Okay everyone. I'm really sorry about the lack of posting on my part. I was in a slump, a big slump. Thanks to my friends, you know who you are, who encouraged me not to just give up on this. I hope ya'll have not lost the desire to figure out what's next. For everyone that's read Squire, you know that this fic totally ignores the event that happened. Now on to the story!
Chapter 6: "A secret between friends"
Kel stood in her doorway, her eyes fixed on her friend. "How did you-I mean-when?" She couldn't seem to get the words out.
"You mean when did I find out?" Neal stretched his long legs out on her bed, resting his head on folded arms. "A while ago, actually."
Kel moved to sit by Neal, "But how?" Then it hit her. The noise she heard that night...that was him! "You mean you saw me that morning?"
"No, not that morning, I saw you go to his room that night. About an hour after you went to bed."
She saw the smirk on Neal's face. "Nothing happened, Neal. You know I'd never do that. What were you doing up that late anyway?"
Neal shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. Then I heard some footsteps outside my room. I went outside and saw you walking down the hallway. I spied, followed you until we reached Joren's room. Trust me, I thought you were going to punch his lights out or something. Then I saw him pull you into his room and close the door. That surprised me. You didn't even protest. So I went back to my room, pondering why you'd go into his room."
"What did you think about it?"
"I thought up a lot of explanations. I didn't like any of them, not at all. How you could have fallen in love with that ass is beyond me."
"Hey! He's different around me. All that hatred was just a mask to hide his feelings." Kel couldn't believe it; she was standing up for him. And just a year ago she would agree with the ass comment. "So, you were in the middle of the story?"
"Yes. The next morning I needed to cancel out my nightmare explanation, so I waited, watching Joren's door carefully. Then I saw you come out of his room, and the way he looked at you. I was right."
"Yeah, you were. I really care about him, Neal, and I know he cares about me."
Neal sat up and out his hand on her shoulder. "I know. For a while I wouldn't accept it, I didn't want to. But then I saw how happy you've been, and I figured I should deal with it. I trust you're taste in people."
Kel hugged Neal, "Thank you for understanding. I was so afraid that once my friends found out they disown me, or something."
"Are you crying?" Neal asked, alarmed.
"No!" Kel said wiping a single tear, "It's just been really hard keeping this a secret. I'm glad someone knows, now."
Neal looked at Kel, "You mean you haven't told the fair Portia?"
Kel laughed, "No. Joren wants to keep this a secret, so I haven't told anyone."
"Probably wants to protect his reputation." Neal scoffed, "If you were mine, I'd tell the whole world. I wouldn't care who found out."
Kel looked at Neal, a bit speechless. "What?"
"I'm just saying, a guy should be proud of his girl."
"Well, he's just protecting me. Could you imagine if Wyldon found out?" Kel stood.
"Mithros! That would be something!" Neal slung an arm around Kel's shoulders. "Well we can't have any of that, now can we?"
"Not at all. But it's good that you know, you're my best friend." Kel politely removed his arm and opened the door. "Now I can tell you everything, like I've wanted to for so long."
Neal coughed, "I don't want to hear all that lovey-dovey stuff! I'm a man!"
Kel walked down the hall with him, "I had to hear all of your stories, why can't you listen to me?"
Neal turned to look at her, "Fine. I may even help you write some poetry, though it'll be weird since it's to the one person I've despised in my life here in the palace."
"Neal, I don't want to scare him away. The poetry is unnecessary. Trust me." Kel laughed as Neal pretended to be offended.
"It's gotten better!"
"Is that what Portia said?" Kel asked, remembering the glass of water that got dumped over Neal's head a few weeks ago.
"A minor setback. She'll come to, eventually." Neal continued to his room, with Kel trailing his long strides. Once they were in his room, Neal sat at his desk where his newest book laid half read. "So, are you two making an appearance at the Ball next week?"
Kel sat on his bed, shuffling her feet. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind, but then..."
"But then he wants to keep this hidden, right? Well, he should at least dance with you. Doesn't take a smart man to figure that one out." Neal shook his head.
"I should ask him, shouldn't I?"
"That would be what I'd do." Neal got up. "I still don't like this, you know. He might hurt you, I don't want to see that happen."
"I know, but you trust me. I can take care of myself."
Neal laughed to himself, "Yeah, I do know that. But if he EVER hurts you I'll-lets just say he'll never live to face the Ordeal."
Kel smiled. "I have to go. Thank you again for understanding."
"Hey it's our secret, right? A secret between best friends."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So about the ball. I really want to go."
Joren walked beside Kel, holding her hand. "Then go, have a good time with your friends."
Kel stopped, "I want to have a good time with you."
"Oh, Kel. You know we can't do that."
"Why not? Why can't we be together? Are you ashamed that you and I are in love?"
Joren wrapped him arms around Kel and kissed her. "Does that tell you I'm ashamed?"
Kel smiled, "No, but at least dance with me at the ball. One time, no one has to know why."
"Okay."
"Promise me."
"I promise."
"Good," Kel said as they continued their walk, "Because I've been practicing."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yay! I'm so happy this chapter is finally up! Please keep reviewing, it tells me how I'm doing. Next chapter, the ball takes place. It's gonna be good, so watch out for me.
Chapter 6: "A secret between friends"
Kel stood in her doorway, her eyes fixed on her friend. "How did you-I mean-when?" She couldn't seem to get the words out.
"You mean when did I find out?" Neal stretched his long legs out on her bed, resting his head on folded arms. "A while ago, actually."
Kel moved to sit by Neal, "But how?" Then it hit her. The noise she heard that night...that was him! "You mean you saw me that morning?"
"No, not that morning, I saw you go to his room that night. About an hour after you went to bed."
She saw the smirk on Neal's face. "Nothing happened, Neal. You know I'd never do that. What were you doing up that late anyway?"
Neal shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. Then I heard some footsteps outside my room. I went outside and saw you walking down the hallway. I spied, followed you until we reached Joren's room. Trust me, I thought you were going to punch his lights out or something. Then I saw him pull you into his room and close the door. That surprised me. You didn't even protest. So I went back to my room, pondering why you'd go into his room."
"What did you think about it?"
"I thought up a lot of explanations. I didn't like any of them, not at all. How you could have fallen in love with that ass is beyond me."
"Hey! He's different around me. All that hatred was just a mask to hide his feelings." Kel couldn't believe it; she was standing up for him. And just a year ago she would agree with the ass comment. "So, you were in the middle of the story?"
"Yes. The next morning I needed to cancel out my nightmare explanation, so I waited, watching Joren's door carefully. Then I saw you come out of his room, and the way he looked at you. I was right."
"Yeah, you were. I really care about him, Neal, and I know he cares about me."
Neal sat up and out his hand on her shoulder. "I know. For a while I wouldn't accept it, I didn't want to. But then I saw how happy you've been, and I figured I should deal with it. I trust you're taste in people."
Kel hugged Neal, "Thank you for understanding. I was so afraid that once my friends found out they disown me, or something."
"Are you crying?" Neal asked, alarmed.
"No!" Kel said wiping a single tear, "It's just been really hard keeping this a secret. I'm glad someone knows, now."
Neal looked at Kel, "You mean you haven't told the fair Portia?"
Kel laughed, "No. Joren wants to keep this a secret, so I haven't told anyone."
"Probably wants to protect his reputation." Neal scoffed, "If you were mine, I'd tell the whole world. I wouldn't care who found out."
Kel looked at Neal, a bit speechless. "What?"
"I'm just saying, a guy should be proud of his girl."
"Well, he's just protecting me. Could you imagine if Wyldon found out?" Kel stood.
"Mithros! That would be something!" Neal slung an arm around Kel's shoulders. "Well we can't have any of that, now can we?"
"Not at all. But it's good that you know, you're my best friend." Kel politely removed his arm and opened the door. "Now I can tell you everything, like I've wanted to for so long."
Neal coughed, "I don't want to hear all that lovey-dovey stuff! I'm a man!"
Kel walked down the hall with him, "I had to hear all of your stories, why can't you listen to me?"
Neal turned to look at her, "Fine. I may even help you write some poetry, though it'll be weird since it's to the one person I've despised in my life here in the palace."
"Neal, I don't want to scare him away. The poetry is unnecessary. Trust me." Kel laughed as Neal pretended to be offended.
"It's gotten better!"
"Is that what Portia said?" Kel asked, remembering the glass of water that got dumped over Neal's head a few weeks ago.
"A minor setback. She'll come to, eventually." Neal continued to his room, with Kel trailing his long strides. Once they were in his room, Neal sat at his desk where his newest book laid half read. "So, are you two making an appearance at the Ball next week?"
Kel sat on his bed, shuffling her feet. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind, but then..."
"But then he wants to keep this hidden, right? Well, he should at least dance with you. Doesn't take a smart man to figure that one out." Neal shook his head.
"I should ask him, shouldn't I?"
"That would be what I'd do." Neal got up. "I still don't like this, you know. He might hurt you, I don't want to see that happen."
"I know, but you trust me. I can take care of myself."
Neal laughed to himself, "Yeah, I do know that. But if he EVER hurts you I'll-lets just say he'll never live to face the Ordeal."
Kel smiled. "I have to go. Thank you again for understanding."
"Hey it's our secret, right? A secret between best friends."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So about the ball. I really want to go."
Joren walked beside Kel, holding her hand. "Then go, have a good time with your friends."
Kel stopped, "I want to have a good time with you."
"Oh, Kel. You know we can't do that."
"Why not? Why can't we be together? Are you ashamed that you and I are in love?"
Joren wrapped him arms around Kel and kissed her. "Does that tell you I'm ashamed?"
Kel smiled, "No, but at least dance with me at the ball. One time, no one has to know why."
"Okay."
"Promise me."
"I promise."
"Good," Kel said as they continued their walk, "Because I've been practicing."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yay! I'm so happy this chapter is finally up! Please keep reviewing, it tells me how I'm doing. Next chapter, the ball takes place. It's gonna be good, so watch out for me.