Chapter 13: Forgiven

A WEEK LATER

Toughette did her best to try and avoid Hefty all week. She had felt hurt and betrayed when he led her to Nursette's clinic. Although, how could she really blame him? He didn't know that she feared needles. But still, she pondered if she could really trust him again.

For the past year, since he began recovering from his injuries, both Hefty and her had been mostly competing in games and chores. It felt so good to finally know someone that can play at her level. Not only her, but also the rest of the smurfettes seemed more grateful to have a smurf in the village. The only issue Toughette had was that the rest almost seem dependent on his strength. Before Hefty, everyone depended on Toughette to help with the heavy chores, but now they only ask her if Hefty is unable to assist.

A part of her regretted finding him along the shore of the beach, and yet, if she hadn't Hefty might not be alive today. Then again, it could have been possible that someone else might have found him? But if that had happened, she and the other smurfettes might not have known that smurfs do really exist. Toughette's mind has been filled with so many questions since the day she got her flu shots last week.

Toughette had always been known as a Tom-smurf in the village. This never bothered her one bit. She wasn't much into flowers, or dressing up in pink dresses, and wearing make-up like most smurfettes in the village. Such things always made her feel uncomfortable. Regardless of that fact, Toughette still admired her feminine qualities. She took pride of her long golden hair. It may not seem so, since she always throws it back in a ponytail, but she does wash and comb it every night. One morning she caught herself actually trying to style her hair before her going on a jog with Hefty. As soon as she came too and realized that she was just going for a jog and not the Blue Moon Ball, she quickly threw her hair back into a ponytail.

That action had her wondering more about the smurf. Toughette never felt so confused about her feelings and emotions before. Usually she was more focused on being tough that the softer side of her rarely shows, that is, until she found Hefty on the beach.

The day that she took a shift in watching over him while Nursette took a nap, she found herself talking to him. She knew he was in a coma, but still, the words seemed to just come out uncontrollably. As soon as she realized what she was doing, Toughette instantly became embarrassed as if some of the smurfettes were watching her. At the same time she also worried terribly that he might never have wakened from injuries.

Toughette walked around the bend of on of the mushroom houses, she headed straight for the village center. She froze once she saw Hefty standing with a few of the other smurfettes by the watering well. He was helping them by pulling the water bucket up. Quickly she ducked back around the house and hoped that Hefty didn't see her.

Hefty turned to look over his shoulder just as Toughette ran around back around the mushroom house. He knew that she had been avoiding him since the incident at the clinic last week. The morning jobs seemed so lonely without someone to talk too. It was like being back home when it was usually him jogging by himself. He thought for a moment, and seeing that this could be the only opportunity to get to talk to Toughette about last week, he handed the full bucket to the blond smurfette, and ran after Toughette.

Toughette leaned up against the wall hoping that she hadn't been seen. All of her hopes had been dashed when she heard Hefty's voice call out her name.

"Toughette?"

She couldn't help but to gasp a breath. Quickly she composed herself and turned away from the smurf. To show her lack of interest of his presence she crosses her arms, and lifted her nose high into the air.

"In case you have forgotten, I am not talking to you anymore." Toughette huffed.

Hefty sighed. He could tell that Toughette won't forgive him so easily. Back home in his village, Papa Smurf would have brought both him and Toughette together for a talk. But he isn't in his village; he was in the village of the smurfettes. It was obvious that rules here were a bit different. He thought of going to Mama Smurf, but she had already talked to Toughette several times about the situation. There was no doubt about it; Toughette was going to be stubborn.

"Look, I understand that you are still mad. Heck, I would probably hate me too if I had lied and betrayed my own trust." Hefty slouched while looking up, hoping she would understand his concern.

Slowly, Toughette relaxed her arms, but still kept them crossed. She began to look down towards the ground in shame. She didn't hate Hefty; she was just very upset with him. But that wasn't the reason why she is avoiding him. The real reason was something that she couldn't even explain. Not to him, not to anyone, including herself.

"If only I were able to smurf back home." Hefty continued. "That way you won't have to worry about me getting in your way, or even losing anymore trust you might have left of me. Anyway, I should just leave you alone. You look like you have lots to do and be it from me to get in your way."

Those very words had really started to make Toughette feel guilty. She had to say something before Hefty could walk away, perhaps forever at this rate.

"Hefty, wait." She blurted.

Hefty paused just as he had taken a step away from Toughette. He turned his head to hear what Toughette had to say.

"I don't hate you, ok." She said in a slightly frustrated tone. "I don't even know why I'm still angry with you."

"So why do you keep running away from me then?" Hefty asked.

"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I never ran from anything before. It's just that…" Toughette trailed off.

"It's just, what?"

Toughette paused. She had no answer to give. How was she to explain that she kept having strange feelings whenever she is around him? Finally she lets out a sigh.

"Nothing. Forget it." She simply decided to wave of as if it weren't important.

Hefty gave her a perplexed look. He doubted that he would ever figure out smurfettes, whether if they were from his village, or this one. For a moment the air filled with an awkward silence. Finally Hefty took in a deep breath.

"Look, if it will make you feel any better, I'm…afraid of heights." He admitted shyly.

Toughette looked up at him in shock. She then thought back during their escape from Gloria. "Well, that would explain why you were so determined in having everyone else swing to the windowsill first."

Hefty only responded in a shy chuckle.

Toughette shook her head and looked up at him, "Hefty, I'm sorry if I was acting like a jerk towards you this past week." Her chest began feeling lighter now that she was able to finally say that.

"That's ok, I probably deserved it." He shrugged. "Well, as long as everything is smurfy with us. I guess I should go chop more wood. Winter will be upon us in a couple of months, and I promised Gingerette that I would help her stock up with kindling before then."

"Hey Hefty?" Toughette said just loud enough for him to hear. Hefty turned once again to face her. "You want to go play a game of smurfball afterwards?" She asked.

"Ok." Hefty grins before walking away.