys used guns. I got bit by a squirrel once, my sister Maka had brought it home and tried to domesticate it, but I ended up taking care of it." Levi laughed. "I think I still have the scars,"

"So, if you can't adapt, you'll die. Alright, maybe not die, but Grandpa-the Chief-was always telling us we can't cling to the old ways so forcefully-our else our culture would die out. But, I think it's cute the way you're all lady-like. A lot of girls aren't like that anymore." He grinned.

[Hope Dawson]

"Yeah, I'm an Indian. Lakota Sioux from South Dakota. Well, half, my mom's Lakota, my dad was a calvary officer. I don't know where he is now, I was raised with my mom's husband, Chayton."

Hope looked out to the setting sun, Levi was very interesting. "I've never met an Indian before." She laughed at herself and rolled her eyes, "I've never done a lot of things before. I lived in Hungary till I was eight, and then we moved here, and I've been in Harlem for what seems like forever."

"I think I still have the scars,"

She laughed at his story, "Squirrels keep their distance from me. I'm often doing something that scares them all away." She looked over at Levi and smiled, "They get scared so easily, it seems like all you have to do is breathe, and they're scared."

"So, if you can't adapt, you'll die. Alright, maybe not die, but Grandpa-the Chief-was always telling us we can't cling to the old ways so forcefully-our else our culture would die out. But, I think it's cute the way you're all lady-like. A lot of girls aren't like that anymore."

She frowned, "But trousers are for boys. I can't imagine women ever wearing slacks." Her eyes widened at the thought, "When the time comes I'll adapt." She said, smiling. Hope looked away at his compliment, "Thank you." She said, quietly. "I know a lot of girls aren't like that anymore, I'm fine with wearing a skirt, in fact I enjoy it." Hope grinned.

[Levi Akecheta]

"I never met a white girl before." He grinned. "Alright, maybe I'm lying." He winked. "I've met plenty white girls before. More then I would want too..." he smiled. "I don't like wearing trousers either, usually, I go around naked." He laughed cheerfully. "I'm joking, don't worry. But, yeah, I like wearing skirts too." He said. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not.

[Hope Dawson]

"I've met plenty white girls before. More then I would want too..."

Hope laughed, "I know what you mean." Some of the women, and the men, in New York were real characters. They were the type of people that you would just raise your eyebrows, shake your head and laugh.

"I don't like wearing trousers either, usually, I go around naked. I'm joking, don't worry. But, yeah, I like wearing skirts too."

Hope laughed at his joke, she loved people who joked around and had a sense of humor. They were the type of people she wanted to be around with most often, "Well to each their own, I guess." She said, smiling.

[Levi Akecheta]

He snorted again. "My one uncle-he died with my mom-when we had dances he use to get excited and he'd put on one of my mom's dresses and dance with the women. It was quite funny, actually." he laughed. "But, I'm just jokin'. I usually go as you see, shirt, pants, and moccasins. I wear my buckskin coat too, my mom beaded it for me a long time ago." he pointed to the tan coat at the base of the tree. "It's delicate so I usally take it off to climb trees."

[Hope Dawson]

"My one uncle-he died with my mom-when we had dances he use to get excited and he'd put on one of my mom's dresses and dance with the women. It was quite funny, actually."

Hope laughed, "Your uncle sounds fascinating. My mother told me that her father used to do that to get laughs from everyone when they would have get togethers." She said.

"But, I'm just jokin'. I usually go as you see, shirt, pants, and moccasins. I wear my buckskin coat too, my mom beaded it for me a long time ago. It's delicate so I usally take it off to climb trees."

She glanced down to the trunk of the tree where the tan coat was. It was there when she began climbing the tree, and she wondered what is was. "Its a really nice coat." Hope said, glancing back to Levi.

[Levi Akecheta]

"We all seem to have those strange, but funny relatives. Lootah was the weird one of my siblings. For some reason he was obsessed with catching this one beaver. I kept tellin him that it had moved on a long time ago, but... He would go out there every day the same and set the traps." Levi shook his head. He smiled, lost in the large sky of the Dakotas.

"Yeah, my mom was one of the best bead workers in the village. She could creat marvelous things... My grandfather was always the best at making knives out of bones. He's amazing. I was always the best at horse-riding. Shooting of them, running along side. I miss my horse. I think you would have liked her, she is a buckskin mare, she's really pretty and sweet." His eyes became soft as he talked of his horse.

[Hope Dawson]

"We all seem to have those strange, but funny relatives. Lootah was the weird one of my siblings. For some reason he was obsessed with catching this one beaver. I kept tellin him that it had moved on a long time ago, but... He would go out there every day the same and set the traps."

Hope smiled, and chuckled at his story. "My sister was the same way, very determined and also very stubborn. She would argue with God if she had the chance." She laughed at the memories of her and her sister, before they got separated.

She missed Sophia more than words could describe. Hope made it her life's mission to find Sophia, and have them be reunited. She didn't care if she died the next day, as long as she saw Sophia again and knew she was safe.

"Yeah, my mom was one of the best bead workers in the village. She could creat marvelous things... My grandfather was always the best at making knives out of bones. He's amazing. I was always the best at horse-riding. Shooting of them, running along side. I miss my horse. I think you would have liked her, she is a buckskin mare, she's really pretty and sweet."

She listened to Levi with great interest. The only family she knew was her parents, Sophia, and then her step father. She refused to call that awful man a part of her family, because he wasn't. He made their lives a living hell, and family just didn't do that.

"That sounds so nice," She said, smiling. "I love horses, we had a few on our farm back in Hungary. What was your horse's name?" She asked.