CH14
***
Strange Twist
Warmth. It was strange. Being out on her own for what seemed so long made the warmth unusual. Odd. Out of place. It wasn't something you had in the wild with no coat. But here she was, and there was warmth, but what was the source?
Fi opened her eyes. She almost screamed, someone was next to her, sleeping. Fi let out a deep breath when she realized it was Clu. How could she have forgotten? They were extremely close. We must have fallen asleep against the tree last night, Fi thought. Now they were laying on the sleeping bag, arms around each other.
What do I do? Fi thought, should I yank away or... Her mind seemed to be already made up, she layed her head back against his chest, and closed her eyes. If it was anyone else, she would have pulled away, but this wasn't anybody else. And their closeness was comforting
She hasn't pulled away yet, Clu thought. I wonder why? Last night- what exactly happened last night? Are things between us okay again? Oh, shut up, he told himself, and layed his head on Fi's. A few minuets later, he became aware that he was hungry.
"Fi, you hungry?"
"Yeah," Fi answered. "So..." she started slowly, "what's for breakfast?" and ended quickly. Which made Clu laugh.
"Hmm, don't know. Let's see..." Clu began to mentally visualize everything that was left, and what would be best for breakfast. "How about..."
"Chicken noodle soup!" Fi quickly finished for him. Which made Clu laugh again. The fact that chicken noodle soup was a little strange to be eating for breakfast and that he had actually packed it, added to the laughter. "What?" Fi began to laugh herself. "What's wrong with chicken noodle?"
Nothing, it's just that it's a weird thing to eat for breakfast." Clu stood, heading for his pack, Fi followed. "But, I guess I forgot, 'Weird's your middle name."
"Hey," Fi gave him a playful punch in the arm. Clu pretended that it actually had hurt him, grasping his arm in mock pain.
"Oh, ow, I think I need an ambulance!" Still clutching his arm, he asked, "Fi, have you been working out? You a lot stronger since the last time I saw you."
"Oh you," Fi laughed, shaking her head, then gave him a little shove.
"Hey, be nice," he warned, a smile hiding behind his stern look. "You should NEVER punch an injured person."
"Well, that might be true, but I didn't punch you."
"It applies to shoving, jabbing, kicking, and anything similar too! It's the law, so you shouldn't shove the injured guy."
"Or what?"
"Or this," he ran toward her, scooping her up in his arms. She swung her around in a circle, her hair flying in the wind. Then he headed toward the stream, a sly look on his face.
"No, don't even think about it. Stop right here." Clu didn't listen, so when he dunked Fi in the water, Fi dragged him in with her. The water was at least four feet deep in this part of the stream, perfect for a water fight. They began splashing each other, laughing and screaming as they did.
Five minuets later, the two came out, still laughing, drenched, and lay next to each other on the grass, legs and arms spread apart. It was very warm out, and the sun felt great.
"You weren't injured," Fi half laughed half whispered.
"Was too," he laughed back.
"Oh yeah, prove it."
"How am I supposed to prove it?!"
"See, I knew it! You're just faking."
"Was it that obvious." he mad a pouting face that totally cracked Fi up.
"Very *laugh laugh* ob- *laugh* -vi- *laugh* -ous. *laugh laugh*"
Still pouting, he said, "Oh well, I guess I shouldn't take up acting as a career later in life."
"If there is a later," Fi said quietly.
"Fi, we WILL get out of here. If we don't, at least we will know that we tried as hard as possible.
"Clu, I was wondering. Why did you come by yourself? I mean, you said every one gave up. Why didn't you?"
"I, uh... I don't give up that easily." Please change the subject, he mentally begged.
"You're not telling me all of it, I can tell."
"Okay, the truth is this, I missed you. And when they told me about the crash, well, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, you mean too much to me." Clu said the last part slowly and softly.
"I missed you too, Clu."
Clu gave a little laugh, then said: "What do you say we get dried off and find something to eat?" He stood, so did Fi.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yeah... Uh hu... sure... bye." Jack said in a monotone voice, then hung up the phone. His face was pure white.
"Who was it?" Carey asked.
"Annie," he said. "she said her parents are dead-"
"What?!" Molly exclaimed, "they can't be dead... how?"
"Annie said that someone shot them. They were hospitalized, but they died hours later. She said that the flight leaves tomorrow at two p.m., and we should be there around three."
"Wait," Molly said, confused. "Back up. Be where?"
"At the airport, I told her she could come stay with us. That's okay, isn't it? I mean, she has no where else to go. No other family."
"Yeah, it's fine, I just wish you'd asked me first. Poor Annie. Okay guys, I'm heading out to the store, I'll be back soon." She seemed a little dazed, like she was going to faint.
The boy's watched as she left, then Carey nudged Jack, grinning. "Lucky you, your girlfriend's coming to live with you."
"She's NOT my girlfriend," Jack said, blushing. "We're just... friends."
"Yeah, sure."
Jack wheeled himself into the kitchen, and filled a glass with water, then drunk it. They had gotten at the house yesterday, Molly had come with them. Ned and Irene had stayed on the bus, and would be arriving in a couple of days.
Poor Annie, Jack thought. I can totally relate to her, but both of her parents are dead. Though I might be loosing a sister, and Carey might loose his brother. If I were her I'd probably would've killed myself. Heck, I feel suicidal right now. But if I off my self mom would be even more depressed. Mentally unstable. Lately, it seems as if she's heading toward that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh I walked around the corner and I walked around the block, and I walked right into the doughnut shop. And I picked up the doughnut and I wiped off the grease, and I handed the clerk my five cent piece. Well she looked at the nickel and she looked at me and she said kind sir you can plainly see, there's a hole in the nickel and it goes right through and I said there's a hole in the doughnut too."
Fi and Clu ended in unison. It was later that day and they had been walking for a couple of hours now. They took turns carrying the pack, right now it was Clu's turn. They had been singing songs, telling jokes, basically anything that made them laugh. They seemed to be getting high off their laughs. The thing was, they hadn't laughed in such a long time, it felt great.
***
Strange Twist
Warmth. It was strange. Being out on her own for what seemed so long made the warmth unusual. Odd. Out of place. It wasn't something you had in the wild with no coat. But here she was, and there was warmth, but what was the source?
Fi opened her eyes. She almost screamed, someone was next to her, sleeping. Fi let out a deep breath when she realized it was Clu. How could she have forgotten? They were extremely close. We must have fallen asleep against the tree last night, Fi thought. Now they were laying on the sleeping bag, arms around each other.
What do I do? Fi thought, should I yank away or... Her mind seemed to be already made up, she layed her head back against his chest, and closed her eyes. If it was anyone else, she would have pulled away, but this wasn't anybody else. And their closeness was comforting
She hasn't pulled away yet, Clu thought. I wonder why? Last night- what exactly happened last night? Are things between us okay again? Oh, shut up, he told himself, and layed his head on Fi's. A few minuets later, he became aware that he was hungry.
"Fi, you hungry?"
"Yeah," Fi answered. "So..." she started slowly, "what's for breakfast?" and ended quickly. Which made Clu laugh.
"Hmm, don't know. Let's see..." Clu began to mentally visualize everything that was left, and what would be best for breakfast. "How about..."
"Chicken noodle soup!" Fi quickly finished for him. Which made Clu laugh again. The fact that chicken noodle soup was a little strange to be eating for breakfast and that he had actually packed it, added to the laughter. "What?" Fi began to laugh herself. "What's wrong with chicken noodle?"
Nothing, it's just that it's a weird thing to eat for breakfast." Clu stood, heading for his pack, Fi followed. "But, I guess I forgot, 'Weird's your middle name."
"Hey," Fi gave him a playful punch in the arm. Clu pretended that it actually had hurt him, grasping his arm in mock pain.
"Oh, ow, I think I need an ambulance!" Still clutching his arm, he asked, "Fi, have you been working out? You a lot stronger since the last time I saw you."
"Oh you," Fi laughed, shaking her head, then gave him a little shove.
"Hey, be nice," he warned, a smile hiding behind his stern look. "You should NEVER punch an injured person."
"Well, that might be true, but I didn't punch you."
"It applies to shoving, jabbing, kicking, and anything similar too! It's the law, so you shouldn't shove the injured guy."
"Or what?"
"Or this," he ran toward her, scooping her up in his arms. She swung her around in a circle, her hair flying in the wind. Then he headed toward the stream, a sly look on his face.
"No, don't even think about it. Stop right here." Clu didn't listen, so when he dunked Fi in the water, Fi dragged him in with her. The water was at least four feet deep in this part of the stream, perfect for a water fight. They began splashing each other, laughing and screaming as they did.
Five minuets later, the two came out, still laughing, drenched, and lay next to each other on the grass, legs and arms spread apart. It was very warm out, and the sun felt great.
"You weren't injured," Fi half laughed half whispered.
"Was too," he laughed back.
"Oh yeah, prove it."
"How am I supposed to prove it?!"
"See, I knew it! You're just faking."
"Was it that obvious." he mad a pouting face that totally cracked Fi up.
"Very *laugh laugh* ob- *laugh* -vi- *laugh* -ous. *laugh laugh*"
Still pouting, he said, "Oh well, I guess I shouldn't take up acting as a career later in life."
"If there is a later," Fi said quietly.
"Fi, we WILL get out of here. If we don't, at least we will know that we tried as hard as possible.
"Clu, I was wondering. Why did you come by yourself? I mean, you said every one gave up. Why didn't you?"
"I, uh... I don't give up that easily." Please change the subject, he mentally begged.
"You're not telling me all of it, I can tell."
"Okay, the truth is this, I missed you. And when they told me about the crash, well, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, you mean too much to me." Clu said the last part slowly and softly.
"I missed you too, Clu."
Clu gave a little laugh, then said: "What do you say we get dried off and find something to eat?" He stood, so did Fi.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yeah... Uh hu... sure... bye." Jack said in a monotone voice, then hung up the phone. His face was pure white.
"Who was it?" Carey asked.
"Annie," he said. "she said her parents are dead-"
"What?!" Molly exclaimed, "they can't be dead... how?"
"Annie said that someone shot them. They were hospitalized, but they died hours later. She said that the flight leaves tomorrow at two p.m., and we should be there around three."
"Wait," Molly said, confused. "Back up. Be where?"
"At the airport, I told her she could come stay with us. That's okay, isn't it? I mean, she has no where else to go. No other family."
"Yeah, it's fine, I just wish you'd asked me first. Poor Annie. Okay guys, I'm heading out to the store, I'll be back soon." She seemed a little dazed, like she was going to faint.
The boy's watched as she left, then Carey nudged Jack, grinning. "Lucky you, your girlfriend's coming to live with you."
"She's NOT my girlfriend," Jack said, blushing. "We're just... friends."
"Yeah, sure."
Jack wheeled himself into the kitchen, and filled a glass with water, then drunk it. They had gotten at the house yesterday, Molly had come with them. Ned and Irene had stayed on the bus, and would be arriving in a couple of days.
Poor Annie, Jack thought. I can totally relate to her, but both of her parents are dead. Though I might be loosing a sister, and Carey might loose his brother. If I were her I'd probably would've killed myself. Heck, I feel suicidal right now. But if I off my self mom would be even more depressed. Mentally unstable. Lately, it seems as if she's heading toward that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh I walked around the corner and I walked around the block, and I walked right into the doughnut shop. And I picked up the doughnut and I wiped off the grease, and I handed the clerk my five cent piece. Well she looked at the nickel and she looked at me and she said kind sir you can plainly see, there's a hole in the nickel and it goes right through and I said there's a hole in the doughnut too."
Fi and Clu ended in unison. It was later that day and they had been walking for a couple of hours now. They took turns carrying the pack, right now it was Clu's turn. They had been singing songs, telling jokes, basically anything that made them laugh. They seemed to be getting high off their laughs. The thing was, they hadn't laughed in such a long time, it felt great.