A/N:kk, still a bit more after this. Thnx for staying with me. Sorry it took so long.
He couldn't wait for twelve, so he packed his lunch at 11:00 and left in a run.
He didn't understand why. He obviously would never get Mary. He realized that she wasn't his anymore. But then again, was she ever?
But running into the garden he had hope: hope that Mary would forgive him, befriend him. Hope that he had not ruined a friendship. Hope that he would once again be rewarded with that magical smile of hers. Better a friend Than nothing at all.
In the garden, he sat on the stump, knowing fully well they would still come at the time set. And so it was that at exactly 12:00, the garden opened. Mary and Dickon were solemn, hand in hand.
Mary kept her eyes unfocused, on the ground. Dickon though, looked straight at Colin with that gaze of his.
They stopped a foot away from him. Dickon murmured something in her ear, smiling. He kissed her forehead, and nodded to Colin, and then he walked to another part of the garden.
Colin didn't know what to say. She still looked at anything but him.
"Mary, I'm, sorry for the way I acted." Colin said. Mary didn't move. She looked at the floor, and the Colin realized she was surpressing rage. Bravely, he continued. "I know what I said was wrong, but" and suddenly, it was like they were back to when they were ten years old, and it was a rainy day, and Mary had just quit playing with the puppets.
"You spoiled uptight Raja!" She yelled, looking into his face for the first time, and he saw rage in her eyes like he hadn't seen for years. He wanted to intervene, to reason, but she wouldn't let him. "You're so selfish. I thought you had changed all these years, but your still a self-centered controlling little boy." She took a breath, then continued." And how DARE you call Dickon common? Your much more common than he is-"
Colin was now offended, but could not retort due to Mary's banter. "And who are you to decide whom I belong to? No one owns me, Colin. I control me. Do you understand?"
Colin swallowed, looking into her smoldering eyes, and wondering whether he could actually bring himself to end any emotions that would interfere witha normal stable friendship.If he could will himself tostop feeling hate and let her go. Henodded earnestly, wide eyed. He could try.
He hadn't seen this side of Mary for years.
She seemed to look at him hard for a long time. Her gaze bore into him, as if she were taking him apart piece by piece under a microscope, then she nodded slowly.
"Good... then perhaps we can be friends again..."