Chase pulled her shoe off and gasped at her foot; the rough leather of her
shoe had worn down the skin around her toes, making them bleed and stick to
the inside of her shoe.
"This is nasty," she cried, pulling her other shoe off and flinching as it rubbed against her raw flesh.
Squid leaned over her, looking down at her foot with a wrinkled nose. "I don't even wanna know what damage has been done to me feet," he said.
"It hurts really bad when I walk," said Chase, pulling herself onto her knees and wiping her bloody fingers on her orange jump suite. She tried to climb to her feet but her feet were numbing with every second, and soon she was back on her knees.
"Want some help?" Squid asked, moving towards her.
Chase shook her head. "No, that's okay; I'm fine."
She clambered back to her feet, trying to steady herself in the process. But Chase's feet were too sore, and now that her toes had been exposed to the warm, dust filled air they stung in agony even more. She wobbled on her unsure legs and wavered on her toes for a moment just before crashing to her knees again.
Groaning in exasperation, Chase threw her arms to her side in a gesture of surrender.
"Seriously, do you want some help?" Squid asked, holding his hand out.
Chase hesitantly set her hands in his and agreed to have him help her to her feet. Squid held Chase by the hand and the elbow, making sure not to hurt her wrist as he pulled her up. She lingered for a moment, trying to keep her balance, but she still wasn't stable and she tumbled forth, right into Squid's arms.
As an automatic reaction Squid had wrapped his arms tightly around Chase, preventing her from falling. But what he hadn't intended to do was pull her right up against him, cradling her as he had in his past dream. The last thing Squid had wanted was another awkward moment as he had recently begun to think that Chase was starting to get comfortable around him like a good friend. But apparently Squid had no luck as here it was; another awkward moment. But the more Squid thought about it the more he seemed to believe that he had all the luck in the world. Here he stood, his arms wrapped tightly around a beautiful girl; even the boy's who were chowing down on burgers and fries right now wouldn't be able to resist Squid's less fortunate, starving position just so they could hold and love Chase.
Chase still hadn't recovered from the shock yet. When she had begun to collapse at Squid's support she had been terrible afraid; afraid that the pain in her toes might have made her pass out and even more afraid that she might suffer the humiliation of knocking Squid off his feet. But now as she stood there wrapped in his comfortable grasp she couldn't tell if she was more embarrassed or pleased with herself. Squid's body felt so good to lean into; his skin was smooth his lips were inviting-Chase felt as if she were in a strange toppsy-turvy Heaven. But at the same time she couldn't help thinking, He just wants to be my friend now, nothing more! I lost my chance back at Big Thumb; he's not interested anymore!
Squid wondered how long it had been; two minutes?.ten minutes?.an hour? He wondered if he should let go of her now, if she was just standing there waiting to get away from him. But then why hadn't she already let go? Squid was very confused and finally made up his mind to back off out of politeness. Five.four.three-
Squid stopped counting down. What was the world coming to? What was going on? Squid eyes were wide with bewilderment and confusion as Chase wrapped her arms around him in return. She had finally gathered up her courage, deciding that if Squid didn't like her anymore he would just pull back and she could act insane because of the sweltering weather (making excuses as if she were Magnetic). But if Squid did like her.Well there was only one way to find out.
Chase had held her breath as she'd begun to wrap her arms around him, but as the moments ticked by her eyes closed and she comfortably leaned into him, not caring if he liked her or not.
Squid had to restrain himself from yelling "SHE LIKES ME!!!" and hopping about with joy. Instead he too closed his eyes and rest his head gently atop her's. They stood like that for a few moments, in comfortable silence, just holding each other.
After a while Squid opened his eyes and pulled back a little. "We should probably get going again," he said, not taking his eyes off Chase. "We gotta find some place to stay before it gets dark."
Chase nodded in content. "Yeah," she said slowly, pulling away from Squid completely and grinning sheepishly as she pulled her fallen hair back behind her ear.
"I am SOOOOOOO bored!" Magnetic cried.
"Well, I know something fun we could do!" Magnet said, grinning from ear to ear. "All I need is a little corporation from you chika!"
Magnetic slapped his hand.
The back of the truck jolted with each bump they drove over and the members of D tent were not enjoying it. Armpit was sleeping in the corner, irritating Magnetic with his constant snores. The others were spread out around the many boxes, Zigzag and Xray eating some food they had found in one of the boxes. They were all tiredly waiting for their destined arrival, a small town they had been informed about by the truck driver. They hoped to find a nice motel there, equipped with a shower and air conditioning, where they planned to stay for a night or so-just long enough for them to devise the rest of their plan.
Some of them were also hoping to find Squid and Chase again, though all they could do now was pray. It'd been almost two days since they had seen them last and they had no idea where Squid and Chase were now. Only luck would bring them all back together again and Zippy was worried that none of them had much luck.
"We're almost there," the truck driver said, beaming at them.
"Finally," Static yawned. "I need to get out and stretch my legs!"
Zippy frowned; if Chase were there she would grin broadly at Zippy and repeat, "We're almost there Zip, almost there."
"This is nasty," she cried, pulling her other shoe off and flinching as it rubbed against her raw flesh.
Squid leaned over her, looking down at her foot with a wrinkled nose. "I don't even wanna know what damage has been done to me feet," he said.
"It hurts really bad when I walk," said Chase, pulling herself onto her knees and wiping her bloody fingers on her orange jump suite. She tried to climb to her feet but her feet were numbing with every second, and soon she was back on her knees.
"Want some help?" Squid asked, moving towards her.
Chase shook her head. "No, that's okay; I'm fine."
She clambered back to her feet, trying to steady herself in the process. But Chase's feet were too sore, and now that her toes had been exposed to the warm, dust filled air they stung in agony even more. She wobbled on her unsure legs and wavered on her toes for a moment just before crashing to her knees again.
Groaning in exasperation, Chase threw her arms to her side in a gesture of surrender.
"Seriously, do you want some help?" Squid asked, holding his hand out.
Chase hesitantly set her hands in his and agreed to have him help her to her feet. Squid held Chase by the hand and the elbow, making sure not to hurt her wrist as he pulled her up. She lingered for a moment, trying to keep her balance, but she still wasn't stable and she tumbled forth, right into Squid's arms.
As an automatic reaction Squid had wrapped his arms tightly around Chase, preventing her from falling. But what he hadn't intended to do was pull her right up against him, cradling her as he had in his past dream. The last thing Squid had wanted was another awkward moment as he had recently begun to think that Chase was starting to get comfortable around him like a good friend. But apparently Squid had no luck as here it was; another awkward moment. But the more Squid thought about it the more he seemed to believe that he had all the luck in the world. Here he stood, his arms wrapped tightly around a beautiful girl; even the boy's who were chowing down on burgers and fries right now wouldn't be able to resist Squid's less fortunate, starving position just so they could hold and love Chase.
Chase still hadn't recovered from the shock yet. When she had begun to collapse at Squid's support she had been terrible afraid; afraid that the pain in her toes might have made her pass out and even more afraid that she might suffer the humiliation of knocking Squid off his feet. But now as she stood there wrapped in his comfortable grasp she couldn't tell if she was more embarrassed or pleased with herself. Squid's body felt so good to lean into; his skin was smooth his lips were inviting-Chase felt as if she were in a strange toppsy-turvy Heaven. But at the same time she couldn't help thinking, He just wants to be my friend now, nothing more! I lost my chance back at Big Thumb; he's not interested anymore!
Squid wondered how long it had been; two minutes?.ten minutes?.an hour? He wondered if he should let go of her now, if she was just standing there waiting to get away from him. But then why hadn't she already let go? Squid was very confused and finally made up his mind to back off out of politeness. Five.four.three-
Squid stopped counting down. What was the world coming to? What was going on? Squid eyes were wide with bewilderment and confusion as Chase wrapped her arms around him in return. She had finally gathered up her courage, deciding that if Squid didn't like her anymore he would just pull back and she could act insane because of the sweltering weather (making excuses as if she were Magnetic). But if Squid did like her.Well there was only one way to find out.
Chase had held her breath as she'd begun to wrap her arms around him, but as the moments ticked by her eyes closed and she comfortably leaned into him, not caring if he liked her or not.
Squid had to restrain himself from yelling "SHE LIKES ME!!!" and hopping about with joy. Instead he too closed his eyes and rest his head gently atop her's. They stood like that for a few moments, in comfortable silence, just holding each other.
After a while Squid opened his eyes and pulled back a little. "We should probably get going again," he said, not taking his eyes off Chase. "We gotta find some place to stay before it gets dark."
Chase nodded in content. "Yeah," she said slowly, pulling away from Squid completely and grinning sheepishly as she pulled her fallen hair back behind her ear.
"I am SOOOOOOO bored!" Magnetic cried.
"Well, I know something fun we could do!" Magnet said, grinning from ear to ear. "All I need is a little corporation from you chika!"
Magnetic slapped his hand.
The back of the truck jolted with each bump they drove over and the members of D tent were not enjoying it. Armpit was sleeping in the corner, irritating Magnetic with his constant snores. The others were spread out around the many boxes, Zigzag and Xray eating some food they had found in one of the boxes. They were all tiredly waiting for their destined arrival, a small town they had been informed about by the truck driver. They hoped to find a nice motel there, equipped with a shower and air conditioning, where they planned to stay for a night or so-just long enough for them to devise the rest of their plan.
Some of them were also hoping to find Squid and Chase again, though all they could do now was pray. It'd been almost two days since they had seen them last and they had no idea where Squid and Chase were now. Only luck would bring them all back together again and Zippy was worried that none of them had much luck.
"We're almost there," the truck driver said, beaming at them.
"Finally," Static yawned. "I need to get out and stretch my legs!"
Zippy frowned; if Chase were there she would grin broadly at Zippy and repeat, "We're almost there Zip, almost there."