Welp, here's the next part of 'Several Ways to Die Trying'...hope ya like it, because I'm now completely addicted to getting a buncha cool reviews! You guys rock! :D Oh, and about my off spacing...yeah, I dunno what that's about. I guess copying it into WordPad to make it a text document messes with the original format. Whatever... it works, right? :P
*****
"Mmm, Saturday," Lily said, breathing in deeply, spreading her arms out wide. "It's a good thing! Especially dry ones!"
"Someone's excited," Robbie laughed.
"Who's idea was it to hang out at a playground anyway?" Ray asked, glancing down at the muddy ground. "You know they make her hyper."
"Okay, a: they do not," Lily said, spinning around on the tire swing she was perched on. "And b: it was yours."
"Oh."
"Ray, you're one of a kind," Robbie said with a grin.
"Why thank you, Robbie!" Ray started to say.
"I'm not sure that was a complement, Ray," Lily grinned.
"Hey, not to break up the Ray-bashing that I so thoroughly enjoy," Robbie broke in, "but where's Travis? Wasn't he supposed to meet us here?"
"Uh, I dunno," Ray replied. "Lily, didn't you call him?"
"Yeah, he's gonna meet us," she explained. "He said he had to do some stuff, but he'll be here."
"Ahh," Ray nodded. "The ever mysterious 'stuff'."
"Yeah," Lily said quickly. "Speaking of Travis…has anyone noticed anything weird about him lately?"
"Lily," Ray said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "Think about what you just asked."
Robbie nodded. "You do have to admit, Travis is always weird."
"Guys!" Lily cried.
"I didn't say it was bad!" Robbie protested.
"Okay, fine," she said, waving her hands. "Weirder."
"Well, now that you mention it - no," Ray shook his head.
"Weirder how?" Robbie wanted to know.
"I don't know exactly," Lily shrugged. "He's just been…off lately."
Ray kicked his heels against the slide he sat on. "Lily, Travis is always off. Face it, he's not normal."
"Ray!" she admonished, standing shakily on the swing to punch him.
"Owww," he moaned, rubbing his bruised shoulder. "Like Robbie said, I never said that was bad or anything. It's just…"
"It's just Travis," Robbie shrugged.
"My ears are burning," Travis's voice cut in suddenly.
"Oh! Hey," Lily said, sitting back down. "Yeah, we were wondering when you'd get here."
Travis looked at the sleeve of his jacket, checking an imaginary watch. "Now?"
"Wait…your ears are burning?" Ray said, furrowing his brow.
"It's an old saying," Robbie said. "When someone's talking about you, your ears are supposed to burn…or something."
"That's really…weird," Ray stated.
"Yeah," Lily agreed.
"So, what's going on?" Travis asked, sitting on the swing next to Lily and kicking off.
"Enjoying the freedom that is the weekend in true form," Lily said, spinning around again.
"Yeah," Ray added. "Doing absolutely nothing!"
"Works for me," Travis said.
"Where were you anyway?" Robbie asked, sitting on the slide below Ray's feet.
"Nowhere, really," Travis shrugged. "Just running errands."
"Errands," Ray said distastefully.
"Yeah," Travis laughed.
"How's your nose feel?" Lily asked then, digging her heels into the wet ground to stop her swing.
"His nose?" ray and Robbie asked practically in unison.
Travis shot her a quick, unreadable look.
"Uh…oops," Lily winced.
"What're we missing?" Robbie asked, grinning.
"Nothing," Travis said. "I lost a karate match is all."
"Woah!" Ray cried, holding his hands to his chest in shock. "The Kung Fu master lost?"
"I'm only human, Ray," Travis said slowly, looking at Lily. "He was a worthy adversary."
Lily caught his eye and read this look well. It was a look that said, 'please don't tell them I got beat up by a girl. They'll never let me live it down.'
"Okay, okay, enough chat," Robbie said. "What do you say we go catch a movie or something?"
"Aww, and leave the pwaygwound?" Ray pouted.
"Shut up before I hit you again," Lily laughed.
"Okay, okay," Ray said. "Movie is good."
Robbie stood up, allowing Ray to slide down to the ground.
They started off, leaving Lily and Travis to extract themselves from their swings.
"Sorry about that," Lily said. "I didn't know you didn't want them to know."
"Don't worry," Travis shrugged it off. "It was wrong of me not to admit to it like that. She was a worthy adversary. I was just giving into that macho male act."
"I forgive you," she laughed, punching his shoulder lightly. "Happens to the best of them, right?
"Right," he said, nodding slowly. "Let's catch up."
"So, what did you have to do?" she asked as they began to walk. "You can tell me."
"Nothing important," he smirked. "Just stuff."
"Stuff," Lily repeated. "Hmm."
He laughed. "It's not important enough to bear that much thinking about."
"Fine, fine," Lily said in defeat. "I'll give up…if I must."
"Hey, guys!" she called out to Ray and Robbie, "wait up!"
When they reached their friends, Lily said, "I'm gonna skip the movie, okay? I wanna go check out some music at that new store."
"Gasp!" Ray cried. "You're forsaking Mickey's like that?"
"Mickey doesn't have the new Yellowcard CD," Lily explained. "And also, I have a feeling you want to see Alien Invaders From Planet Scary Part Nine."
"It's planet Destruct-o," Robbie laughed.
"And it's good!" Ray backed him up.
"Uh huh, yeah," Lily said. "You just proved my point."
"Fine. Just the guys then. Travis, you in?" Ray asked, clapping his hand around his shoulder.
"Sorry," Travis said, wincing as he ducked out from under Ray's arm. "But I'm gonna stick with Lily. I prefer cheesy ninja movies to cheesy alien flicks."
Ray eyed him for a moment. "Alright…but you don't know what you're missing."
"We'll give you a call after the movie's over," Robbie called over his shoulder as they parted.
Travis nodded, rubbing his shoulder absently.
"Bye!" Lily called, looking over. "Your shoulder still hurt?"
"Huh? Oh, no," Travis said, pulling his hand away.
"No offense," Lily said as they began to walk, "but maybe you should tell your teacher to partner you up with someone less…evil."
Travis nodded. "Yeah. Maybe so."
"Or," Lily said, watching him from the corner of her eye. "Maybe you should stop holding back."
He looked over. "I can't."
"Why not?" Lily said. "It's like that guy said last night. If she's a worthy competitor, you shouldn't feel bad about losing to her. And if she's worthy, then don't you at least owe her a fair fight?"
He took in a deep breath. "Ace."
"Huh?"
"The guy's name," he explained. "It was Ace. And you're right."
Lily smiled. "I do like hearing that."
"Don't you have a CD to look for?" he asked, shoving her lightly.
"Hey, what happened to not hitting girls?" she cried.
"That wasn't hitting," he grinned.
"I am so gonna get you," she announced.
"I'm feeling threatened!" Travis laughed.
"I have a purse and I'm not afraid to use it!" she cried, swinging it over her head.
He took off running, "Nooo!"
Laughing, she gave chase, her bag swinging at her hip. "I'm gonna get you!"
She could tell he wasn't running full speed, and soon caught up with him, launching herself onto his back. He gave a yelp of surprise, stumbling, but somehow not falling.
"Whee!" she cried, wrapping her legs around his waist, arms around his neck.
"Hey!" he cried. "I'm not a horse!"
"You are now," she laughed giddily as he began to spin around in circles.
"Slow down, I'm getting dizzy," she warned, holding on tightly.
"Should've thought of that!" he yelled.
Lily was laughing too hard to reply when the world tilted crazily and she felt the air whoosh out of her as her back connected none-too-softly with the pavement.
"Sorry," Travis panted, laughing. "Got too dizzy."
Lily sucked in a breath when she was able, trying to hold back her own giggles. "No damage done."
She spread out her arms, feeling the cool ground against her back, eyes closed, waiting for the world to stop spinning.
When she finally felt she was able to open her eyes, Travis was staring down at her, propped up on his elbow.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, peering at her.
"No," she said, blinking. "I'm…okay."
He groaned and slowly got to his feet. "Okay…up we go."
She laughed as he reached down a hand to help her up. Clutching her side with one hand, she accepted, and let him yank her to her feet. Still giggling, she tripped over her own feet and lurched into him, almost sending them both back to the ground.
But suddenly Lily wasn't laughing. Suddenly she was staring into his gray eyes, totally and completely oblivious to anything else. Suddenly she was kissing Travis.
She wasn't even aware when it happened. There was no recollection of closing her eyes, or leaning in, breathing in his scent, but the next thing she knew, their lips met, and she was completely overwhelmed.
A few seconds passed before they both pulled away and opened their eyes, coming to realize what had happened.
Lily bit her lip, still tasting him there, watching his eyes for any signs, heart pounding, mind racing.
"Uh-" he faltered
"Not the most comforting thing a girl wants to hear after something like that," she said, still locked in his gaze.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have…I didn't mean to-"
"That's no better," she said softly, looking down at the ground.
"No!" he said. "I didn't mean."
She blinked rapidly, still not sure what had happened, but knowing she didn't want it to be a mistake.
"Okay," he said, breathing deeply. "Let me try that again. It was an accident."
"That's the same as 'I didn't mean to', Travis," she said, looking still downward.
"Except I did mean to. I think I meant to," he faltered. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't regret it."
She dared to look at his face. "Really?"
"It's just that…" he stared at her, his brow wrinkling in deep thought. "I shouldn't have done that."
"What?" she practically shouted. "Why not?"
Travis ran a hand through his hair, down over his face, rubbing his eyes. "I…I gotta go."
"What?!" Lily cried. "Travis, you can't just leave-"
"Lily," Travis said softly, taking hold of her arm. "I'm sorry."
She returned her gaze to the ground, not wanting to watch him walk away.
He may have been sorry, but she wasn't.
*****
"Mmm, Saturday," Lily said, breathing in deeply, spreading her arms out wide. "It's a good thing! Especially dry ones!"
"Someone's excited," Robbie laughed.
"Who's idea was it to hang out at a playground anyway?" Ray asked, glancing down at the muddy ground. "You know they make her hyper."
"Okay, a: they do not," Lily said, spinning around on the tire swing she was perched on. "And b: it was yours."
"Oh."
"Ray, you're one of a kind," Robbie said with a grin.
"Why thank you, Robbie!" Ray started to say.
"I'm not sure that was a complement, Ray," Lily grinned.
"Hey, not to break up the Ray-bashing that I so thoroughly enjoy," Robbie broke in, "but where's Travis? Wasn't he supposed to meet us here?"
"Uh, I dunno," Ray replied. "Lily, didn't you call him?"
"Yeah, he's gonna meet us," she explained. "He said he had to do some stuff, but he'll be here."
"Ahh," Ray nodded. "The ever mysterious 'stuff'."
"Yeah," Lily said quickly. "Speaking of Travis…has anyone noticed anything weird about him lately?"
"Lily," Ray said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "Think about what you just asked."
Robbie nodded. "You do have to admit, Travis is always weird."
"Guys!" Lily cried.
"I didn't say it was bad!" Robbie protested.
"Okay, fine," she said, waving her hands. "Weirder."
"Well, now that you mention it - no," Ray shook his head.
"Weirder how?" Robbie wanted to know.
"I don't know exactly," Lily shrugged. "He's just been…off lately."
Ray kicked his heels against the slide he sat on. "Lily, Travis is always off. Face it, he's not normal."
"Ray!" she admonished, standing shakily on the swing to punch him.
"Owww," he moaned, rubbing his bruised shoulder. "Like Robbie said, I never said that was bad or anything. It's just…"
"It's just Travis," Robbie shrugged.
"My ears are burning," Travis's voice cut in suddenly.
"Oh! Hey," Lily said, sitting back down. "Yeah, we were wondering when you'd get here."
Travis looked at the sleeve of his jacket, checking an imaginary watch. "Now?"
"Wait…your ears are burning?" Ray said, furrowing his brow.
"It's an old saying," Robbie said. "When someone's talking about you, your ears are supposed to burn…or something."
"That's really…weird," Ray stated.
"Yeah," Lily agreed.
"So, what's going on?" Travis asked, sitting on the swing next to Lily and kicking off.
"Enjoying the freedom that is the weekend in true form," Lily said, spinning around again.
"Yeah," Ray added. "Doing absolutely nothing!"
"Works for me," Travis said.
"Where were you anyway?" Robbie asked, sitting on the slide below Ray's feet.
"Nowhere, really," Travis shrugged. "Just running errands."
"Errands," Ray said distastefully.
"Yeah," Travis laughed.
"How's your nose feel?" Lily asked then, digging her heels into the wet ground to stop her swing.
"His nose?" ray and Robbie asked practically in unison.
Travis shot her a quick, unreadable look.
"Uh…oops," Lily winced.
"What're we missing?" Robbie asked, grinning.
"Nothing," Travis said. "I lost a karate match is all."
"Woah!" Ray cried, holding his hands to his chest in shock. "The Kung Fu master lost?"
"I'm only human, Ray," Travis said slowly, looking at Lily. "He was a worthy adversary."
Lily caught his eye and read this look well. It was a look that said, 'please don't tell them I got beat up by a girl. They'll never let me live it down.'
"Okay, okay, enough chat," Robbie said. "What do you say we go catch a movie or something?"
"Aww, and leave the pwaygwound?" Ray pouted.
"Shut up before I hit you again," Lily laughed.
"Okay, okay," Ray said. "Movie is good."
Robbie stood up, allowing Ray to slide down to the ground.
They started off, leaving Lily and Travis to extract themselves from their swings.
"Sorry about that," Lily said. "I didn't know you didn't want them to know."
"Don't worry," Travis shrugged it off. "It was wrong of me not to admit to it like that. She was a worthy adversary. I was just giving into that macho male act."
"I forgive you," she laughed, punching his shoulder lightly. "Happens to the best of them, right?
"Right," he said, nodding slowly. "Let's catch up."
"So, what did you have to do?" she asked as they began to walk. "You can tell me."
"Nothing important," he smirked. "Just stuff."
"Stuff," Lily repeated. "Hmm."
He laughed. "It's not important enough to bear that much thinking about."
"Fine, fine," Lily said in defeat. "I'll give up…if I must."
"Hey, guys!" she called out to Ray and Robbie, "wait up!"
When they reached their friends, Lily said, "I'm gonna skip the movie, okay? I wanna go check out some music at that new store."
"Gasp!" Ray cried. "You're forsaking Mickey's like that?"
"Mickey doesn't have the new Yellowcard CD," Lily explained. "And also, I have a feeling you want to see Alien Invaders From Planet Scary Part Nine."
"It's planet Destruct-o," Robbie laughed.
"And it's good!" Ray backed him up.
"Uh huh, yeah," Lily said. "You just proved my point."
"Fine. Just the guys then. Travis, you in?" Ray asked, clapping his hand around his shoulder.
"Sorry," Travis said, wincing as he ducked out from under Ray's arm. "But I'm gonna stick with Lily. I prefer cheesy ninja movies to cheesy alien flicks."
Ray eyed him for a moment. "Alright…but you don't know what you're missing."
"We'll give you a call after the movie's over," Robbie called over his shoulder as they parted.
Travis nodded, rubbing his shoulder absently.
"Bye!" Lily called, looking over. "Your shoulder still hurt?"
"Huh? Oh, no," Travis said, pulling his hand away.
"No offense," Lily said as they began to walk, "but maybe you should tell your teacher to partner you up with someone less…evil."
Travis nodded. "Yeah. Maybe so."
"Or," Lily said, watching him from the corner of her eye. "Maybe you should stop holding back."
He looked over. "I can't."
"Why not?" Lily said. "It's like that guy said last night. If she's a worthy competitor, you shouldn't feel bad about losing to her. And if she's worthy, then don't you at least owe her a fair fight?"
He took in a deep breath. "Ace."
"Huh?"
"The guy's name," he explained. "It was Ace. And you're right."
Lily smiled. "I do like hearing that."
"Don't you have a CD to look for?" he asked, shoving her lightly.
"Hey, what happened to not hitting girls?" she cried.
"That wasn't hitting," he grinned.
"I am so gonna get you," she announced.
"I'm feeling threatened!" Travis laughed.
"I have a purse and I'm not afraid to use it!" she cried, swinging it over her head.
He took off running, "Nooo!"
Laughing, she gave chase, her bag swinging at her hip. "I'm gonna get you!"
She could tell he wasn't running full speed, and soon caught up with him, launching herself onto his back. He gave a yelp of surprise, stumbling, but somehow not falling.
"Whee!" she cried, wrapping her legs around his waist, arms around his neck.
"Hey!" he cried. "I'm not a horse!"
"You are now," she laughed giddily as he began to spin around in circles.
"Slow down, I'm getting dizzy," she warned, holding on tightly.
"Should've thought of that!" he yelled.
Lily was laughing too hard to reply when the world tilted crazily and she felt the air whoosh out of her as her back connected none-too-softly with the pavement.
"Sorry," Travis panted, laughing. "Got too dizzy."
Lily sucked in a breath when she was able, trying to hold back her own giggles. "No damage done."
She spread out her arms, feeling the cool ground against her back, eyes closed, waiting for the world to stop spinning.
When she finally felt she was able to open her eyes, Travis was staring down at her, propped up on his elbow.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, peering at her.
"No," she said, blinking. "I'm…okay."
He groaned and slowly got to his feet. "Okay…up we go."
She laughed as he reached down a hand to help her up. Clutching her side with one hand, she accepted, and let him yank her to her feet. Still giggling, she tripped over her own feet and lurched into him, almost sending them both back to the ground.
But suddenly Lily wasn't laughing. Suddenly she was staring into his gray eyes, totally and completely oblivious to anything else. Suddenly she was kissing Travis.
She wasn't even aware when it happened. There was no recollection of closing her eyes, or leaning in, breathing in his scent, but the next thing she knew, their lips met, and she was completely overwhelmed.
A few seconds passed before they both pulled away and opened their eyes, coming to realize what had happened.
Lily bit her lip, still tasting him there, watching his eyes for any signs, heart pounding, mind racing.
"Uh-" he faltered
"Not the most comforting thing a girl wants to hear after something like that," she said, still locked in his gaze.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have…I didn't mean to-"
"That's no better," she said softly, looking down at the ground.
"No!" he said. "I didn't mean."
She blinked rapidly, still not sure what had happened, but knowing she didn't want it to be a mistake.
"Okay," he said, breathing deeply. "Let me try that again. It was an accident."
"That's the same as 'I didn't mean to', Travis," she said, looking still downward.
"Except I did mean to. I think I meant to," he faltered. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't regret it."
She dared to look at his face. "Really?"
"It's just that…" he stared at her, his brow wrinkling in deep thought. "I shouldn't have done that."
"What?" she practically shouted. "Why not?"
Travis ran a hand through his hair, down over his face, rubbing his eyes. "I…I gotta go."
"What?!" Lily cried. "Travis, you can't just leave-"
"Lily," Travis said softly, taking hold of her arm. "I'm sorry."
She returned her gaze to the ground, not wanting to watch him walk away.
He may have been sorry, but she wasn't.