Chap. 5: A Different Sort Of Friend
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, blah blah u know the routine. Do I really have 2 make 1 of these 4 every chapter?)
Kel took a step back shaking her head. How could this happen to her now? After she had gotten over Neal. Why was he doing this to her?
"Kel I should explain. I shouldn't have told you like this. I just…I just got so mad when I saw you with Cleon. We sort of have a rivalry between friends over you." Neal started. " And you've become so beautiful."
Kel had started to be sucked in by Neal's words but something pulled her out. She had become beautiful? So then she hadn't always been beautiful? "Neal, you and I wouldn't work."
"Why not?"
"Cleon saw me when there was nothing to see. With you, it could just be another 'thing'. Understand?" Kel didn't know how to lay this on her best friend. Any way he would take it hard.
"A 'thing'? You could never be a 'thing'."
"But Neal, neither could Daine or Uline or…" Kel started counting on her fingers.
"Okay, okay I get it."
"So you see. It just wouldn't work. I'm sorry."
"Yeah whatever."
Neal stormed off and left Kel in a terrible spot. He looked so hurt. Like when she had called him a 'thing'. He had twinged like the words stung or something. Gods this stunk!
"Kel?"
Kel didn't even have to turn around. She knew who it was. "Yes, Cleon?"
"He told you, didn't he?" He wrapped his arms around her stomach and she leaned back against his chest.
"Yeah, he did."
Cleon sighed. "If you love Neal you should go. I'm not going to trap you."
She smiled. She knew that already. "I don't love Neal. You're my only. I just don't know what to say to him. I don't think we can be friends like we were. I don't think he'll just be over it by tomorrow."
Cleon kissed her hair. "No, probably not tomorrow, but soon."
"I really hope so."
The next morning Kel did not want to get up. She decided to sleep in because Neal would come to get her anyways. Then it hit her. He wouldn't be coming by this morning. Or any other morning for that matter. He hadn't said one word to her yesterday after she had let him down. She drug herself out of bed one foot after another and took care of the animals. Jump kept waiting at the door for Neal like he always did but no one came. Her bath felt really good but didn't wake her up much. Once she got out she pulled on some clothes and put her hair back out of her face.
She heard a knock on the door and yelled groggily. "Who is it?"
"Guess."
"Morning Cleon, come in. The door isn't locked."
Cleon walked in and immediately pulled her into a passionate kiss, which she returned gladly. They were interrupted when Jump barked and jumped on Cleon.
Cleon laughed. "So you want a greeting too? Here you go." He gave Jump a biscuit and returned to Kel. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah. Come on."
The day didn't get any better. Neal didn't talk to her at all during breakfast, or morning practice, or lunch, or classes. Why was he being this way? She hadn't ever seen him like this. She was sick of it. He would be hearing from her after dinner. There was no way she was going to let him ignore her like this!
"Do you need to share something Kel?" Myles asked.
Kel looked at him. She must have banged her fist on the table. Pretty hard too, because it hurt! "No sir."
"Good then I will continue teaching."
After class she had every intention of going to sleep for a few minutes. She started towards her room when someone stopped her.
"Kel, we need to talk."
She turned around to see Owen. She got angry at this. "'Bout what?" she asked curtly.
"You heard me that night, didn't you?"
"Wow, good guess. Nothing gets passed you."
"Kel I'm serious."
"Fine then. But there isn't anything to talk about. You explained my whole life and personality for me already, thanks."
"I thought I was protecting you-"
"How many times do I have to tell all of you I don't need to be protected! It's my fault if I feel like doing something stupid okay? And Owen. I am a girl, so get used to it." Kel shouted. This whole day sucked! Wouldn't any one leave her alone? Good Gods!
"I'm sorry Kel."
"Owen, this is one of the worst days I've had in a very long time. I just need some space, okay?"
"Whatever you say Kel." Owen gave her a quick hug and walked down the hall.
Kel made her way to her room but before she got there the dinner bell rang. She just threw her hands in the air. "Fine I surrender. Let's just get the day from Hell over with."
When Kel sat down with Cleon she noticed that Neal wasn't even at their table. He was sitting with Roald and some other squires. He really needed to get some sense knocked into him! And ridiculously enough she thought, And he's not even going to eat his vegetables.
Dinner took forever even though Cleon tried to help her relax. She couldn't eat a thing and her silver ware was starting to annoy people with its constant spinning and tapping. Finally the dismissal was called and Kel rushed out to catch Neal.
She grabbed his elbow and spun him around. "Neal, we have to talk."
"What about?"
"What about? What do you think? You're my best friend Neal. I don't want that to end. What would I do without you?" She couldn't believe his eyes were being directed so coldly towards her.
"Kel, I can't just be your friend. I can't ever look at you the same way again."
Kel pushed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Neal, you have to try. Please try." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly.
He just jerked it away and left her standing there. This was not happening to her. This could not be happening to her. She wouldn't let it.
She ran after Neal and spun him around. Before he could react she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close to her. "I won't let you go."
"Kel, let go of me." Neal ordered and tried to pull away.
She just held on tighter. "NO!"
"Kel, this is stupid."
"It's not stupid to me. I wouldn't let you walk away from me."
"You wouldn't?"
"Never."
Neal finally relaxed in her grip and she stepped away. "Neal, I can't live without you."
A sudden realization shown in his eyes. "Then you don't have to." She didn't say anything so he explained. "Seeing you unhappy is the last thing I want. If Cleon makes you happy then I want you to have him. Besides, you won't let me keep hating you."
"You're right, I won't. Besides you never hated me anyway."
"I know." He nodded his head. "Come on let's go find Cleon and fix this."
"Neal?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for understanding."
By: Midnight Maiden
(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, blah blah u know the routine. Do I really have 2 make 1 of these 4 every chapter?)
Kel took a step back shaking her head. How could this happen to her now? After she had gotten over Neal. Why was he doing this to her?
"Kel I should explain. I shouldn't have told you like this. I just…I just got so mad when I saw you with Cleon. We sort of have a rivalry between friends over you." Neal started. " And you've become so beautiful."
Kel had started to be sucked in by Neal's words but something pulled her out. She had become beautiful? So then she hadn't always been beautiful? "Neal, you and I wouldn't work."
"Why not?"
"Cleon saw me when there was nothing to see. With you, it could just be another 'thing'. Understand?" Kel didn't know how to lay this on her best friend. Any way he would take it hard.
"A 'thing'? You could never be a 'thing'."
"But Neal, neither could Daine or Uline or…" Kel started counting on her fingers.
"Okay, okay I get it."
"So you see. It just wouldn't work. I'm sorry."
"Yeah whatever."
Neal stormed off and left Kel in a terrible spot. He looked so hurt. Like when she had called him a 'thing'. He had twinged like the words stung or something. Gods this stunk!
"Kel?"
Kel didn't even have to turn around. She knew who it was. "Yes, Cleon?"
"He told you, didn't he?" He wrapped his arms around her stomach and she leaned back against his chest.
"Yeah, he did."
Cleon sighed. "If you love Neal you should go. I'm not going to trap you."
She smiled. She knew that already. "I don't love Neal. You're my only. I just don't know what to say to him. I don't think we can be friends like we were. I don't think he'll just be over it by tomorrow."
Cleon kissed her hair. "No, probably not tomorrow, but soon."
"I really hope so."
The next morning Kel did not want to get up. She decided to sleep in because Neal would come to get her anyways. Then it hit her. He wouldn't be coming by this morning. Or any other morning for that matter. He hadn't said one word to her yesterday after she had let him down. She drug herself out of bed one foot after another and took care of the animals. Jump kept waiting at the door for Neal like he always did but no one came. Her bath felt really good but didn't wake her up much. Once she got out she pulled on some clothes and put her hair back out of her face.
She heard a knock on the door and yelled groggily. "Who is it?"
"Guess."
"Morning Cleon, come in. The door isn't locked."
Cleon walked in and immediately pulled her into a passionate kiss, which she returned gladly. They were interrupted when Jump barked and jumped on Cleon.
Cleon laughed. "So you want a greeting too? Here you go." He gave Jump a biscuit and returned to Kel. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah. Come on."
The day didn't get any better. Neal didn't talk to her at all during breakfast, or morning practice, or lunch, or classes. Why was he being this way? She hadn't ever seen him like this. She was sick of it. He would be hearing from her after dinner. There was no way she was going to let him ignore her like this!
"Do you need to share something Kel?" Myles asked.
Kel looked at him. She must have banged her fist on the table. Pretty hard too, because it hurt! "No sir."
"Good then I will continue teaching."
After class she had every intention of going to sleep for a few minutes. She started towards her room when someone stopped her.
"Kel, we need to talk."
She turned around to see Owen. She got angry at this. "'Bout what?" she asked curtly.
"You heard me that night, didn't you?"
"Wow, good guess. Nothing gets passed you."
"Kel I'm serious."
"Fine then. But there isn't anything to talk about. You explained my whole life and personality for me already, thanks."
"I thought I was protecting you-"
"How many times do I have to tell all of you I don't need to be protected! It's my fault if I feel like doing something stupid okay? And Owen. I am a girl, so get used to it." Kel shouted. This whole day sucked! Wouldn't any one leave her alone? Good Gods!
"I'm sorry Kel."
"Owen, this is one of the worst days I've had in a very long time. I just need some space, okay?"
"Whatever you say Kel." Owen gave her a quick hug and walked down the hall.
Kel made her way to her room but before she got there the dinner bell rang. She just threw her hands in the air. "Fine I surrender. Let's just get the day from Hell over with."
When Kel sat down with Cleon she noticed that Neal wasn't even at their table. He was sitting with Roald and some other squires. He really needed to get some sense knocked into him! And ridiculously enough she thought, And he's not even going to eat his vegetables.
Dinner took forever even though Cleon tried to help her relax. She couldn't eat a thing and her silver ware was starting to annoy people with its constant spinning and tapping. Finally the dismissal was called and Kel rushed out to catch Neal.
She grabbed his elbow and spun him around. "Neal, we have to talk."
"What about?"
"What about? What do you think? You're my best friend Neal. I don't want that to end. What would I do without you?" She couldn't believe his eyes were being directed so coldly towards her.
"Kel, I can't just be your friend. I can't ever look at you the same way again."
Kel pushed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Neal, you have to try. Please try." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it softly.
He just jerked it away and left her standing there. This was not happening to her. This could not be happening to her. She wouldn't let it.
She ran after Neal and spun him around. Before he could react she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close to her. "I won't let you go."
"Kel, let go of me." Neal ordered and tried to pull away.
She just held on tighter. "NO!"
"Kel, this is stupid."
"It's not stupid to me. I wouldn't let you walk away from me."
"You wouldn't?"
"Never."
Neal finally relaxed in her grip and she stepped away. "Neal, I can't live without you."
A sudden realization shown in his eyes. "Then you don't have to." She didn't say anything so he explained. "Seeing you unhappy is the last thing I want. If Cleon makes you happy then I want you to have him. Besides, you won't let me keep hating you."
"You're right, I won't. Besides you never hated me anyway."
"I know." He nodded his head. "Come on let's go find Cleon and fix this."
"Neal?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for understanding."