Hello again, readers! I hope you're all having a happy Fourth of July, and that this update makes your day all the better! We're really digging our heels into this story now, and things are starting to get heated up! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this latest installment of Chasing Heart! :D
Vanessa could feel the empty space of loneliness weighing her down as it had been nearly a month since Gregory had been placed on a different schedule. In the lunchroom, she noticed Mr. Kingsley in the hallway speaking to Dennis, and he spared her a quick glance, furrowing a brow when he was met with her glare. As she began to gather her things to head back to class, she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to see the principal.
"Can I help you?" Vanessa asked, something that would normally threaten a student's after school plans with detention.
"Vanetha, I underthtand you're upthet about Gregory being placed on a different thcedule. I promithe, it had nothing to do with you."
"Yeah, sure..." Vanessa sighed as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. "I'm still going to run that race, Mr. Kingsley. And I'm going to win. No matter how hard you try to stop me, I will win for our school. Then you get all the money you want, and I can have the right to do what I love. We both get what we want in the end."
Before the principal could say another word, she turned, heading out of the lunch room and back to class. Suddenly, someone pulled her aside, and she was about to protest when she widened her eyes, not believing who it was.
"Wait... Simon...? What're you-"
"Shh!" The tan boy looked around, his light brown eyes flickering about. "Look, Vanessa. I... I need your help. But you can't let Randy or Taryn know that I talked to you or I'd never hear the end of it."
Vanessa gave him a flat look, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess... you want Candace Howard to be your 'gal again."
Simon bit his lip, nodding a bit. "I... I've lost my charm since she's gone, Van." He sighed. "I'm stumbling all over the place, I can't keep this up! I didn't think that air headed girl had gotten that deep under my skin."
"Well, why don't you just tell her that, then?" Vanessa asked. "And please don't call me Van."
Simon narrowed his eyes then, a spark of anger in them. "It's because she's head over heels in love with YOUR guy! Gregory Orville!"
Vanessa's expression saddened a bit then. "Yeah, tell me about it, Simon. I'm not too happy about it either. No offense, but Candace is-"
"Be very, VERY careful what you say about her." Simon warned.
"Alright, fine, Romeo... look, just get this. If they want to be together, what either of us say won't matter. Making yourself look like a fool isn't going to help anyone."
"But I've gotta have her back Vanessa, please!" Simon sighed. "Look, just... try to talk to him, or something."
Vanessa sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. But that's all I'm doing. You along with the rest of your friends are the last people who deserve MY help."
Simon shrugged, scraping his foot. "Sorry... we just go along with whatever Taryn and Randy say... well, mostly Taryn."
Vanessa rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she continued off to class.
After school, Vanessa groaned as she saw Candace and Gregory standing around with none other than Taryn and Randy. "Great." She said to herself. "Like trying to fish out a pearl in a lake full of sharks." She dared to venture closer, a few yards from them now. It was then she heard something that stopped her in her tracks.
Gregory's laughter.
"Wait... he's... actually having FUN with them?" Vanessa asked herself, furrowing her brows when she noticed him snake and arm around Candace. She then widened her eyes more, if that was possible, when none other than Simon joined them... with another classmate named Stephanie Winters. She had short hair and always wore a bow, and it was clear that Simon was showing her off to make Candace jealous. Needless to say, none of that mattered to Vanessa now. "He's forgotten all about me. Just like the rest of them." She bit her lip. "That Kingsley... he thinks this is going to stop me. Now I have all the more reason to win that race. That stupid Gregory..." She stormed off, heading straight to the forest.
Ralph was waiting for Vanessa, frowning when he saw she was visibly upset. She wasted no time getting started, and he watched in surprise as, for the first time, she completed his track without one slip up. But she didn't stop there. She went around, and around, and around, and-
"Vanessa." Ralph said to her at one point when she was close to collapsing from exhaustion. "You must stop."
"No... I... I have to win this race... I have to..."
"Listen to me closely. Do not lose sight of your dream in the journey. Sometimes when we fight so hard for something, we lose ourselves in it. We sacrifice righteousness for ambition." Ralph said.
Vanessa sighed sadly, looking up at Ralph. "He's forgotten all about me, Ralph."
"Who? The young human boy?"
She nodded. "Promise you won't ever betray me, Ralph."
"How could I even think to-"
"Promise me!" Vanessa exclaimed.
Ralph exhaled, smiling lightly and nodding. "I promise." He gently ruffled her hair, making Vanessa giggle a bit.
"Hey, cut it out!" She laughed. After a minute or two, she sighed lightly, her expression a tad more serious. "Look Ralph, the final race is next week. I have to be ready for it, this is my only chance."
Ralph nodded. "I understand." He looked to the sky as it began to darken. "You need to rest. You should head home."
"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow, Ralph!" She beamed, grabbing her things as she jogged down the path.
Mr. Kingsley exhaled deeply the next day, looking at his watch. He looked around as he walked down the street, adjusting his tie as he remembered the directions Dennis and Wyatt had told him earlier that day.
"According to the kid, she said she had a friend helping her. They meet up in the woods on the other side of town, just outside the metal shop."
"Do you know anything about thith friend of herth?"
"No, that I don't know. Only thing I remember is what she said his name was... Ralph."
Mr. Kingsley stopped at the edge of the woods, slowly entering it as she again adjusted himself out of nervous habit. When he ventured for a bit, he looked around.
"H- Hello...? Ith there thomeone here named Ralph? I'm here to talk about Mith Von- er, Vanessa!"
Ralph watched the individual warily from the treetops, unseen by the human that dared to enter his midst, let alone seek him out. He quietly moved through the tops of the trees, landing with a thud purposefully behind a large rock to gain the older man's attention, but so as to remain out of sight.
"You speak of Vanessa?" He said, startling Mr. Kingsley a bit.
The older man cleared his throat, adjusting his jacket. "Y- Yeth... are... are you Ralph?"
"I am he."
"May... may I thee you? Come out from behind there..."
"No. I choose to stay here. We can communicate this way. Say what you must and then leave here. What are your intentions for Vanessa?"
"W- Well... I heard from a... somewhat reliable source... Dennith and Wyatt aren't the brightetht of gentlemen... that you were helping her train for the final rathe."
"The very race that will help her to attain her dream. Indeed, I am."
"L- Look... you don't thound like you're a thtudent, tho I will thafely athume that you are unaware of the happenings at the thchool. I wanted to give Vanetha a chanthe, becauthe of her determination. I... I feel terrible that it mutht be thith way, but... I need to make sure that she doeth not rathe next week!"
"Why do you bring her pain? Why do you deny her the right to be happy?" Ralph asked.
"Becauthe if she winth thith rathe..." Mr. Kingsley bit his lip. "The thtudenth plan to... do thomething horrible. They... plan to break her legth."
Normally, Ralph would have never been phased by anything Mr. Kingsley had to say. However, his eyes widened as he remembered the nightmare he'd had earlier; he remembered seeing Vanessa twitching inhumanly, her legs cracking and breaking before she was devoured by the insect forged of metal.
Was this the meaning of the bad omen?
Ralph turned, nearly revealing himself before catching himself, standing still once more. "Can you not control the children? Are you not their caretaker?"
"I-... Of courth I can, in my own thchool, but if they chooth to do thith outhide thchool groundth, it'th out of my handth!" Mr. Kingsley exclaimed. "Pleathe, Ralph... I need your help. You MUTHT convinthe Vanetha not to do thith rathe. If she doeth... I'm afraid the rumorth I've heard will come true. I... I can't allow that to happen."
Ralph felt a great sadness in his heart then, a heaviness that weighed him down and he slowly slid against the rock to the ground. "But she depends on me. I... I have become like her guardian."
Mr. Kingsley smiled sadly. "Thometimeth, good people have to make the tough choiceth. She won't lithten to me, tho... I'm depending on you to do thith, Ralph."
"... I will try." Ralph held his head in one of his large hands.
"Thank you, Ralph... for believing me. I'll leave you to your own, now." Mr. Kingsley said, slowly turning to head out of the forest.
Ralph meanwhile, curled up as he held his head. "What do I do now...? What do I do now, Kira?"
He had to choose between allowing Vanessa to possibly be harmed... or breaking her heart.
Later on, after school ended for the day, Ralph heard approaching footsteps and a small thud as Vanessa dropped her book bag on the same small boulder as she dis each day.
"Ralph? Hey, Ralph, are you asleep? Wake up, lazy bones!" She called out to him.
Ralph finally emerged from behind the rock, slowly approaching her. "Hello, Vanessa."
Vanessa stared at him for a moment, tilting her head. "What's the matter with you? Did you eat some bad acorns or something?"
"No. But I-"
"Okay then, let's get started!" Vanessa said, hopping down onto the track. "Tell me when to start!"
Ralph slowly scooted onto the track behind her, turning her to face him, in which she blinked in confusion.
"Vanessa... I am sorry. But we cannot continue."
"What? Hey, what is your problem today? I don't have time to fool around, I have a race to practice for!"
"Please, listen to me. This is not the right thing to do. I am trying to protect you from danger that lies ahead."
"The only thing that 'lies ahead' of me is winning first place and ending the tyranny of Mr. Kingsley! All he ever does is try to stop me!"
"He is the one who warned me of this danger, Vanessa!" Ralph shouted, biting his lip immediately after and turning away. Vanessa hopped out of the track, staring at him.
"What did you say? He... he came and talked to you? You spoke to him?" Vanessa's expression angered then. "You're joking! You're kidding around, aren't you, you big lummox! So you're telling me you're going to bail out on me too, you big knuckle head!" She growled, going up to him as he turned to beat his chest. "You big stupid dummy, he's trying to stop me from racing and he's going to make me miserable until he does!" She screamed. "He took Gregory from me and now he's going to take you from me!"
"I'm not going to betray you, Vanessa, please listen and you will realize I'm trying to protect you!"
"Protect me from what, huh? From my dreams? You know what? I don't need you, I can run this track on my own!" She hopped down onto the track angrily, getting ready to run. However, she felt a large hand lift her, and she began to kick and scream. "Put me down you big lummox!"
"Vanessa, you need to listen to me. The King human warned me that the other children plan to destroy you if you win this race. Vanessa, I lost someone dear once, I will not allow that to happen again!"
"You liar! You stool pigeon!" Vanessa cried. "I trusted you, you made a promise, and now you're siding with that... that big egghead!"
Ralph glanced towards the track, sighing lightly. "I'm so sorry, Vanessa. But... this is for your own good." He placed her aside, and by the time she realized what he was about to do, it was too late. He raised his arms up, destroying the track he had made for her, one fist smash at a time. Vanessa stood there, wordless, gritting her teeth as she held tears back. Ralph could not bear to look at her as she grabbed her book bag, sprinting out of the forest. He fell to his knees, sighing lightly. "I'm sorry, Kira. I've failed you. I succumbed to the evil." As he said this, he heard approaching footsteps. He turned to see Vanessa standing there, her face tear stained.
"I forgot to tell you one thing before I never see your stupid face again." She said shakily, sniffling. "Before Gregory and I stopped being friends... I got him to ask his mom to stop the deforestation out east. You can go back to your home out there now and stay there with your Kira tree. I hope you're happy." Before Ralph could fully take in what she had said, she was gone. When her words sunk in, he put a hand to his heart, shutting his eyes tightly. He gently drew out the necklace he kept tucked under his shirt, gracing a thumb over the wooden carved heart.
"She kept her promise... but I did not keep mine." He sighed. "I must do something. I cannot let it end like this."
Well I'm sure you're all feeling the parallel to the infamous, heart-wrenching, tissue grabbing, painfully hurtful "kart wrecking" scene of Wreck-it-Ralph. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I believe deep down we knew that something like this had to happen at some point. But with no one to support her in her eyes, will Vanessa give up on the final race? Find out next time and leave plenty of reviews! :D