"So," a voice said next to me.
I spun around. It was Sneers. Of course.
"Hello…" I said cautiously. I wasn't sure I wanted to know where this was going.
"You know what tomorrow is, right?" he asked, eyebrows arched. So that was where this was going.
I blanched. "Yes…"
"The party!" he said as if I hadn't said anything. "The anniversary of the creation of the Freedom Fighters!"
"I said yes." I already knew what he was going to ask next.
"Have you asked anyone yet?" He grinned. Evilly.
I slid down against the tree. "No."
He gasped over-dramatically. "You haven't?"
"Shut it, Sneers."
"Well, you know he's not gonna ask you. So quit being a pig-chicken and ask him!"
"I said SHUT IT!" My hand was on my dagger.
Even though he knew I could make him unable to walk in two seconds, he grinned again. "I'm just trying to help." He threw up his hands, surrendering, stood up, and walked away.
I gulped and slid farther down the tree. I heard not-quite-silent footsteps coming towards the tree. I didn't worry. No Fire Nation soldier could step that lightly.
Honey poked her head around the tree. She might've only been four years younger than me, but she was still so CUTE! She was small for her age, only about 4'8", and her namesake blonde hair was half covering her face so you could only see one blue-green eye. You also couldn't see the gash running from the corner of her right eye almost to her jaw.
"Hey!" she said brightly, sitting next to me.
I smiled weakly. "Hey."
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Why would you think anything's wrong!" Okay, in hindsight, I answered that really badly.
She raised her eyebrows.
I took a deep breath. "Should I ask Longshot to the party?"
"YES!" she half-shrieked.
I stared.
"You two've been best friends for years, but it'd take an idiot to not notice how you look at each other!"
I stared for another moment. "What d'you mean 'each other'? He doesn't like me like that."
She frowned. "Evidently you're an idiot."
I stuck my tongue out at her. After a moment I squeaked, "Help me?"
She sighed. "Just get him alone and ask him. Easy as that."
"You won't think it's easy when you've gotta do it."
She grinned. "I'm enjoying it while it lasts."
I sighed. "Fine. Should I go find him now?"
"Yes!" She waved me away. "Shoo!"
I sighed again, got up, and started towards his tree.
I wasn't even halfway there when I heard an all-too-familiar voice yell, "He's not there!"
I turned to Sneers. "Well then, Mr. Match-Maker, where is he?"
He pointed behind himself, deeper into the forest. I smacked my forehead.
Now I'm just gonna skip about two hours of wandering through the forest, branches tearing at my sleeves, burs sticking to my clothes, twigs getting stuck in my hair, and all in all misery to when I actually found him.
I gulped, tried (in vain) to make my hair more-or-less presentable (let's face it, I'm not the kind of girl to keep my hair 'more-or-less presentable' in the first place), and ran to catch up.
"Hey, Longshot," I said, falling in step next to him. "Sooo… uh… What'cha doin'? Hunting? Well, of course you'd be hunting. Find anything yet? I bet, you're the best hunter. Better than Jet, even. Any deer-hares? I set some traps yesterday. So, uh… I was gonna ask you something…"
He raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amused.
"Well, uh… You know, the… party's tomorrow, and…"
He stopped walking. Scratch that, he stopped moving. Stopped breathing. He just plain froze.
"I was wondering… if you'd maybe… wanna… go with… me?" I grinned, hopeful and desperate.
He didn't move.
"Um… Longshot?"
His face was actually starting to turn blue.
I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Breathe, you idiot!" I yelled.
He gasped. A few seconds later, he turned to me. (Did you just…)
Pleasedon'tsayitpleasedon'tsayitpleasedon'tsayitpleasedon'tsayit, I begged silently.
Luckily, he didn't finish that.
"Yeah… So… What d'you say?"
(Just one thing first – did Sneers pay you to do this?)
I chuckled. "No. Although Honey yelled at me. But, anyways…"
He smiled. "I'd love to."
I beamed. "…"
Needless to say, that went on a while.