"Wait, wait, wait. So you're actually going?" Thomas asked as he reclined on the rented sofa.
"Yeah?" John replied, unsure why this was so confusing for his little brother. The blonde sat on the easy chair as he shoved his feet into his grey boots, glancing at clock on the ugly green wall.
'Damn, already late!'
"How long will you be gone?"
"When do I ever know that?"
Thomas chuckled as his elder brother zipped up his light blue sweater and checked his pockets for his car keys.
"How late are you?"
"Oh pretty late," John answered casually as he grabbed his grey toque with the visor attached. He shoved his arms through the sleeves of his navy jacket and headed for the door of the small apartment.
Thomas shook his head. "All this trouble for some girl," he muttered.
"Okay, she's not just some girl. Her name's Pocahontas and she's a pretty cool girl."
"Who happens to be Native which you know Dad will freak about once he finds out," Thomas pointed out.
"Don't pull the dad card on me now," John groaned. "Besides, how's Dad going to know if no one tells him?"
"Who's to say I won't?"
"Laundry duty for the next month says you won't."
"Deal." Thomas turned on the small television to the history channel. "Just have the car back in one piece. You know Dad hates it when you total the rentals."
"Okay that was one time and you should have told me about the deer!" John shot over his shoulder as he exited the apartment. He didn't catch Thomas' reply.
Saturday finally came and, as promised, John Smith had every intention of driving to Pocahontas' reserve to spend the day with her. Since the party, John hadn't been doing much. He woke up exhausted Friday and spent the day watching a marathon of old black and white shows while Thomas did his homework at the kitchen table, constantly pointing out inaccuracies as they came up. Meanwhile, their dad picked up extra shifts at the local fishery. For how long, John didn't know but so far it seemed they were staying put. Besides television, John's phone was always on hand which Pocahontas filled with texts all day.
'I'll have to pry myself away from it at work.' John doubted the fishery would appreciate his phone being out.
Speaking of which, he glanced at the thing one last time, memorizing the directions then set out. When asked that morning what he was doing that day, John made up an elaborate tale that surly fooled the salt and peppered man.
"Nothing much, just hang around the place with Thomas."
It wasn't John's best by any means but at least it was believable. John had every intention of being home by four so that when his dad got dropped off by one of his buddies at six, he would have enough time to look like a couch potato.
About a half hour later, John pulled up to Pocahontas' reserve. Since he had nothing to compare it to, John thought the place wasn't half bad. It reminded him of a classic small town, except here there were no rednecks on front porches cleaning their shot guns.
His rental caught the stare of everyone who noticed and after five minutes of searching for her place, John was starting to wonder if he should have just got Pocahontas to pick him up.
Finally, the twenty year-old spotted the address and pulled up to the double-level home. The main level was painted a mustard yellow while the top was coloured a tan colour. To John it looked like someone built a house then stuck another one directly above it. He turned off the engine and hoped out just as two kids nearly knocked him to the ground. John steadied himself and watched as the boy and girl chased each other with snow balls. He grinned as the girl with pigtails smacked the boy. The snow slid down the hood of his furry coat and he let out a blood curdling yelp.
On cure, Pocahontas slammed open the front door and glared at the youngsters.
"Tiger Lily, what did Dad tell you about ice balls?"
The girl shrugged as she smothered her giggles. "I don't remember. And Koda started it anyway!"
Pocahontas rolled her eyes and that's when she noticed John. Her cheeks lit up and John grinned as he gave her a wave.
"Chastising the kids I see," he commented as he walked over to the front steps.
She shrugged. "I have to at least attempt to keep them in line." She hugged him as soon as he was close enough, nearly sending him tumbling into the snowy front yard. He caught himself with the railing and returned the embrace readily, trying to ignore the blush heating up his cheeks.
"Pocahontas, Koda threw me in a snow bank!" Tiger Lily whined.
John chuckled as he retracted his arms. He saw the culprit nearby and walked down the front steps. "He did, did he? Well that's not very nice, I guess we'll just have to teach him a lesson, won't we Pocahontas?" As he said that, John picked the boy up, swung him around and placed him on John's back.
"Put me down!" the boy laughed, hitting John's back with his fists as he was carried off to a snowier part of the yard.
"Not until you say sorry to our dear friend Tiger Lily."
"She's not my friend, she's a girl!" Koda exclaimed.
Pocahontas laughed along with John. The elder found a suitable snow bank and plopped the boy down just as he had done to the girl. Tiger Lily, now covered in snow, rushed over and hugged John.
"Are you a friend of my sister's?"
John nodded. "I happen to be, yes."
"You should come over more often. Koda needs to be thrown in snow banks more often."
John laughed and Pocahontas came over, taking his hand in hers. "Maybe later Lily. Now get inside and do your homework. Don't be too loud though, Nakoma and Nita are upstairs in Kenai's room."
The girl nodded then headed inside to dry off. Koda followed her lead, leaving Pocahontas and John alone.
"Well that was certainly interesting," he mused with a smirk.
"It certainly was," she chuckled. "You're pretty good with kids."
John shrugged. "It's a gift."
"And a curse."
"You don't know the half of it," he chuckled. "So, what are you going to show me first?"
Pocahontas pulled on her burgundy toque and shrugged. "I don't know; it'll be an adventure."
"I am partial to those."
"I figured," she smirked then led the way.
The pair went down her street to the main town square which mostly consisted of a few shops, places to eat, a snowy park with places for the children to play, and a plethora of houses, most covered in graffiti. Still, they were holding up in the winter and John suspected that was what mattered.
"Not a lot of places to work," he commented.
"No, not exactly. Dad's trying to work with the federal government to get more funding but it's difficult right now. He's doing his best though. With a new hospital open and farms selling their produce here, some income is starting to generate," she explained.
"I didn't think-" he started then stopped, shaking his head.
"What, that it was like this?"
John shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought it would be like a small town, but it's not."
"Not really."
He nodded and they turned down another road to a pathway that led into the forest. John ducked his head as a low hanging branch threatened to take his head off and admired Pocahontas as she nimbly made her way through the underbrush.
"Come here often?" he teased.
"More than you know."
The path twisted and turned and as they walked along he asked exactly how many people lived in her house.
"You seem to have a whole Brady bunch thing going on."
"A what?"
"Nothing. So, how many?"
"Well," she started, "there's my dad, me, Lily, Koda, Kenai, and there's almost always someone in the basement camping out for a few days."
John whistled. "Wow, and here I thought the apartment was cramped," he chuckled. "What about your mom?"
He watched as her lips pressed into a thin line and the hand that held his grew stiff. "She's uh, she's not here anymore."
"Did she die?"
Pocahontas shrugged. "I don't know. She went missing a while back and no one really knows what happened. She probably is."
"Didn't the police do any follow up?"
She shook her head. "At first they did, but then we got a letter from her saying she wasn't coming home so the police dropped the case." She looked at John. "It wasn't her handwriting though. She wouldn't have left my dad for anyone, not ever," she stated vehemently.
John squeezed her hand tightly and nodded. "I believe you."
"You do?"
He nodded again. "Yeah, of course I do, why wouldn't I?"
Pocahontas shrugged. "I don't know, every time I bring it up to anyone outside of the reserve they usually look at me like I'm crazy. People don't know what happens to women of my heritage. They just—people can just take us and no one seems to give a damn," she shook her head. "It's not right!"
John let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, don't say that, I give a damn, alright?"
'No one is going to take you. Never.'
She looked up at him and squinted. "Why?"
John's cheeks lit up and he cleared his throat. "Well I should think it would be normal for people to care about missing women."
Pocahontas stared at him for a moment then nodded her head. "Okay. Let's keep going." She started heading further down the path and he jogged to catch up.
A bush along the path shook and John jumped. A boy with a purple beanie and zebra pants leapt out followed by another youth dressed all in grey.
"Meeko, Flit, you scared us!" Pocahontas exclaimed as she tried to loosen John's death grip on her arm.
"Sorry Pocahontas!" Flit, the boy zebra, said as he fidgeted from foot to foot.
"Yeah, sorry!" Meeko suddenly stuck his nose in the air and sniffed. "Someone have cookies?"
John's eyes widened and he glanced at his pocket. "Oh right, I put snacks in there a few days ago." He pulled out the bag, showing ginger snaps. "Want one?"
Meeko eagerly nodded his head and John tossed him the bag. "Keep 'em. Got more at the apartment."
"Thanks!" he said eagerly.
"Flit, Meeko, where are you!" another voice rang in the woods. John glanced at Pocahontas.
"Another friend?"
She nodded. "I have many," she grinned. A boy exited the brush wearing a striped beanie and grey shirt with a disgruntled sigh.
"There you are. Honestly, can't you two stay put for one minute," the boy exclaimed.
Pocahontas rolled her eyes. "Percy, calm down. They weren't doing anything."
Percy huffed something under his breath then looked at John. He crossed his arms and appraised the newcomer.
"Who are you?"
"John Smith, also a friend of Pocahontas."
Flit tilted his head. "New friend?"
John nodded. "New friend."
Flit nodded then stole a cookie from Meeko who gave a garbled cry of displeasure. Pocahontas sighed and shook her head. "Are you guys done?"
"Don't worry Pocahontas, I'll take them home," Percy reassured. "Oh, are we still having spaghetti for dinner?"
She nodded. "I'll start it then, get these two to do something useful for a change," Percy said. He gathered the boys and they disappeared down the path.
"Spaghetti?"
"Want to stay for dinner?" she asked as they started to move forward again.
"I would, but Dad will be home by then and I kind of forgot to tell him where I was going today."
"Forgot or left out on purpose?"
John grimaced. "A little of both."
Pocahontas nodded. "I appreciate the honesty."
They continued in silence for some time until he heard the cry of an eagle. John heard it once when he and his father stopped further north on one of their drips. Feeling bold, John cupped his hands around his mouth and repeated the call. To his delight, the bird answered.
"Nice, but try not to sound too sharp. Ruins the effect." Pocahontas did her own call and received a reply as well.
John nodded. "I'll make a note of that."
He and Pocahontas walked the rest of the afternoon. She showed him a nearby bear cave and he was pretty sure he caught a glimpse of eyes peering down at him. There was a herd of deer he spotted and they ended up running with them, although it ended them tumbling down a hill and landed in a heap. Other than a few bruises, John came out smiling. The feel of her against his chest was startling and with her hair fanning around them, he was sure this was some kind of dream.
Whether it was real or not, the day ended and they went back to her home. On the front steps was Nakoma, John recognized her from the night before. Her arms were folded across her chest and she glared at John as he came up the driveway with his arm around Pocahontas' waist. He had completely forgotten it was there.
"Where have you been?" she asked Pocahontas.
"Out," Pocahontas supplied, brushing snow off her shoulder.
"Your dad's been waiting for you. Kenai's home from work and Tiger Lily needs help with her homework."
"Isn't Milo coming over tonight?"
"You know Milo can't make Lily pay attention. No one can."
"So why are you asking me then?"
"Because you're her sister."
Pocahontas sighed. "No lectures, okay Nakoma? Are you staying for dinner?"
"Yeah, is he?"
She shook her head. "No, John's got to get home. Give us a minute?" Nakoma reluctantly nodded and shut the door behind her.
Pocahontas looked up at John and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sorry about that. She's kind of protective of me."
John smirked. "It's alright. She's allowed to be."
She nodded and shuffled her feet, digging her moccasin foot into the snow. "When will I see you again?"
"Whenever you want," he replied. "I work at a fishery most of the week, but I can always work something out."
Pocahontas smiled. "I'll text you then."
"Yeah, you do that," he nodded, ducking his head to hide a grin.
"Pocahontas!" Nakoma called.
"Coming!"
John chuckled. "Guess our minute's up."
"Unfortunately. Drive safe!" she said as she headed to the door.
"Promise," he nodded then stepped back to the rental. He watched her get to the door then peek her head out before she shut it. She waved as he stumbled into the driver's seat and saw her in the rear view mirror as he drove off.
Even out of school, Mondays were still a pain for John. He waited in the high school parking lot of DSNEY and watched as the students filed out. He recognized most of them from the party, especially Ella since she lived on the floor above him. John leaned against the rental's hood and checked his phone again. If he remembered her class schedule, Pocahontas should be exiting soon.
On cue, the doors opened and she exited with Jasmine and Kida. John smiled as she skipped down the steps, swinging her bag over her back as she laughed at something Kida said. On Sunday he was invited to join the girls to their coffee shop date where he came to know the girls quite well.
Jasmine spotted him first and waved. Pocahontas followed her friend's eye line and her face lit up. John saw Jasmine head to Aladdin's car that already had another gentleman in the back seat. His gaze fell on Pocahontas again as she ran over to him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him an awkwardly placed hug. He laced his arms around her waist, burying his chuckles in her shoulder.
"I thought I'd surprise you. That and you left your hat in my car yesterday."
Pocahontas fell back on the heels of her feet and blushed. "I did, didn't I? Thanks." She retracted her grip on him and adjusted the sleeves on her thick blue coat.
"And I wanted to see when you were going to give me back my sweater," he added with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. "I already told you it's mine. You don't get to take it back."
"Not even if I ask nicely?"
Pocahontas shook her head as she chuckled. "Nope."
He snapped his fingers. "Damn. Well I guess I came here for nothing."
"Don't you have to pick up Thomas?"
John blushed. "Not really. He can uh, take the bus."
She snorted. "Liar."
He was about to reply when he noticed a familiar face marching towards them. "Uh oh. I think your date from the party would like to have a word."
Pocahontas glanced behind her and narrowed her eyes. "Kocoum, don't-" Before she could finish, Kocoum punched John in the jaw. He heard it crack, but it didn't feel like anything was broken.
"Kocoum, what the hell!" Pocahontas exclaimed as she grabbed John's arm so he wouldn't fall.
"Stay away from Pocahontas!" the native boy shouted then stormed off. John rubbed his sore jaw and groaned.
"Man that guy has a swing on him," he muttered.
Pocahontas helped him lean against the car and fished around for something cold. She pulled out her ice pack from lunch and placed it gingerly on his jaw. "I'm sorry John, he can be-"
"A jerk?"
"Yeah," she laughed nervously, "that sounds about right."
Thomas ran over and stared at his brother. "How bad does the other guy look?"
"Not a scratch on him."
Thomas nodded. "Figured." He looked at Pocahontas. "Thanks, but I'll take him home. He's got to nurse his ego."
John laughed but realized that hurt and winced. Pocahontas shook her head and helped him stand. "You sure? I feel awful. Damn Kocoum and," she shook her head. "Damn everything," she mumbled.
"I'll be fine. Nothing a little couch surfing won't hurt," John reassured. "You'd better get home so Koco doesn't blow a gasket." He handed her back the ice pack but she pressed it against his jaw again.
"Keep it. Then I'll have an excuse to see you again."
"You need an excuse?"
She chuckled and shook her head. "Sometimes."
"Do you see what I put up with Thom?"
Thomas rolled his eyes and arranged his brother in the passenger seat. "Yeah, yeah, pipe down lover boy. You'd better come up with a good story for the bruise on the ride home."
John waved goodbye to Pocahontas and kept his gaze on her till they were out of the parking lot.
"John . . ." Thomas started.
"Don't," he cut the boy off. "I know, okay? I know. I can't help it. She's-"
"Different, I know. Still, you know getting attached is dangerous. I shouldn't have to tell you that."
John rested his sore head against the window. "I know," he muttered. "Doesn't change how I feel though," he sighed.
"Well, stop it, alright? Stop feeling things," Thomas teased. "Don't you know we're supposed to be impenetrable forces of steal that let no emotions in or out?"
John barked a laugh. "So you do remember Dad's lectures."
'Better than I have at least.'