Chapter Two: Confined and Crazy
Sunni let out a long sigh of boredom. She was still in bed, despite the fact that she basically felt fine. Grammi said that she had to remain there for a few days, and that after she was no longer bedridden; she was to remain in the Glen. That made Sunni see red. They were far too protective. Granted, she'd been very ill but did they have to go crazy on her?
Sunni sighed again and reached into
her nightstand to get a book. She'd slept a time but now she was more than
awake and the thought of sleeping anymore made her bored beyond belief. This
was a book she'd been reading a while, about princesses, princes, unicorns and
true love. It made her long for someone who truly understood her. But as she
longed, she realized she did have one. Buddi, he understood her. He was always
there for her, no matter what. In fact, what Calla had said before was truly
starting to bother Sunni.
Lately every time someone mentioned
Buddi, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach. It made her feel hot and she
felt a terrible longing for him, just to see him if just for a moment. She had
an urge to hear his voice, his laughter. Sunni shook her head, tried to clear
her thoughts. But as she did so, she felt the longing again.
It grew. And grew some more until she
thought she'd be driven crazy.
Was Calla right?
Was Buddi more than a friend to her?
* * *
"Come on, Ursa!" Buddi grabbed her
hands. "I wanna go outside!"
"NO!"
Buddi's face fell. There was no
arguing when she got that tone of voice. He sighed and Ursa ruffled his hair.
He pulled away. She smiled at him, faintly. She knew he wanted to go play.
She'd promised he could get up today and she'd kept her word. However, she did
say that going outside was out of the question.
"I know you're bored, Buddi." She
got up and walked to the door. "But you're still weak. I want you to stay
inside for a few days. You're a cub, you'll find something to do."
Buddi slumped but nodded as she took
off outside, to train. Grubbi watched the child watch her go, wistfully. He
smiled. The child was bored practically to tears. Grubbi walked over to him and
put a hand on his shoulder. Buddi looked up and Grubbi gave him a smile.
"I know it's irritating, Buddi. But
you do know that she keeps you in because she cares, right?"
Buddi sighed. "Is this gonna be a you're-blessed-Buddi-speech?"
Grubbi laughed and shook his head.
"No, you know it seems."
Buddi nodded. "Yeah, I do know but
it's still annoying,"
Grubbi shrugged. "I'm sure you know
this but you're her baby. She's gonna worry about you."
Suddenly Grubbi knelt to Buddi's
level. "Doesn't it scare you Buddi? Do you know what Celina wants? I mean, really
know?"
Tears filled the cub's eyes. Tears
of fear. He nodded and a few streamed down his cheeks.
"My life," was his answer.
Grubbi hugged him tightly,
protectively. Ursa knew too and he knew what Buddi didn't. She had been getting
so little sleep lately that he'd finally given her some drugs to help her
sleep. Every time she was with Grubbi, she'd blurt her feelings out, that she
worried about her 'baby' constantly.
Grubbi knew that was another reason
she didn't let him out. Aside from the fact he had to win his strength back,
his 'Mama Ursa' wanted to keep him
where she knew he was safe, with the other adults. Buddi was a wild one though
and she knew that if she kept him tied too tight then he'd run off, endangering
himself.
"Buddi?"
The cub looked up at Grubbi. He gave
the cub a small wink. "If you don't tell Ursa, I'll make you a little snack."
Buddi beamed and nodded. Grubbi led
him over to the stove, where the remains of lunch were. If Grubbi knew Buddi,
he knew that a chocolate and sweet snack would be the perfect cure for boredom.
* * *
Sunni put her book down and got up.
Grabbing a kit from her closet, she sat down and started to separate the
different beads out. She was bored beyond measure so she took to creating
jewelry. She still was not very talented as her hands were not very steady,
unlike Buddi's. His were solid as a rock and never wavered.
"There I go again!"
Sunni grabbed her head and pulled at
her blond hair. Every since yesterday, she'd had Buddi on the brain. She didn't
know why. But every time she went to sleep, she saw him, in her dreams. And now
as she was awake, she saw him. Those bright eyes, shining at her with laughter.
Sunni shook her head.
What were these feelings?
The yellow glen girl was snapped
from her thoughts by a voice. Cubbi's.
"I'm goin' out, okay?"
Gruffi now, "You stick close you
hear?"
Sunni sighed in longing as she heard
the younger Gummi run out the door and outside. She looked around. She'd been
in her room so often and for so long that she would not have been surprised if
she could name every crack in her dresser of every cranny in the walls.
Sunni finally had had it. She threw
her kit on the ground and leapt up. She was beyond annoyed and was not about to
stay in this room anymore. She got up slowly, still a bit dizzy and peered out
into the hall. Seeing no one, she ran down the hallway towards the back exit.
But as the girl rounded a corner,
she hit someone hard and heard a loud squawk. She tumbled back and landed flat
on her back. Sitting up, she rubbed her head, trying to dull the dizziness.
Then someone pulled her up.
It was Gusto.
The light blue Gummi pulled her up
and then said,
"What's the rush, Sunners?"
"Well," she stammered. "I was-"
"Sunni!"
The two Gummies turned and were met
with Grammi, hands on her hips. Sunni winced and started back. Grammi grabbed
the girl's arm and tugged her back to her room, lecturing severally. Sunni
lowered her eyes and didn't protest. When Grammi started lecturing, it was
always a good idea to just be quiet and take it.
"You're to stay in bed, Sunni Gummi!
By Gum, you know that!"
Sunni nodded and said nothing.
Grammi put her back into her bed, covered her up. Sunni sighed deeply and lay
down. Grammi seemed to lose her anger a bit and said,
"Sunni dear, I know that this is
trying but-"
"But I need rest," she finished. "I
know, I know."
Grammi smiled. "Just hang on a few
more days Sunni. Then you can get up, alright?"
Sunni nodded. As Grammi left, Sunni
realized what she'd been doing. Celina wanted her life. Why was she anxious to
go out? Had Celina done this purposely?
Sunni shuddered; she was confined,
going out of her mind…
But scared to death.