It was a perfect tree. It seemed to get a long of sun and the apples looked heavy and delicious. Stretching, Ella's fingertips hardly brushed the lowest branch. Hendrix's suggestion seemed like a good idea and she broke into a grin.

"Promise not to drop me!" She was used to being hoisted around in cheer, but not usually with a boy.

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He held out his pinky to her and smiled warmly. "I promise, promise."

Hendrix readied himself by getting down on one knee so he could easily hoist both of them up once she was ready. It probably looked like he was proposing, but the thought didn't even cross his mind.

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Ella hooked her own pinky over his and gave it a tug, satisfied. With a giggle she grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady herself as she hoisted herself up, careful not to put her foot anywhere delicate.

"Is this okay?" she asked nervously, clinging to him.

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"Yup!" he said brightly, putting his hands over her knees when she was situated on his shoulders. The very simple motion had his cheeks flushing slightly. Slowly and carefully, he lifted himself and Ella off the ground. "You good up there?" he asked brightly before moving closer to the tree.

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Aside from giggling madly, Ella was doing pretty good. "Wow it' pretty awesome to be tall" she said, stroking the top of his head with affection.

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His blush only deepened when he felt her fingers in his hair. "It's only good for apple picking and reaching for things on the top shelf," he grinned, walking closer to the apple tree.

"I've noticed shorter people get the best hiding spots in hide and seek and they give the best hugs," he grinned.

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"Oh totally, I am pretty awesome at giving hugs. And fitting into tiny cupboards!" Ella said excitedly, stretching to pick a bright red apple and rolling it in her hands.

"Am I too heavy? Do I wiggle too much" she asked, squirming a little as she tried to keep her balance. She passed the apple to Hen and grinned at the top of his head. "Good ones, huh? You sure know how to pick 'em."

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"Of course you are!" he said brightly. "Best hug giver in fifty states!"

He couldn't help but laugh when she wiggled around. "Too heavy? You kiddin' me? You're two pounds soaking wet," he teased as he took the apple she handed him and dropped it into the bucket at his feet. "These really are perfect!"

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Ella squeezed his head in a hug and laughed. "I'll hold you to that! I mean, Jenny gives pretty mean hugs too. Are you sure that's your final answer?"

She was now stretching out her sweater and collecting apples in the make-shift basket. "I'm gonna make a totally awesome apple pie, Henny! You should come back to our house afterwards and help me bake!" Blushing, she busied herself with a branch. "Like, if that's okay and all."

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"I'm one hundred percent sure lady," he said patting on of her knees. Carefully balanced, he reached out with one hand and started picking apples and dropping them into the bucket.

"Absolutely!" he agreed enthusiastically. "I mean... yeah, that would be fun. You know... baking," he giggled a little. "I'm pretty descent at baking," he grinned.

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"So how come Jenny didn't tell me you were coming" Ella pressed, pouting slightly. "It would have been much more exciting to know it!" With his sweater filled, she emptied it over Hendrix's shoulder, a few of the apples actually landing in the basket.

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Hendrix paused for a moment, thinking for a second before saying "Hmmm..."

"I don't know, I think she wanted to surprise you. Tatum sure looked surprised," he mumbled a little. "Got any theories?" he asked peeking over toward the other girls.

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Ella looked over at the group also. It didn't seem to be as much fun over there as it was here. "Maybe Sera thinks Mack will get Tatum out of her shell" Ella offered with a little shrug. "I guess I would be a fifth wheel if I'd came along without you" she joked. Perhaps Jenny aimed to set her and Hen up. She blushed at the thought. It was ridiculous! Hen was one of her best friends, not some double date dude to fill in the gaps.

"It's pretty warm, huh?" she said, tossing her scarf and sweater as she tried to force the idea out of her head.

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"Perhaps!" he said brightly. Whatever their reasoning, he was glad that Jenny had invited him along. "She is quite quiet," he commented, focusing more on the apples in front of him. "I couldn't imagine you being a fifth wheel though, you're too fun!"

He could feel his skin warming already. "Oh yeah, it is a bit warmer than Jenny said it was going to be," he admitted, undoing the top button of his sweater.

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"I think she's always quiet" Ella mused, fighting the urge to play with Hendrix's hair.

"Well I'm glad I got to see you in such a cute sweater" she teased, stretching as far as she could to get the real good apples.

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"I mean, some people are just quiet. My dad says I'm too quiet," he laughed a little. "I just think he doesn't know me very well. Speaking of... did I tell you he wants me to try out for quodpot," he laughed even brighter at that.

He blushed deeply when she said that he had a cute sweater and then mentally berated himself for being so silly. She was calling his sweater cute! Not him! "It's my old man sweater," he said lightly. "You're outfit is super cute though!" He flushed even worse then.

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"Your dad definitely doesn't know you very well if he wants you to try out" Ella said quietly, not really sure if it was her place to say. The last thing she wanted was Hen to be mad at her.

Wiggling a little, she laughed at his description. "Yeah well, it's kinda itchy on my legs" she joked before grabbing the last of the good apples from the tree. "I should have worn pants" she admitted, making her move back towards the ground. "I didn't know I'd be like, on a guy's shoulders! Don't look at my underwear" she laughed.

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He gave her knees a little squeeze and smiled. "Thanks El," he said quietly. It was nice to know that someone actually bothered to get to know him.

He laughed and lowered her a bit as she started wiggling. "I won't!" he promised. "I will be completely chivalrous," he squeezed his eyes shut as Ella got off his shoulders. "So what do you wanna do now?" he asked, eyes still clenched shut.

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Finding her footing somewhat clumsily (he was a lot further from the ground than her cheer squad!) Ella giggled when she saw him with his eyes closed. "You can open them now, I'm totally decent!" She twirled on the spot and pondered his question.

"As long as we don't go on that apple tour? I don't care." She grinned and nudged him in the ribs.

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He beamed at her when she did her little twirl and poked her nose gently.

"That is pretty nerdy," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "Come on, maybe we can find some warm cider donuts or cider or something!" he said brightly holding his hand out to her.

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