The Little Scout
Chapter Four
Tessa
"What made you change your mind about us?" Ben asked Tessa. She shrugged.
"Who said I changed my mind? I'm giving you thirty minutes, if I don't see your stupid little head bobbing up and down in that stupid water, I'm coming after you no matter how freezing that stupid water is."
"I know." She wrapped her arms around him.
"Be safe." She told him.
"You too."
"I've got Jimmy watching my back."
"Hey, the sooner you do this, the sooner we get back." Jimmy said.
"Okay, I won't be long." Ben promised. "Look after her." He told Jimmy. Jimmy nodded. Tessa watched Ben jump into the ice cold water and she shuddered in the sudden wind. Jimmy stared at her.
"He'll be fine." He told her.
"I know he will." Tessa sunk down on to the broken bridge's edge and swung her legs to and fro.
"What would you do if he didn't come back?"
"I don't think like that, Jimmy, he always comes back." She stared out into the black forest and allowed her eyes to follow the soft glow of a flashlight. Ben's flashlight.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"I would find him. Ben Mason doesn't get off that easy."
"And if he..."
"Don't think like that."
"Sorry." Jimmy apologized quickly. Tessa pulled a packet out of her pocket.
"Strawberry?" She asked him.
"Where'd you get those?"
"Mind your own business." Tessa winked. She checked her watch as Jimmy took a strawberry and ate it whole. Only five minutes had passed. Tessa fiddled with her hair, wrapping un-washed curls around her finger.
"You're nervous." Jimmy stated.
"Is it that easy to tell?" Jimmy nodded. "I don't know why I'm worried." Tessa tried to reassure herself.
"It's because you care, I never thought that would ever happen. You caring, I mean."
"Ha-Ha, very funny."
"I mean it, I was getting worried." Tessa gave him a playful shove. "Hey, I'm sure Weaver was going to set you up with someone."
"Shut up Jimmy."
"But I'm being serious. We were all getting worried."
"Shut up." Tessa repeated.
"There's your man." Jimmy joked. Sure enough Ben's stupid little head was bobbing up and down in the stupid water. Tessa threw the rope into the water and, with Jimmy's help, hoisted Ben onto the broken bridge.
He was soaked to the skin and shivering with cold but Tessa pulled him into embrace anyway.
"I wasn't gone half-an-hour. I promise." He whispered.
"It felt like longer." Tessa whispered back.
"Did you find anything?" Jimmy asked him. Ben nodded.
"I took pictures." He handed them to Jimmy.
"Are you hurt?" Tessa blurted.
"No, I'm fine." He assured her. Still Tessa wouldn't let him go.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm one-hundred-percent sure that I am physically fine."
"Can we get going? It's kind of dark out here." Jimmy told them. Tessa finally broke the embrace and the three teen soldiers walked back to camp.