Her Purple Haired Dork

Just another purple haired dork. That was all he was. Atlanta tried to persuade herself of this as she paced outside of the hospital room. He was nothing special to her, he was just another guy, like Jay, Herry, Odie, and Neil, who were all dorks in their own right. She gulped. But this was HER dork, her PURPLE haired dork, as a matter of fact.

She began to pace faster. She had always believed that guys would remain play mates to her; simply people made to rival her. That was all they had ever been to her. Then she had met Archie. Something about him had captivated her: maybe it was the way he seemed to have a split persona. One day he was cute and shy, and another he was loud and outspoken. He was as unpredictable to others as a storm on the horizon, yet she had learned how to read those storm warnings.

She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled, hoping to see Archie alive and well behind her, but instead faced a worried-looking Theresa.

"Lana, are you okay?" she asked, concerned about her friend. Atlanta tried to nod, but her throat was clogged by her heart. She cleared it, trying to force her heart back into her chest, but she felt nervous and fluttery, like a butterfly.

"Of course I'm not," she snapped, shrugging away Theresa's hand and continuing to walk back and forth, back and forth. Her thoughts whirled about in her mind, and she clapped her hands to her forehead in exasperation.

"Why did he have to go and get hurt?" she asked aloud.

Theresa exchanged glances with Jay, and Neil, Odie and Herry looked at one another and down at their shoes.

"Umm, Atlanta-" Neil began.

"What?" she turned around to face him, her hands on her hips, and fixed him with her steely glare. Neil swallowed and looked to Odie to continue.

"Atlanta, you do realize that…"

"WHAT?" she asked, clenching her fists threateningly. Odie clamped his mouth shut and turned to Herry, but the brawny guy didn't even open his mouth.

Theresa sighed and turned to her friend, trying to explain, but she decided against it when she saw Atlanta's face. She's not going to listen anyway, she reasoned. She's far too stubborn.

Jay just rolled his eyes and ran the gods on his PMR. "Hermes, please tell Ms. Hera that we'll be down there at the school on half an hour." He gazed at his team mates. "It's time to go," he said. "Come on."

"I'm staying here!" Atlanta insisted. "We can't leave Archie; he needs us!"

"He'll be okay…"

"Don't you be telling me what you don't know for a fact!" Atlanta screeched. Jay and the others all sighed and hurried away.

"We'll see you later, Atlanta," Herry called over his shoulder. She nodded and persisted in peeking through the tiny window of the door and watching Archie. At one point she winced and even began to cry as she witnessed him writhing in pain. She wondered how the others could leave him in this state.

Finally the door opened and the doctor admitted her into the white washed room. "You're friend here was lucky," she said.

"Archie!" Atlanta shrieked, and ran towards her purple haired friend, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a huge kiss on his cheek. He consequently turned two shades of pink darker than usual. He grinned and glanced down at her fondly.

"You were worried about me," he pointed out. "I'm touched."

"Of course I was worried," she retorted, blushing. "You were in agony."

"Yep, that needle sure hurt."

She stared at him, agape. "You were only getting a NEEDLE? From where I was, it looked as though you were getting surgery!" She punched him. He yelped, rubbing the arm gingerly.

"That was the needle arm!" he whined.

"Poor baby," she spat, glaring. Embarrassed at making such a big fuss, she stalked out of the room, her back stiff and hunched.

The doctor turned and stared down at her patient, her eyes twinkling. "If I were you, boy, I'd hurry and try to catch up with your friend. She's pretty peeved."

He nodded and rushed after her, cheeks puffing like a blowfish at his lack of exercise as he pulled up alongside her.

She was glaring at nothing, her lips stuck out in a pout as she hurried away through the building.

"Why did you put me through that?"

"I like to see you worried," he joked. "It means you care."

She elbowed him hard in the gut, and he groaned. "Why do you put me through such ache?"

"I like to see you hurt," she growled. "That's how I get my revenge."

"That's harsh."

"That's love."

They both froze at her words, and she felt like elbowing herself in her own gut and pinching herself over and over again.

"What did you say?" Archie asked, blinking in amazement. Was it possible he had died and gone to heaven, which happened in this case to be a hospital?

"Nothing," Atlanta faltered, biting her tongue. "I said that's… life! Yeah, that's life!"

"Oh, because for a moment I thought that you said 'that's love.'" He glanced slyly at her.

"You wish," she retorted. "You really are a dork, you big dork."

"Why, that just about sums me up," he jeered.

She rolled her eyes. "Go home, Arch, and leave this poor soul alone."

He grinned mercilessly. "I like being annoying though."

"Ever heard of being so annoying that I never want to speak to you again?"

"Oh oh, can't have that. Race you!" Before she could react, he took off down the hallway, ignoring the shouts of doctors to stop or nurses to slow down. She started after him, remembering all the reasons why she loved her purple headed dork.

He was poetic, strong, stubborn, loyal, caring, cute, and deep, deep down, reasonable. Sometimes. Maybe. Who was she kidding? He was everything she saw in a wolf: wild, untamed, unreasonable with the hands of people. But sometimes he would let the ones he loved catch a glimpse of his true self deep down inside: loving and kind and sweet. Atlanta sighed dreamily, and then realized that she was losing.

She put on a burst of speed and easily passed him, calling after her shoulder as she passed him, "Take that, my purple headed dork!" Even though in the noise of the hallway, he couldn't hear her, she didn't really care. To her, they were wild and free, galloping through a lush green meadow, with nothing around them but the earth and sky.

And that was what love felt like to her: Running, free, untamed, and unfathomable, with her purple haired dork by her side.

A/n: Just a cute little one shot I wrote up. Please read and review! Luv, Becky