The sound of the rain pattering against the window was a monotous sound that seemed to never end. To William, it meant that his favorite and only friend might not visit this Sunday afternoon, but he stared out the window anyways. Life was boring when you couldn't leave your house. All of the toys and distractions his parents bought him didn't matter if the rest of the world was barred to him. He held his head in his hands, forlorn and pouting, until he thought he saw a flicker of something outside.

He smushed his face against the window, his face lighting up as he saw someone familiar near the base of the lemon tree. The lemon tree was his salvation, his only hope to connect to another person and escape his listless existence. He used to hate the tree because it blocked the window and his view of the blue sky, but as he watched his friend climb up, he felt grateful for its every branch and leaf. Even the sour lemons were a blessing from above.

He opened the window and pulled his companion in eagerly, the brightest smile known to man on his face. "You're getting rain all over my room. How could you!?" He grabbed a towel and tossed it over. Everything always happened when his best buddy arrived, like the world started moving again. "My parents got me soooo much since last time. Ooh, look at this!" He flittered around his bedroom madly, pointing at shiny gadgets and entertainment objects. "And this. Oh, and that!"