Sorry about not updating for a few days. I really wanted to, but my
English project kept getting in the way (so blame my English teacher).
Please read, enjoy, and review. I'd appreciate it.
********************************************
"G'bye Mr. Cotton!" Sam called, waving over his shoulder, as he turned around the corner of the barn to head home. It had been a long day, and the sun was sinking, casting purple shadows on the low-flying clouds.
Sam took a deep breath as the front of the hobbit hole came into view, only to notice that Rosie was not in sight. Trying to conceal his disappointment in case anyone could see him, he shrugged his shoulders slightly and continued down the path. He had only caught sight of her briefly since the morning, when she and her mother had come outside to hang the laundry out to dry. After noticing him, she had waved enthusiastically, but Sam had only managed a small and weak acknowledgment in return.
Now Sam was shuffling slowly towards his home with his head down and eyes staring blankly at the patterns of dust on the road. He had never met anyone like Rosie before. He had hardly met her, let alone know much about her besides her name, and yet he knew that she was profoundly special; more special than someone the likes of him. Sam sighed deeply. He would be lucky if he could manage to say "good morning" to her next time he saw her. His breathing quickened. 'Next time?" He thought desperately. "I can't risk being around her that much; I'd surely make a complete fool of myself!' Being so involved in his thoughts, he didn't hear the shout until too late.
" . . . . away! Hey you, kid! Watch where you're goin' there!" Sam looked up in surprise, to see a large wagon, led by two ponies, come speeding up the road heading directly towards him. With it being so dreadfully close, Sam did the only thing he could do: jump promptly off to the side of the road.
He hit the ground hard on his left ankle, rolling a few feet before slowing enough for him to look up and watch the wagon disappear rapidly in the distance with a cloud of dust.
Glancing down at himself, and his now dirty and stained clothing, he sighed. Well, there was no doubt now that he'd be the one gifted the opportunity to do the wash tonight.
Sighing once again, he began to rise to his feet - only to gasp loudly at the pain shooting through his ankle, and sit promptly back down. Quickly, he pushed his pant leg up to get a better look at his now aching ankle. Other than some bruises, it did not seem to be too badly damaged, not broken anyways, but it hurt terribly. He must have twisted it in the fall.
Well, he had to get home, whether he was in a little discomfort or not. So pushing himself up and trying to block the pain from his mind, Sam stumbled a few steps forward. When his breath began to come in gasps and his eyes began to glisten with unshed tears that he was trying to suppress, he decided that it would be best to sit back down.
What was he going to do? He couldn't just sit here by the road all night. Sam thought for a moment. 'Well,' he considered, 'I am by the road. Eventually someone I know will drop by, and go home and tell my Gaffer where I am.' So, he leaned back against a nearby rock and waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
A few minutes later, he heard the footsteps of someone coming up the road. As quickly as he could, he pulled himself to his feet, grabbing the rock for support, and called out, "Hello? Is someone there?"
"Sam? Is that you?" Sam almost fell over at the sound of that voice, for he recognized the gorgeous face that had just come into view.
"M-Miss Rose?" Sam stuttered, while all the while thinking to himself, 'And I just finished telling myself that I'd make a fool out of myself in front of her. First on the list: twisted ankle. Second: stuttering. What next?'
Rosie hurried to his side, her honey brown eyes filled with worry. 'That's strange.' Sam thought. 'She hardly knows me. Why would she be worried?'
"Sam! What happened?" She asked anxiously. "You should be home by now shouldn't you?"
"W-well, Miss Rose," Sam mumbled, "Y-you see, there was this wagon that w- was coming down the road real fast, and I jumped out of the way, a-and I think I twisted my ankle on the way down . . ."
"Well you were lucky then that my Mama sent me to the store to get some bread!" Rosie interrupted, the worry in her eyes partially replaced by mirth. "Even though when I got there, the man told me that they had recently run out of bread, and that they might have more by tomorrow. 'Tomorrow!' I said to him! 'Now wait you just a minute! My family sent me here to get bread for our dinner, and..'" She broke off slowly, seeming to realize that Sam was still there, supporting himself against the rock. "Oops!" She brought her hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry Sam. You need to be getting home don't you?"
Sam chuckled a little. "You sure do talk a lot, Miss Rose."
Rosie suddenly laughed. "Yes, I guess I do. And its just Rosie. You don't have to be so formal, Mr. Sam."
At this, Sam also burst out laughing.
After waiting a moment to calm their giggles, Rosie offered a hand to Sam. "Come on, Sam. I'll help you get home. Now, lean on me okay?"
Sam was shocked. "Are you sure you can support me all the way to Bagshot Row?" He asked, abruptly looking away, embarrassed. "I'm not exactly . . . little."
Rosie put a hand under his chin and forced him to look into her rather indignant eyes. "Answer me this, Sam. Are you saying that you're fat, or that I'm too weak to do more than carry a little basket of flowers to decorate the hearth with? Both are untrue, so you are GOING to let me help you get home, understood?"
A stunned Sam, his cheeks now a shade of bright red, nodded just enough to let her know that he did not believe he would get the better of the argument. She put her arm around his shoulders, and after waiting for him to do the same, they began to hobble down the road.
Sam was surprised to see her support him with very little effort. "Your very strong, Rosie."
Smiling faintly, she replied, "Didn't think that a little Hobbit girl could do this, huh?"
He didn't answer, but returned her faint smile.
It wasn't long before they staggered to the doorstep of Sam's house. Right before Rosie lifted a fist to knock on the round door, she turned and whispered in Sam's ear. "Just so you know Sam, you're not fat, just a little chubby, and don't feel bad about that, because I like you that way."
She giggled as she saw his cheeks flare crimson in response.
*************************************
Wow! I guess that I decided to write a very long chapter to make up for not writing for a while! I hope you liked it. Please review!
Please read, enjoy, and review. I'd appreciate it.
********************************************
"G'bye Mr. Cotton!" Sam called, waving over his shoulder, as he turned around the corner of the barn to head home. It had been a long day, and the sun was sinking, casting purple shadows on the low-flying clouds.
Sam took a deep breath as the front of the hobbit hole came into view, only to notice that Rosie was not in sight. Trying to conceal his disappointment in case anyone could see him, he shrugged his shoulders slightly and continued down the path. He had only caught sight of her briefly since the morning, when she and her mother had come outside to hang the laundry out to dry. After noticing him, she had waved enthusiastically, but Sam had only managed a small and weak acknowledgment in return.
Now Sam was shuffling slowly towards his home with his head down and eyes staring blankly at the patterns of dust on the road. He had never met anyone like Rosie before. He had hardly met her, let alone know much about her besides her name, and yet he knew that she was profoundly special; more special than someone the likes of him. Sam sighed deeply. He would be lucky if he could manage to say "good morning" to her next time he saw her. His breathing quickened. 'Next time?" He thought desperately. "I can't risk being around her that much; I'd surely make a complete fool of myself!' Being so involved in his thoughts, he didn't hear the shout until too late.
" . . . . away! Hey you, kid! Watch where you're goin' there!" Sam looked up in surprise, to see a large wagon, led by two ponies, come speeding up the road heading directly towards him. With it being so dreadfully close, Sam did the only thing he could do: jump promptly off to the side of the road.
He hit the ground hard on his left ankle, rolling a few feet before slowing enough for him to look up and watch the wagon disappear rapidly in the distance with a cloud of dust.
Glancing down at himself, and his now dirty and stained clothing, he sighed. Well, there was no doubt now that he'd be the one gifted the opportunity to do the wash tonight.
Sighing once again, he began to rise to his feet - only to gasp loudly at the pain shooting through his ankle, and sit promptly back down. Quickly, he pushed his pant leg up to get a better look at his now aching ankle. Other than some bruises, it did not seem to be too badly damaged, not broken anyways, but it hurt terribly. He must have twisted it in the fall.
Well, he had to get home, whether he was in a little discomfort or not. So pushing himself up and trying to block the pain from his mind, Sam stumbled a few steps forward. When his breath began to come in gasps and his eyes began to glisten with unshed tears that he was trying to suppress, he decided that it would be best to sit back down.
What was he going to do? He couldn't just sit here by the road all night. Sam thought for a moment. 'Well,' he considered, 'I am by the road. Eventually someone I know will drop by, and go home and tell my Gaffer where I am.' So, he leaned back against a nearby rock and waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
A few minutes later, he heard the footsteps of someone coming up the road. As quickly as he could, he pulled himself to his feet, grabbing the rock for support, and called out, "Hello? Is someone there?"
"Sam? Is that you?" Sam almost fell over at the sound of that voice, for he recognized the gorgeous face that had just come into view.
"M-Miss Rose?" Sam stuttered, while all the while thinking to himself, 'And I just finished telling myself that I'd make a fool out of myself in front of her. First on the list: twisted ankle. Second: stuttering. What next?'
Rosie hurried to his side, her honey brown eyes filled with worry. 'That's strange.' Sam thought. 'She hardly knows me. Why would she be worried?'
"Sam! What happened?" She asked anxiously. "You should be home by now shouldn't you?"
"W-well, Miss Rose," Sam mumbled, "Y-you see, there was this wagon that w- was coming down the road real fast, and I jumped out of the way, a-and I think I twisted my ankle on the way down . . ."
"Well you were lucky then that my Mama sent me to the store to get some bread!" Rosie interrupted, the worry in her eyes partially replaced by mirth. "Even though when I got there, the man told me that they had recently run out of bread, and that they might have more by tomorrow. 'Tomorrow!' I said to him! 'Now wait you just a minute! My family sent me here to get bread for our dinner, and..'" She broke off slowly, seeming to realize that Sam was still there, supporting himself against the rock. "Oops!" She brought her hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry Sam. You need to be getting home don't you?"
Sam chuckled a little. "You sure do talk a lot, Miss Rose."
Rosie suddenly laughed. "Yes, I guess I do. And its just Rosie. You don't have to be so formal, Mr. Sam."
At this, Sam also burst out laughing.
After waiting a moment to calm their giggles, Rosie offered a hand to Sam. "Come on, Sam. I'll help you get home. Now, lean on me okay?"
Sam was shocked. "Are you sure you can support me all the way to Bagshot Row?" He asked, abruptly looking away, embarrassed. "I'm not exactly . . . little."
Rosie put a hand under his chin and forced him to look into her rather indignant eyes. "Answer me this, Sam. Are you saying that you're fat, or that I'm too weak to do more than carry a little basket of flowers to decorate the hearth with? Both are untrue, so you are GOING to let me help you get home, understood?"
A stunned Sam, his cheeks now a shade of bright red, nodded just enough to let her know that he did not believe he would get the better of the argument. She put her arm around his shoulders, and after waiting for him to do the same, they began to hobble down the road.
Sam was surprised to see her support him with very little effort. "Your very strong, Rosie."
Smiling faintly, she replied, "Didn't think that a little Hobbit girl could do this, huh?"
He didn't answer, but returned her faint smile.
It wasn't long before they staggered to the doorstep of Sam's house. Right before Rosie lifted a fist to knock on the round door, she turned and whispered in Sam's ear. "Just so you know Sam, you're not fat, just a little chubby, and don't feel bad about that, because I like you that way."
She giggled as she saw his cheeks flare crimson in response.
*************************************
Wow! I guess that I decided to write a very long chapter to make up for not writing for a while! I hope you liked it. Please review!
