Disclaimer: The Animorphs will never, ever belong to me. Ever. *bursts into
tears* Why JK? Why couldn't the story have popped into my head?
A/N: Myst4 gets three grains of rice for her help when I had writer's block. *passes along grains of rice*
*****
I got to the bus stop fifteen minutes early. It had taken less time than I thought to give that fussy eagle her pill. I dropped my backpack on the sidewalk and shifted my weight. I itched my leg and tugged at my hair, trying to take up time. I was anxious. Could you tell?
This was going to be the first day I saw Jake since that horrible accident. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for not helping him. It was just that.. when I saw him sprawled out on the asphalt, I freaked. I kind of um... like Jake. You know, like like Jake. Seeing him like that made me feel helpless. Rachel and Tobias thought better, they had done what I would've done. If only it hadn't have been Jake...
I had just about dug a whole through my skin with my manure tainted nails when the bus came around the corner. No matter what anyone says, the bus is actually kind of fun. It was the only time when I really got to be alone with Jake. The only time I could really talk to him and get to know him.
I sounded boy crazy just then didn't I?
Anyways, I threw my backpack back over my shoulder and walked to the curb. The doors opened and I was greeted with the stench of gym socks and spoiled lunch. Climbing up the steps I started to search for Jake and didn't find him. So I, defeated, sat down in an empty and hopefully sanitary seat.
He could've got a ride. I knew his older brother was old enough to drive him there. Maybe his mom. If I was his mother I wouldn't let him walk to his bus stop, not after what happened.
I would have to wait until lunch to talk to him, I didn't have any classes with him until after lunch. It wasn't that long, maybe three hours. I could hang in there...
Couldn't I?
What if he didn't want me to sit with him? What if he hated me for not trying to help. He knew that I knew some stuff about what to do in situations like that, after all I had told him about going out to try and save a deer that had been hit by a car with my dad. I bet he hated me.
*****
I met Rachel in line at lunch. By the time we got to the side dishes she was lecturing me.
"Believe me Cassie, he doesn't hate you. He doesn't even remember that night at all. I asked him." She added some pears onto her plate and an apple on mine. I rolled my eyes. I hated apples.
"Yea, but I failed him. I mean, I was freaking out when you were applying pressure and all that stuff. Even Tobias was helping you! He doesn't even know him!" I replaced the apple while earning a vicious look from the lunch lady.
"Exactly, Tobias doesn't know him that well, therefore it was easier for him to see him like that. And me.. I don't know what made me do it but I did. So shove it. Besides, if you're worried so much about it, let's go sit with him." I saw her hesitate. I saw her eyes shift quickly from me to the pears on her plate. Something was wrong.
"I knew it! I knew he hated me! Why didn't you tell me? This is so awful!" I moaned. Of course he would hate me. Of course! How could he forgive me after I just... ignored him.
"No, Cassie! It's not that! I swear."
I ignored her, freaking out of course. Why did I have to stand in the background? I could've probably stopped him from going into coma.
"Cassie!" Rachel said exasperated. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. So of course, because she was causing this less then pleasant experience, I listened to her. "Look, um... Jake's not right. When he went into coma he had this... dream I guess. And when he woke up he thought it was real. I'm just warning you. He thinks that uh.. we were in this war against an alien race."
"What?" I asked. It didn't make sense. Was she saying that Jake was crazy?
"He's not crazy!" Rachel always was able to read my mind. "He's just... confused. Just be careful with what you say, all right?"
We made our way over to Jake. He was a wallflower at his table. Marco was sitting across from him throwing fries at him, trying to get him to smile I guess. Jake didn't look right and, I noticed as I sat next to him, he didn't feel right either.
"Jake, we've come to assure Cassie that you don't hate her but instead are simply smitten with her entirely." I hated Rachel sometimes. This was one of them.
"Oh give it up Rachel, we both know you came here to admire me. You can't resist me!" Marco of course.
I looked towards Jake, ready to defend why we came here, but was surprised to see that he was smiling. Rachel saw it too.
"What are you smiling at? You want me to date your best friend?" Jake gulped and shook his head, then looked over her, into the crowd of kids.
"Tobias!" He shouted. We all turned to look at the blonde haired boy looking extremely out of place. I shuddered as I remembered what he had done to help Jake. Of course he would want him to come sit with us. I felt guilt wash over me and I picked up my fork to mash my already mashed potatoes.
Jake saw this and for some odd reason, sent me a reassuring smile. It was then I knew he wasn't mad at me. And I also knew that I liked his smile.
Tobias oddly plopped in a seat next to Rachel, who scooted over to give him more room. Even though none of us knew him very well, he looked like he belonged. In fact, I realized that together, we all looked like we belonged.
We ate in silence, mostly because nobody was able to come up with conversation topic. Until Jake that is.
"Some um... has anyone you know, had this guy called Ellimist... visit them?" It was so casual, so ordinary the way he said it. From the way Rachel looked though, I could tell that Jake had said something wrong.
"No, Jake. It's not real. He's not real." Rachel said. The rest of us looked on confused. "No war Jake. Remember?"
Then I realized, this is what Rachel meant when she said something wasn't right with him.
Jake thought there had been a war. And worse... he thought we had fought in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
FacelessName: *blushes* Really? The best on FF.N? I dunno. Thanks!
Myst4: Of course Marco's thinking of commitment! After long battles, he just wants to curl up into some nice girl's arms, the one that he loves of course! And they're not that short, each chapter is at least 1,000 words. I made sure! CCU means Critical Care Unit. Oh yes, MY RICE! All mine! Bwhaha!
DH: *grins* Marco is. a charmer. And Rachel is just. blaming herself really for what happened to Jake, I didn't expand on that did I? Oh poo. As for Ax, I think I know what I'm doing with him and he's not a nurse. Sorry. My story reminds you of something awful? Is that a hint?
Early: *giggles* I'm on alert. You don't know how special that makes me feel. And I'll try not to abandon it. If I do. you have permission to hunt me down and steal my rice grains.
Alara-Sirinial-Amalon: Marco. Suave. *does the little sexy dance that accompanies that song* Come on everyone, join in!
Lost soul: Ah, but I never said that there weren't any Yeerks. But I never said there were. Honestly. you people have no faith in me.
A/N: Myst4 gets three grains of rice for her help when I had writer's block. *passes along grains of rice*
*****
I got to the bus stop fifteen minutes early. It had taken less time than I thought to give that fussy eagle her pill. I dropped my backpack on the sidewalk and shifted my weight. I itched my leg and tugged at my hair, trying to take up time. I was anxious. Could you tell?
This was going to be the first day I saw Jake since that horrible accident. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for not helping him. It was just that.. when I saw him sprawled out on the asphalt, I freaked. I kind of um... like Jake. You know, like like Jake. Seeing him like that made me feel helpless. Rachel and Tobias thought better, they had done what I would've done. If only it hadn't have been Jake...
I had just about dug a whole through my skin with my manure tainted nails when the bus came around the corner. No matter what anyone says, the bus is actually kind of fun. It was the only time when I really got to be alone with Jake. The only time I could really talk to him and get to know him.
I sounded boy crazy just then didn't I?
Anyways, I threw my backpack back over my shoulder and walked to the curb. The doors opened and I was greeted with the stench of gym socks and spoiled lunch. Climbing up the steps I started to search for Jake and didn't find him. So I, defeated, sat down in an empty and hopefully sanitary seat.
He could've got a ride. I knew his older brother was old enough to drive him there. Maybe his mom. If I was his mother I wouldn't let him walk to his bus stop, not after what happened.
I would have to wait until lunch to talk to him, I didn't have any classes with him until after lunch. It wasn't that long, maybe three hours. I could hang in there...
Couldn't I?
What if he didn't want me to sit with him? What if he hated me for not trying to help. He knew that I knew some stuff about what to do in situations like that, after all I had told him about going out to try and save a deer that had been hit by a car with my dad. I bet he hated me.
*****
I met Rachel in line at lunch. By the time we got to the side dishes she was lecturing me.
"Believe me Cassie, he doesn't hate you. He doesn't even remember that night at all. I asked him." She added some pears onto her plate and an apple on mine. I rolled my eyes. I hated apples.
"Yea, but I failed him. I mean, I was freaking out when you were applying pressure and all that stuff. Even Tobias was helping you! He doesn't even know him!" I replaced the apple while earning a vicious look from the lunch lady.
"Exactly, Tobias doesn't know him that well, therefore it was easier for him to see him like that. And me.. I don't know what made me do it but I did. So shove it. Besides, if you're worried so much about it, let's go sit with him." I saw her hesitate. I saw her eyes shift quickly from me to the pears on her plate. Something was wrong.
"I knew it! I knew he hated me! Why didn't you tell me? This is so awful!" I moaned. Of course he would hate me. Of course! How could he forgive me after I just... ignored him.
"No, Cassie! It's not that! I swear."
I ignored her, freaking out of course. Why did I have to stand in the background? I could've probably stopped him from going into coma.
"Cassie!" Rachel said exasperated. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. So of course, because she was causing this less then pleasant experience, I listened to her. "Look, um... Jake's not right. When he went into coma he had this... dream I guess. And when he woke up he thought it was real. I'm just warning you. He thinks that uh.. we were in this war against an alien race."
"What?" I asked. It didn't make sense. Was she saying that Jake was crazy?
"He's not crazy!" Rachel always was able to read my mind. "He's just... confused. Just be careful with what you say, all right?"
We made our way over to Jake. He was a wallflower at his table. Marco was sitting across from him throwing fries at him, trying to get him to smile I guess. Jake didn't look right and, I noticed as I sat next to him, he didn't feel right either.
"Jake, we've come to assure Cassie that you don't hate her but instead are simply smitten with her entirely." I hated Rachel sometimes. This was one of them.
"Oh give it up Rachel, we both know you came here to admire me. You can't resist me!" Marco of course.
I looked towards Jake, ready to defend why we came here, but was surprised to see that he was smiling. Rachel saw it too.
"What are you smiling at? You want me to date your best friend?" Jake gulped and shook his head, then looked over her, into the crowd of kids.
"Tobias!" He shouted. We all turned to look at the blonde haired boy looking extremely out of place. I shuddered as I remembered what he had done to help Jake. Of course he would want him to come sit with us. I felt guilt wash over me and I picked up my fork to mash my already mashed potatoes.
Jake saw this and for some odd reason, sent me a reassuring smile. It was then I knew he wasn't mad at me. And I also knew that I liked his smile.
Tobias oddly plopped in a seat next to Rachel, who scooted over to give him more room. Even though none of us knew him very well, he looked like he belonged. In fact, I realized that together, we all looked like we belonged.
We ate in silence, mostly because nobody was able to come up with conversation topic. Until Jake that is.
"Some um... has anyone you know, had this guy called Ellimist... visit them?" It was so casual, so ordinary the way he said it. From the way Rachel looked though, I could tell that Jake had said something wrong.
"No, Jake. It's not real. He's not real." Rachel said. The rest of us looked on confused. "No war Jake. Remember?"
Then I realized, this is what Rachel meant when she said something wasn't right with him.
Jake thought there had been a war. And worse... he thought we had fought in it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
FacelessName: *blushes* Really? The best on FF.N? I dunno. Thanks!
Myst4: Of course Marco's thinking of commitment! After long battles, he just wants to curl up into some nice girl's arms, the one that he loves of course! And they're not that short, each chapter is at least 1,000 words. I made sure! CCU means Critical Care Unit. Oh yes, MY RICE! All mine! Bwhaha!
DH: *grins* Marco is. a charmer. And Rachel is just. blaming herself really for what happened to Jake, I didn't expand on that did I? Oh poo. As for Ax, I think I know what I'm doing with him and he's not a nurse. Sorry. My story reminds you of something awful? Is that a hint?
Early: *giggles* I'm on alert. You don't know how special that makes me feel. And I'll try not to abandon it. If I do. you have permission to hunt me down and steal my rice grains.
Alara-Sirinial-Amalon: Marco. Suave. *does the little sexy dance that accompanies that song* Come on everyone, join in!
Lost soul: Ah, but I never said that there weren't any Yeerks. But I never said there were. Honestly. you people have no faith in me.