Chapter Two, of Sorts…
[Lessthanthree
Late afternoon light cast long shadows over the grass. Under a leaf-bare tree, two figures sat, whispering and laughing. The girl leaned against the tree, and the boy rested his head on her leg. She stroked his now fading blue hair, and they sat and talked about anything they could think of, punctuating their conversations with giggles and Latin phrases, which always resulted in more giggles. The question still pressed both of them. 'Just what is my Great Perhaps, my reward at the end of the Labyrinth?' plagued their minds constantly. She stopped stroking his hair a moment, he opened his eyes. "Why'd y-" he began, but was cut off by her raising a finger and hissing 'Shh!'. "When was the last time you actually cared about something enough to completely follow through?" she asked him, staring into his soft blue eyes. He shook his head.
"Well…you're about to," she said, getting up abruptly and pulling him to his feet. "It's time to find your Great Perhaps, Pudge." He stared at her, wondering what inside her had snapped this time, causing her to suddenly care about the future, and changing it for the better. They ended up in his dorm, her lying upside-down, and writing frantically in a notebook, and him sitting on a chair, looking at her cluelessly. After about an hour of watching silently, he ventured a question. "Cal…what are you doing?" he asked, watching her face go from flushed to red as the blood rushed to it from her choice of position. "Silentium, letalis," she said harshly. She sat up, only to fall back down again, the quick movement resulting in a head rush. "It's close enough to finished, just wait," Callie said, rolling over and scribbling a little more. He watched her intently.
"Finished," she said, slamming down her pen. "So?" Pudge looked at her quizzically. "Welcome to your Great Perhaps," she smiled. "It's all laid out, it's all here," she said happily. He stared at her, clearly completely clueless. "Just read," she said, sighing and lying back. He looked over the pages, and his face fell. "You have to be kidding me," he said, throwing the book to the floor. She looked at him, her face showing deep hurt. "What's wrong with it?" Callie asked, leaning down to retrieve the notebook. "Everything!" he began. "We have no money, and half the shit on that list? We succeed? And we're FUCKED." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Fuck…you…" she stammered. Callie got up and walked towards the door. Pudge made no effort to stop her. "Fine, leave. Take your books, and your philosophy, and your singsong happiness!" He screamed at her as she slammed the door. He sighed and looked at the grey rain falling beyond the window. The only faint remnant of Callie's recent presence was her hoodie, lying in a heap on his bed. He looked at it, and his face fell. He picked up the hoodie, and buried his face into it, the smells of damp grass, cinnamon, and cherries hitting him like a slap in the face. He had sacrificed his safehold. By hurting her, he let go of the one thing tethering him to the straight path out of the labyrinth. "What did I do….?" He asked himself, sinking to the bed, his eyes slowly filling with tears.
Callie lay in her bed, face pressed to the pillows. Having spent so much time in Pudge's room, she'd forgotten what her own was like. It was an unfamiliar ceiling. Somewhere she felt unsafe and threatened. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she lie there, watching the rain. Until it grew dark, and she had no choice but to sleep. "Vestri diligo est a recubo…" she said, rolling over and crying herself into a dreamless sleep.
By the time Callie awoke, it was midafternoon. She would have slept clear through the day, had someone not knocked on her door. "Gimme, fuggin…minute…" she uttered, sure it was Pudge's sorry ass that stood behind the door. When she opened the door, she was shocked awake. "Uh…good morning?" she stammered. Callie looked to the floor. The tall blonde boy loomed over her. It was Miles; the class rep. "Cutting class again Rayson?" he asked. Callie shook her head. "I was…ill," she said, her gaze fixed on the floor. "What about the other nineteen times?" he asked accusingly. "And why is it that Master Brian is also absent each time you are?" she looked at him and smirked. "Give me my bulletins and leave, shithead," she said, reaching for the papers he held. "I know you want the gory details, but I'm afraid there are none, so get on your fucking way," She smiled, having just told him off. "It ain't over, bitch," he said, winging the papers into her room.
Pudge lay in his bed, his face stained with tears. He still clung to the balled up mass of black fabric that was her hoodie, her familiar scent now faded from its depths. He thought about apologizing, but she WAS a headcase. He considered some of her hair-brained schemes, and the times she'd been so serious, only to dissolve into giggles. He remembered her stroking his hair and speaking Latin to him while he dozed in the shade of the dead grey tree. He thought about her, always being full of hugs and bubbly optimism. Now, he'd abandoned her. What if her smile was to remain a constant look of discontent? What if her once-pleasant air was replaced by a mundane almost 'normal' person? What if her bright personality had lost it's shine? As he leaned his head back, he whispered, " I love her."
In a short period of time, Pudge was showered and dressed. He set out for the courtyard, to the gnarled leafless tree they'd always sat under. He opened his notebook and scribbled away, creating his own take on the Great Perhaps, and the straight and narrow out of the Labyrinth. Around dinnertime, he saw her. She slowly walked past him, her face sullen, and her eyes still red with tears. Her flowing black skirt made her look like a shadow. As she glided past him, he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. He looked into her eyes, his stubbornness having faded the moment he saw her. "I'm sorry I didn't agree about the labyrinth…" he said, pulling her to him in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around him, and smiled. Her normal, over-happy Callie smile.