Thank-you for continuing with this story.
This story is inspired by, "Whatever it Takes" by Lifehouse.
And thank-you to my loyal reviewer, GreyWolfDruid!
Scanned and read.
Smurfing Answers
We might have danced through five songs until Smurfette grew tense. She became fidgety in my arms, glancing back at her table every five seconds. At one point, I may have caught a glimpse of sweat forming on her forehead. She was bothered and I wasn't about to continue our dance unless she felt comfortable. Softly pushing her away from her shoulders, I made her look up at me.
It was evident that she was bothered. Her features were concerning: creased and sweaty forehead, trembling frown and a barely audible whimper. She stumbled on her own words after I asked her to tell me all that was on her mind. She measly pointed to the table with her finger. It took me a couple of questionable glances until I noticed that Vexy wasn't sitting at the table.
I flashed a small smile, "You don't think she found a dance partner?"
"No, Hefty, she said she was going to the bathroom and would smurf right back," she looked over my shoulder, "And I've been looking everywhere and I haven't seen her!"
"I'll look for her if you believe something smurfy has happened to her,"
With her drowning orbs, she planted an affection kiss on my cheek, "Oh, Hefty! We can both look for her."
I was brave enough to search for Vexy on my own, but with that chaste kiss from Smurfette, I suddenly felt incredibly brave. I securely grasped her hand to lead her through the other dancers. The brightly illuminated party made the forest seem intensely obscure. Smurfette followed me by the hand, looking to both sides as we walked down the forest path way.
She startled herself along the path by stepping on scattered twigs. I didn't mind the fact that she clung to my arm tighter with each broken twig. The sound of the flowing river came closer and the party's music grew distant. In the dark, it was quite hard to make out what the fireflies' didn't. Their limited light gave us limited vision. We continued on until small cries caught or senses.
She held my arm, "Is that a bear?"
I gently shushed Smurfette, listening intently to the sound. It sounded close to a whine, then a mew of an injured lion. Despite Smurfette's hesitation, I followed the sound. Pushing bushed away from my face, I came to the sight of Vexy, on her knees, in tears, and rubbing her arms for warmth in the night's breeze. Smurfette tore away from my arm as soon as she realized we had found Vexy.
Before Smurfette brought her into a relieved hug, she desperately looked my way, "It's Grouchy! You have to go find him, Hefty, I think he's in trouble!"
Through surprise and shock, I nodded, "Which way did he go?"
She pointed down a separate pathway that was even more obscure than the path leading to Vexy. Smurfette and I exchanged a quick parting glance as I set foot to finding Grouchy. There were no fireflies lighting the path but I fought through the blind darkness. Knowing that anything could come out and possibly attack me, or worse, already attacked Grouchy, I tore off a piece of bark from a tree trunk.
I made sure the piece was long, sturdy and thick. I gripped it tightly in my hands and listened for any sounds other than the rhythm of musical crickets. If Brainy were here, he would have drove me nuts with his scoldings. Also, I wouldn't be traveling in the dark if Brainy tagged along. He would have ensured we left the party with suitable equipment.
"Hmph, I'm smart enough to know when we need a flash light, too,"
"That's why you're carrying a piece of wood in your hands and not a flash light,"
Not thinking, I swung my weapon at my side. I landed a hard blow to the face of the voice, who immediately groaned and snapped. His tone of voice, angry and annoyed, made me smile to myself. I hadn't bothered to apologize as I threw my weapon aside and embraced Grouchy.
"Hey—hey!"
"Grouchy, you're alive!"
He ripped me off of him. It was just like him to spit at hugs and make a sour comment, "The only threat to my life was you."
"Maybe I wouldn't have hit you if you didn't sneak up on me!" I laughed through my relief.
He muttered, "I would have been in better shape if Clumsy came looking for me,"
I gave a swift smack to his shoulder in amusement, "If Clumsy came looking for you, he would have been the next one to disappear!"
"Yeah—yeah! I get it, now quit smacking me so we can get back to the village!"
"Don't get all smurfed up, Vexy was worried about you, she'll be smurfy to see you're all right."
Part of what I said had silenced the grouchy in Grouchy. He shrugged off whatever emotion I had just taken a hint of, taking the lead to head to the village. I hadn't asked what about I said had made him flinch throughout the walk home. When we did return, I leaned to Grouchy to help lift whatever load was wearing him down. I wanted to help Grouchy in any way I could.
"You wouldn't understand,"
I rubbed his shoulders, "I could try to,"
"No, Hefty, I don't need your help and I don't need anyone's help!" he broke free to head to his shroom.
I pressed no further and head down the path to Smurfette's shroom. She must have been waiting there with an anticipating Vexy. I knocked only once and Smurfette answered speedily. She threw her arms around me, looking around for Grouchy. I patted her back, whispered that I had indeed found him, but he didn't see it fit to join me in letting the two know.
Vexy jumped at my presence, "Did you find him?"
I nodded, hoping to share smiles only to find that I was smiling alone. Vexy looked away, a similar emotion I had caught Grouchy demonstrate earlier. The display was more expected of Vexy, but to know that she and Grouchy displayed it in such a spitting reaction, I wondered just what happened before Grouchy disappeared into the forest. Keeping my questions to myself may have been the better choice. As soon as Vexy headed out, I found I couldn't keep my mind off my eager questions.
"Smurfette, do you notice anything... smurfy between Vexy and... Grouchy?"
"Grouchy came to me just days ago, telling me about his dreams that disturbed him so much, but I saw them as a chance," she rose her lips in hope.
"A chance? Why would Grouchy's dreams give him a chance?"
"You see, he's been dreaming of Vexy in smurfy, smurfrotic ways,"
I twisted my face, "He... He likes Vexy?"
She nodded. I rubbed the outlines of my round face, a new question popping into my mind, "If Grouchy liked Vexy, then why would he run away from her?"
"That's the thing," Smurfette gave a soft sigh, "He hasn't taken a chance at smurfing his dreams yet. We'll have to ask Papa to help him, because Vexy... if you saw the worry on her face, you'd know she's battling with her smurfy feelings, too."
