Did I update fast enough? I hope so. This chapter is also longer. So yeah. I hope you all enjoy it :)
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Lionblaze's POV
It stops storming. I stop worrying for Hollyleaf.
Now, it's dinner time.
Ashfur appears in the doorway, soaked from the rain. "All right, dinner time," he almost yells.
I take note to be careful of cranky Ashfur.
Slipping on my shoes, I follow Berrynose out the door. Ashfur leads us all to the cafeteria once again. Even though the storm is gone, there's still a little sprinkle of rain.
I put my hood up to protect me from the few raindrops that fall, but only moments later do I enter the cafeteria.
Today's dinner is steak. I enter the line for food and quietly take a piece of steak as well as some mashed potatoes. I grab a fork and a knife, then return to my table.
There, all the boys are huddled, talking about which girl they plan to ask to the dance. It makes me angry.
Enough already! Can we think about something other than girls? I think to myself. I wish I had the courage to say that to my friends, but they're happy, and I don't want to make them unhappy just because I am.
"So, Lionblaze, who are you going to ask?" Foxleap looks at me with a smirk.
"Nobody," I say, taking my fork and violently stabbing my steak with it.
"Oh, come on!" Mousewhisker says. "Pick someone before one of us takes her first."
I stare at Mousewhisker. "Pick someone?"
Mousewhisker shrinks back in his seat.
"What are we, picking girls as if we're picking berries?" I hiss. "No. I'm going to wait until I've found a girl who I love. Maybe then I'll ask her."
Berrynose rolls his eyes, but the other boys stay silent.
Of course, I already know which girl I love, but I… I don't think I'll be able to ask her to the dance…
That's when we hear three loud claps and everyone in the cafeteria turns to look at the little stage, where Leaftail stands.
"Good evening, campers!" Leaftail announces. "I've got a very special announcement for tonight!"
Everyone applauds, though I don't know why. I'm not quite sure what to expect.
"Tonight, I have a very special question for a very special girl," he says with a wink. "Heathertail, I would like to request for you to come up to the stage!"
I turn my head to the WindCabin girls, where Heathertail stands up, smiling. Her blond curls bounce as she heads up to the stage, waving to the crowd as if she is a princess. I don't like her.
"Why, hello Leaftail," Heathertail begins with a smile. "I'm excited to hear the question you have for me."
Obviously, they've got this all scripted out, I tell myself. They've obviously rehearsed it, trying to make them seem like the only two people in the world who matter, as if they're royalty of camp or something. Still, I'm thankful Leaftail and Heathertail are together. This way, Heathertail won't be chasing me around all the time, since she'll have another boy to worry about.
Leaftail gets down on one knee. What is this, a marriage proposal? It's just a stupid invitation to the dance. He takes Heathertail's hand. "Heathertail, will you please be my date to the final dance?"
Heathertail blushes. Just say yes and get it over with! She looks at Leaftail.
"Oh, Leafy..." she gushes.
Just. Say. Yes.
"I'm sorry, I… I can't."
What?!
"I'm actually going with Lionblaze."
What.
Time stops. I can't hear Berrynose as he whispers, "you said you won't ask anyone! Ha!" and Foxleap and Toadstep as they snicker and cheer for me. I watch Heathertail turn to me, as she walks over to my table, her boots tapping with every step she takes across the floor. She smiles and grabs me by the arm, and I stumble out of my chair as she half-drags me to the stage, where a very unhappy Leaftail stands.
"Smile, honey," Heathertail hisses through her grin.
Okay, so they didn't script this out. Heathertail is just a really good actress.
What a plot twist…
My thinking returns to normal, and I've got it.
I need to throw in another plot twist to this situation.
"...and he asked me right before we went to the lake, which means we were actually the first real couple," Heathertail tells the cafeteria.
"Heathertail…" I begin.
Heathertail looks at me with a smile. "Yes, sweetie? Do you want to say something?"
"Actually, I do," I say. Heathertail whispers, "make it romantic" as she steps back, giving me the spotlight.
I look over at Heathertail and smile. "You must have confused me with Breezepelt. I clearly remember seeing him ask you right by the Lake earlier. I thought you two were such a cute couple. But, if you can't even tell the difference between me and him, maybe you shouldn't go to the dance. You might end up dancing with Graystripe, thinking he's Leaftail."
I flash a fake smile back to Heathertail, whose jaw is wide open with shock. She's too surprised to protest.
Some of the campers in the audience laugh, as some of them gasp. I smile. Just one more twist to add…
"Besides, I've already decided to ask someone," I say. I scan the crowd frantically. Random ThunderCabin girl, random ThunderCabin girl… Ah!
"Icecloud, would you please go to the final dance with me?"
From the crowd, Icecloud stands, her eyes blue and wide. She slowly makes her way to the stage.
Please, just say yes.
Icecloud looks at me and grins. "Of course!"
She throws her arms around me. I breathe a sigh of relief as I hug her back.
As we pull away from our hug, the bathroom door swings open and out walks Breezepelt. The whole room falls silent, staring at him. He frantically looks around. "Did I miss something?"
Toadstep and Foxleap jump up and run over to him. "No, Breezy, we were just congratulating you!" Foxleap announces.
"On what?" asks Breezepelt, frowning.
"Your asking of Heathertail to the dance!" says Toadstep, dragging Breezepelt up to the stage. He pushes him forward.
Breezepelt tries to protest. "But I didn't-"
"We know you wanted to keep it a secret," says Foxleap as Toadstep slaps his hand over Breezepelt's mouth. "But sooner or later we would've found out."
Breezepelt pushes Toadstep's hand away and looks at Foxleap. "I'm going to the dance with Heathertail?"
Icecloud giggles from next to me. "Yes, Breezepelt, you are."
"Hmph," Breezepelt says, but not angrily. More like he's thoughtful, as if he doesn't mind going to the dance with Heathertail.
Heathertail is still frozen with shock, as Leaftail seems to be as well. I can't help but want to laugh at this situation. Well, Heathertail, you brought me into this, so I brought all this as well.
"Sooooo… Heathertail…" Breezepelt says, walking over to her and putting his arm around her waist. "How's it going?"
Leaftail angrily looks at Breezepelt. "I thought you wanted me to ask her!"
"I guess it was all pretend," Breezepelt says with a smile and a shrug.
"But I didn't… I…" Heathertail starts. She can't seem to finish her sentence, so she runs off the stage, with Breezepelt following right behind. I gaze out at the other campers, who are all laughing or whispering amongst each other, except Ivypool. She looks shocked, and angry. I'm not sure why.
Leaftail comes up to me and hisses in my ear, "this is all your fault. Someday, you're going to pay."
He angrily returns to his table. So that leaves me, Icecloud, Foxleap and Toadstep standing awkwardly on stage.
"Wow, what an evening!" Toadstep says all of a sudden. "Am I right, folks?"
"We've got two new couples and one heartbroken camper already!" Foxleap announces.
I notice Leaftail at his table as he stands up, wanting to say something, but then just leaves the cafeteria.
"Who knows what will happen next?" Toadstep says.
"I guess you all will just have to stay tuned with Camp Warriors News! This is Foxleap, your host, signing off."
He and Toadstep return to their seats, and then the cafeteria returns to normal, except with a lot more excitement and chatter in the air. I'm still standing here with Icecloud, and she hasn't stopped smiling since I "asked" her to the dance.
Wait… this means I have a date to the dance.
Who isn't Cinderheart.
But it's Icecloud. And I mean, I like her too.
Icecloud looks up at me. "Do you want to go sit outside? If you're done eating, I mean."
I shrug. "Okay. But let's go through the front doors, since Breezepelt and Heathertail and Leaftail all left through the back."
Icecloud smiles. "Okay. Just let me go put my plate away."
She runs off, as I return to my table and grab my plate. I try to hurry away, avoiding my friends and their questions, but Foxleap comes up to me with his plate and walks to put his plate away with me.
"Thanks for asking my sister," he says with a smile. "I can tell you two really like each other."
"Mmhm," I say, unsure of what else I can reply with.
"Listen," he says, looking me in the eye. "I know we're good friends and everything, and I trust you, but you better treat my sister the way she deserves to be treated, because I love her to death. Treat her like a princess… no, like a freaking queen. Got that?"
I gulp. I still love Cinderheart though… maybe Icecloud can make me forget about her, though? I mean, I do like Icecloud… she's one of the nicest people I know, and she's also pretty. But I don't think I'm going to be an official couple with her or anything…
"Sure thing," I reply with a weak smile. Foxleap pats my back.
"Thanks man," he says, and just like that, he runs back to his table.
I take a deep breath and head for the door. Icecloud appears right behind me with a smile.
We both walk out together and I go to sit down on the bench right by the wall of the cafeteria. Icecloud sits right next to me.
"That was… wow. Pretty crazy," Icecloud says.
I laugh. "Tell me about it. But don't worry, I'm going to stay away from Heathertail. Hopefully Breezepelt will keep her away from me."
Icecloud shrugs her shoulders. "I still feel bad for Ivypool, though."
I look at Icecloud. "What about her?"
Icecloud shrugs her shoulders. "I can trust you, right?"
"If you want," I say.
Icecloud takes a deep breath. "Well, I've noticed that Ivypool and Breezepelt used to hang out a lot."
I think about it, and I guess she's right.
"I asked her, and she confirmed it. I guess she really liked him, and he only half-liked her back," Icecloud goes on.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
Icecloud looks down at her feet. "I guess he liked her, but not enough to not go to dances with other girls."
"Oh," I say. But honestly, why would Ivypool like Breezepelt? Why would anyone like Breezepelt? Seriously, though, someday Ivypool will realize what a jerk Breezepelt is, and she'll thank me for this.
We sit in silence for a little bit, with us both looking away. I focus my eyes on a leaf on the ground, and I lose concentration for a little bit, until I feel something on my right arm.
"Ouch!" I exclaim, slapping my arm. A mosquito flies away from me.
"Tell me about it," Icecloud says. "Mosquitoes are the only thing I don't like about camp."
"You can say that again," I reply.
All of a sudden, in the distance, not too far away, I can see some red and white lights. They slowly come closer. My heart stops.
"What is that?" Icecloud asks.
"I think…"
The ambulance finally comes into sight, and right away, Hollyleaf erupts from the doorway to my left. She turns to look at me.
"That will… is that… can I…" she pants.
"What?"
"Is that Cinderheart?" Hollyleaf announces. The ambulance stops right next to the medical cabin, where Firestar and my brother Jayfeather walk out. Hollyleaf squeals and sprints over, and I see two human figures as they open the ambulance door. I can hardly believe it as I see another human shape… a girl my age, as she stumbles out of the ambulance on crutches.
Icecloud gasps. I watch Hollyleaf throw her arms around the girl. Jayfeather and Firestar even look happy.
"Is that…?" Icecloud asks. I nod.
"She's back."
So... crazy chapter, huh? How did you guys like it?
Oh, and before I forget, thanks to WolfLover2218 for the LionXIce idea! :D
So yep. The next update probably won't be for a while, but... Don't forget to review any ideas you have!
Question: What do you think is the funniest CANON Warriors name in the series? I personally think Sneezekit is funny. I mean, it's kind of a cute name for a kit, but for a warrior, there's no way you can make it sound tough... Sneezeclaw, Sneezefang, Sneezefur, Sneezewhisker, Sneezeface...
RANDOM Question: What's your favorite summer snack? Mine are either ice cream sandwiches or watermelon.
That's all for now! Hope you guys are enjoying the story! ~Silverblaze
