AN: In this little oneshot I tried to get a day in Eustace and Jill's live after SC but before LB. It could be the first chapter of a longer fic but I am working on a different story and I wanted to get something posted.
Four Little Indians
Eustace was leaving the Main Education Building of Experiment House, headed toward the athletic end of the school where he and Jill liked to practice their archery skills, when he was approached by Jeff Thomson and Allie McIvor, two hanger-ons of the Gang. The Gang had made a shaky pax with him and Jill since their return from Narnia, but they were never exactly friendly. The treatment the Gang gave their fellow students had improved since the new head had thrown out a few of the ringleaders. At least, that was what the new head thought. In reality, the Gang's method had just shifted from open hostilities to hidden terror.
Eustace exhaled in frustration. He didn't want to argue with these two right now (sometimes, before he'd had the adventure with his cousins, he had loved to prove his wits in frustrating them). He had been longing for Narnia the whole day, and archery practice with Jill always helped make things bearable. Jill and Eustace wanted to return to Narnia desperately, but six years had passed since they had last seen Aslan. Both had little reason to hope for return, since when Peter last saw Narnia he was fourteen, and he was the oldest person who had traveled to Narnia and returned. Eustace and Jill were now fifteen. But a little hope remained: Aslan had never told them that they could not return, and Eustace clung to that.
Interrupting his thoughts, Jeff Thomson teased him: "You going to be an Indian with your sweetheart?"
Eustace reddened like a tomato. Allie McIvor added to her friend's comment: "I don't think the head approves of such relationships."
Eustace's short temper got the better of him, and he decided he'd had enough.
"Stop making things up. And if archery is so easy, why don't you join us and show us how it's done?"
Allie McIvor was intimidated, but to his surprise, Jeff Thomson retorted: "You bet we will!"
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Jill waited on the archery range behind the main gym with her bow. She was in a mood not much better than Eustace's. Jill had really hoped for another adventure in Narnia, but was disillusioned about her wish. She was the only one in the young generation to only have been only once, and sometimes she wondered: "Why me?"
Eustace came around the corner, and Jill jumped up excitedly. Then she saw Thomson and McIvor at his heels and felt confused.
Before Jill could say anything, Eustace explained: "I challenged these two fine individuals to a bout of archery."
Jill raised her eyebrows.
"Very well. Do you see the tree with the round target?" She pointed to a tree about fifty yards away from her. It had a round target with three circles on it, each smaller than the one outside it. "That 's the one to aim for."
Jill took her bow, got into position, and shot. The arrow hit the middle ring. She looked at the others with smile, but before she could say anything, Thomson readily took the bow from her hands, got into perfect position, pulled the arrow with beautiful form and released it. The arrow hit the center of the bull's eye.
Eustace, Jill, and McIvor stood speechless. Then Eustace said, with a low appreciative whistle, "You should join the Indians."
Jill didn't understand why the other three laughed suddenly, but asked something else.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that? Can you teach us?"
"Where I live, we have an archery club. My father is the president of the club, so I started learning how to shoot with bows early on. Dad loves crossbows, but I prefer this kind."
He said all this shyly, not daring to look at McIvor. Hanger-ons of the Gang had to enjoy what the Gang enjoyed. Archery was frowned upon, especially since Eustace and Jill had begun to practice it.
Jill was surprised that Thomson could shoot the bow, but she was not surprised that he had not told anyone. She wondered what McIvor would do. For now, McIvor only stared, unsure of herself.
"Great! With three people, we could make an official archery club," Eustace exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to Thomson and McIvors problem. He was referring to the rule of the Experiment House that stated that you had to have three members to start an official club. "McIvors, do you want to join as well?"
"Actually, I do want to join," Allie McIvors timidly responded, much to the surprise of Jill.
"Great! Jeff, show us how it's done."
"Right," Jeff Thomson answered, glad that the awkward moment had passed.
Jeff showed them how to stand correctly, the best way to pull the arrow back, and how to relax before releasing. They practiced for a half hour. Jeff kept an eye on them and gave a lot of great tips. Allie showed a hidden talent, and improved drastically. In the beginning she missed the target frequently, but by the end she hit the board almost every time, and on one lucky shot she even hit the bull's-eye. Jill and Eustace didn't improve that much, but then, they weren't too bad to begin with. Meanwhile, Jeff enjoyed teaching the others about his favorite sport—especially because he wasn't worried about the Gang.
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When they finished, Adela Pennyfeather approached. She held a letter in her hands. When she saw Thomson and McIvor, she smirked. Jill guessed that she didn't like the loss of hanger-ons, but at the same time she would probably make the most out of it and simply make fun of four instead of just two.
She started right off the bat: "Oh, great, a tribe of Indians. How did you cross the ocean—borrow some little canoes?"
Eustace thought that these poor jokers had no imagination. He quickly answered: "Just deliver the letter and leave us alone."
"First I have something to say to McIvor," Pennyfeather sneered. "Be careful when you come to your room without proper insurance. You never know what's going to happen." With that she flicked the letter at Eustace and left.
Allie was as white as a ghost, which got Jill thinking about how she could help the previous hanger-on. Meanwhile, Eustace was opening the letter. He spoke as he ripped the seal open.
"I guess now that we cost you your 'friends', you have two options. Either you go to the Gang and plead for forgiveness, or you can be our real friends and let us help you." The words sounded a bit harsh, but both could tell that it was a sincere offer.
To Eustace this was a no brainer, but Allie and Jeff stared at each other for a while. It was not easy to shake off the years of the Gang's influence.
At last, Jeff made up his mind. "Obviously you'll be the better friends. I'll stick with you."
Eustace smiled and answered, "Great! I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun together."
Jill was not through so quickly, for she was eyeing the girl. "And you, Allie?"
Allie was afraid; Jill could see that clearly on her face. She feared the teasing and violence of the Gang. Her friend tried to convince her.
"Come on Allie," Jeff said. "Don't you know how the Gang behaves about Scrubb and Pole? They're just a bunch of bigmouths—they need their numbers to feel secure. If Scrubb and Pole live honestly, surely they can help us keep the Gang off our back."
"But I room with Edith Winterblott!" Allie McIvers moaned. "How could you help me from her claws?"
"Oh, we'll find a way" Jill answered, maybe a little overconfident, but sure she could come up with something.
Allie looked at the three faces as she wavered on the edge. She could see the strange nobility in the faces of Eustace and Jill—that noble air that had appeared suddenly, after that well remembered (but never mentioned) incident some years back that concerned a lion and getting whacked by swords and stinging crops. Beside the incident itself and the change that followed, the nobility and dignity of the two was the main reason that the gang hated them. But now, even in Jeff's face she could see a difference. Although he didn't have the noble expression of Eustace and Jill, he still looked different, perhaps because he had started to show parts of his true self during the archery practice.
So she pulled herself together and sighed. "Alright. I'll join you."
"Yes!" Now Eustace couldn't hold back the news he'd received from the letter anymore, "Jill! Peter and Edmund are coming to pick us up on the train station and take us to Professor Kirk's little apartment in the country…this weekend! We're going to have a meeting of the Seven again."
"Who are the Seven?" Allie asked, confused.
Jill was a little unsure about how she would tell them enough without giving them too much information, but Eustace had it covered.
"We (Pole and I) have five very good friends. We've known them for some time now, and since we live all spread out we try to get everyone together every once in a while. Most of the time we meet at the Professor's apartment. It would be great if you could meet them sometime."
Jill turned to Allie and explained an idea she had.
"Allie, I think I know how we can keep the Gang from getting to you at night." She turned to Eustace. "Do you still have your wooden sword that you practiced with Peter with when he visited?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then give it to Allie. Could you explain the basics of fencing to her?"
Eustace lit up even more, if that was possible.
"I see what you want to do. But I think I have a better idea. Come on, McIvers, let's go. We'll make them remember Caspian—see if we don't."
Allie and Edmund disappeared around the corner of the building, and Jill and Jeff remained behind.
"How many surprises do you have for us?" Jeff asked, grinning at the girl.
But Jill just smiled.
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Eustace lay in his bed, thinking about the day. It had turned out great. First, the awesome archery lessons from Jeff, then the letter from Peter. And finally, the fun trap that he had made for any Gang members that wanted to bully Allie. They were going to be in for a surprise, that was certain. But best of all was that they had found some new friends, friends he felt could become great help in keeping away future days of boredom , when they were dizzy with longing for Narnia.
Ende (For now … )