(A/N: hey everyone! Back again with next chapter...sorry it took so long...school sucks so much...without further ado, here is the next chapter!)
Chapter Five: Emotions Running Wild
Bryana lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She then sat up, yawning loudly and started stretching. She sat on her bed for a minute thinking about yesterday's events. Although Emma could be a tattle-tale sometimes, she knew that she could count on her not to say anything to their parents. Even so, she was running out of excuses.
'I guess it's a benefit to me that Emma knows,' she thought, 'I know she will at least have my back and cover for me...I wonder what Dan is doing right now...'
She got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom. After washing her face, she changed out of her night clothes and into a turquoise spaghetti-strapped shirt with black shorts. She slipped on her boots and put on a sliver chain that had a pendent shaped like a lily with her named etched into the stone. She brushed her hair that went down to her shoulders and tied it up. Satisfied with the way she looked, she walked out of her bedroom. She said quick good mornings to her family and was just about to walk out of the door when she heard her father call her name.
"Shit," she whispered, "Uhh, yea Dad?"
"Where are you going now, Bryana?"
"Out...with my...friends..."
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately..."
"Oh Dad, come on, I am a teen, ya know and since when can't I go hang out with friends? Come on, please?"
"OK," he started, "But..."
Bryana stopped smiling, "But what, Daddy?"
"As you know, tomorrow is the Independence Festival and I know a certain creature who is interested in asking you to go to the festival with him...?"
"Oh, no, Daaaaadddddddy..." she whined.
"If you want to go anywhere today then tomorrow you have to go to the festival; otherwise you will stay at home and be bored out of your mind. Choose."
Bryana was silent for a moment. She really wanted to go see Dan right now, but if she didn't agree to this stupid date then no Dan. She frowned deeply at the thought.
"Who is the guy by the way?"
"Aaron."
Bryana fumed silently. She had been best friends with Aaron for seasons now. Just recently she had noticed that he was starting to hit on her...She wasn't stupid. She could see the signs and the hints and all. She sighed knowing that there was no way to win this. Dad loved Aaron and for all she knew, he could be setting up her marriage to him...
"Fine. Can I go now?"
"Yup, have a good time, darling and I will be sure to tell Aaron..."
"Ya I bet..." she mumbled.
Bryana sledged off irritably not looking forward to tomorrow. She took her secret route and smiled once she reached the hut. She entered the hut and looked around. She frowned when she saw that it was empty. Worry filled her mind.
'Where could he be?' she thought, 'Dan...'
She walked over to the bed where he was supposed to be sleeping and sat down on it. She ran her paw over the messy sheets and pillow. The door suddenly opened and Dan walked in wearing only his pants. Bryana felt heat rising in her face as she stared at him. He didn't have any bandages now at all, which meant that she could see all his muscles... There was still a mark across his chest and also a smaller wound replaced the arrow. She groaned inwardly and her cheeks flushed even more. Dan raised an eyebrow at her, confused at her reaction.
"Are you okay, Bryana?"
"Uhhh mmhmm..." she stammered, "P...perfectly alright...hehe..."
"Sure?"
She just nodded now, not being able to speak and not sound stupid. She could feel it. She had an instant attraction towards him and she did not know why. Dan walked over to where she was sitting. He suddenly just smiled at her. A pure genuine smile. It completely made her heart melt. She smiled back nervously.
"When did you get here?" he asked, "I hope I didn't make you wait too long..."
"Mmm no, not at all," she replied, "I actually just got here, and where were you anyways...you just got out of a coma. Do you want to go back into another one?"
Dan chuckled, "No way," he said, "I'm fine. I just went to take a bath, haven't had one in a while so I thought that it would be nice to actually have one..."
Bryana sighed. "Still I don't think you should be walking around just yet..."
"I'm fine."
"That's what they all say."
"I'm serious."
"Me too."
"Sure."
"This is a pointless argument."
"Well, you started it, darling."
"Don't call me that."
Dan smirked, "Why not, darling."
"I will hurt you."
"No, you won't."
"Want to bet?"
"Ha, you're a healer, aren't you?"
"Yeah, so?"
"You yourself said that you can't hurt other creatures so technically you won't be able to hurt me because of the fact that you are a healer and it would be completely wrong of you to do so."
"You are full of it, you know that?"
"I'm right and you know it."
"You're annoying."
"Thank you," he said, sitting down next to her, "I know."
"Arrg. You're getting on my nerves. You better be nice to me or else..."
"Or else what?"
"Or I will give you more of that swampy medicine that you love so much..."
Dan made a face. He really didn't like that medicine...
"Okay," he said, "You win, Bry."
He got up and walked over to a table; his back was facing her. Bryana raised an eyebrow. It seemed that he was getting comfortable around her already.
'He probably has his guard down now...maybe, just maybe he actually trusts me...'
Bryana sighed loudly, her mind going back to the Independence festival that was coming up. Tomorrow to be exact and not to mention, she would have to go to the festival with Aaron...her date...Dan turned around to look at her and raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said, miserably.
"You really thing I believe that...?"
"It's...it's nothing really. My dad wants me to go to the Independence Festival with this guy and..."
"You don't like him..."
"Yes, err, well no. You see he's like my best friend but he wants to be more than friends, ya know..."
"Do you want to be more than friends?"
"No, I don't think so..."
"Either you know or not."
"I don't know! I always considered him as a friend and I never thought about being romantically involved with him. I mean, why does this stupid stuff happen? Why can't males and maids just be really good friends? I mean, this stuff really bites!"
She stopped, suddenly realizing that she had raised her voice.
Dan raised an eyebrow again, "You done?"
Bryana sighed, "Yes, sorry..."
"It's OK. Wow, you really are conflicted here. Why don't you give him a chance? I mean, who knows? Maybe you could fall for him..."
"I doubt it. Aaron is so not my type!"
"Oh, really? What is your type, then?"
"Umm, I...I...well..."
"You don't even know your type."
"I do so...I just don't like him that way."
"OK, don't go with him to this independence festival thing. What is it anyways?"
"Well, it celebrates the time when our villages separated and became our own significant tribe."
Dan stared at her for a second and then said, "You actually go to that crap?"
"Well, yeah...it's a lot of fun. We have tons of games, music, dancing and food."
"Thought you were against this war?"
"I am, but the festival is fun...and I have to go to the festival with Aaron."
"Why do you have to?"
"'Cuz, I wanted to go out today and see you and well, the condition was if I go out today I have to go to the festival with Aaron."
"Huh. Well you didn't have to come see me today..."
"Yes, I did. Now come over here."
"Why?"
"I need to check on your wounds and don't even think you can get out of it 'cuz you cannot."
Dan groaned but still walked over to the bed and sat down. Bryana smirked knowing that she won again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Almost as if he wasn't really fighting back anymore...
(A/N: I have to really apologize for taking so long...I actually had most of this chapter done but never got to posting it...hopefully my reviewers did not give up on me...plez plez plez review...)