CHAPTER 3: Boys and Waterfalls
That evening, an hour before dark, her parents had left for their weekly town meeting, and as usual, Winnie snuck out to wander the woods behind her house on her parents property. The Foster's owned Crystal Woods. Supposedly named after a legend from long ago about a magic crystal that had been made by fairies in the same forest, that was used to make people fall in love. Winnie had found it incredibly romantic.
In the distance, she heard splashing and laughing, and wondered who would be on their property. She quietly crawled up a huge boulder towards the source of the sound. She peered over only to find none other than Jesse Tuck in her watering hole. His clothes were carelessly thrown to the surface, and he was in nothing but his underwear. She blushed. She'd never seen a man this unclothed before. She crawled up to get a closer look. Now, she hadn't seen many chests before, really none, but she was sure that this was a good one. Getting closer, her foot stepped up to much, and she tripped over her dress, and fell into the watering hole made by the waterfall behind it, startling Jesse.
Winnie quickly recovered from her embarrassment, and scrambled to the surface, cheeks flaming red. "Going for a swim?" He asked not even trying to hold back his laughter. He found it incredibly funny that a prim and proper girl had fallen into a watering hole before his eyes, and spying on him nonetheless. In hopes to escape from any further embarrassment, she started to run, but something inside her was telling her to stay. Something was telling her that the adventure she was waiting for was right there in that pond, and she turned around and bravely said, "Yes!" She stuck her nose up in the air, her way of showing off, and not revealing any vulnerability, and she climbed to the top of the waterfall, and made a perfect dive into the pond. She came up to a shocked Jesse. "You've done that before, haven't you?"
"I refuse to answer that."
"Why were you spying on me?"
"I was not spying on you."
"Were too."
"Was not. Why were you on my property?"
"This is your property?"
"Yes, I'm Winifred Foster, and my parents own these woods."
"I know who you are."
"You do?"
"Yes. And by the way, Winifred does not fit a girl who dives off waterfalls." She looked down embarrassed, but a smile spread across her face. "Winnie. Your name is Winnie. Yes, that's better."
Winnie blushed. "How do you know who I am?"
"My brother. Miles." There was a long silence, and he broke it. "Will you meet me here tomorrow?"
They stared for a long time and a million and one thoughts raced through her mind, but they all came back to one answer, "Yes. What time? I don't know when I can come?"
"I'll be here all day!"
That evening, an hour before dark, her parents had left for their weekly town meeting, and as usual, Winnie snuck out to wander the woods behind her house on her parents property. The Foster's owned Crystal Woods. Supposedly named after a legend from long ago about a magic crystal that had been made by fairies in the same forest, that was used to make people fall in love. Winnie had found it incredibly romantic.
In the distance, she heard splashing and laughing, and wondered who would be on their property. She quietly crawled up a huge boulder towards the source of the sound. She peered over only to find none other than Jesse Tuck in her watering hole. His clothes were carelessly thrown to the surface, and he was in nothing but his underwear. She blushed. She'd never seen a man this unclothed before. She crawled up to get a closer look. Now, she hadn't seen many chests before, really none, but she was sure that this was a good one. Getting closer, her foot stepped up to much, and she tripped over her dress, and fell into the watering hole made by the waterfall behind it, startling Jesse.
Winnie quickly recovered from her embarrassment, and scrambled to the surface, cheeks flaming red. "Going for a swim?" He asked not even trying to hold back his laughter. He found it incredibly funny that a prim and proper girl had fallen into a watering hole before his eyes, and spying on him nonetheless. In hopes to escape from any further embarrassment, she started to run, but something inside her was telling her to stay. Something was telling her that the adventure she was waiting for was right there in that pond, and she turned around and bravely said, "Yes!" She stuck her nose up in the air, her way of showing off, and not revealing any vulnerability, and she climbed to the top of the waterfall, and made a perfect dive into the pond. She came up to a shocked Jesse. "You've done that before, haven't you?"
"I refuse to answer that."
"Why were you spying on me?"
"I was not spying on you."
"Were too."
"Was not. Why were you on my property?"
"This is your property?"
"Yes, I'm Winifred Foster, and my parents own these woods."
"I know who you are."
"You do?"
"Yes. And by the way, Winifred does not fit a girl who dives off waterfalls." She looked down embarrassed, but a smile spread across her face. "Winnie. Your name is Winnie. Yes, that's better."
Winnie blushed. "How do you know who I am?"
"My brother. Miles." There was a long silence, and he broke it. "Will you meet me here tomorrow?"
They stared for a long time and a million and one thoughts raced through her mind, but they all came back to one answer, "Yes. What time? I don't know when I can come?"
"I'll be here all day!"