CHAPTER 6 – A Melee of Confusion
Buzz leapt down to find Jessie. He got about two steps from the table, when Bonnie's voice was heard in the hallway, and Woody, from his vantage on the bed, suddenly leaned over and called, "Bonnie's coming, places everyone!"
The toys at and around the table suddenly dropped on command. In a few minutes Bonnie came in for playtime, and she spent a happy half hour flying Buzz, who she'd nearly stepped on for being so close to her tea set and table. When she was done, she yawned sleepily, and changed into her pjs, climbing into bed. A few minutes later, her mother came in, tucked the child into bed, and read her a storybook, before brushing her daughters hair off her face, and leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
In the mêlée, Buzz found himself on the bed, sitting besides Jessie and Woody, Bullseye was cuddled tightly in Bonnies arms as she slept. The toys looked at each other for a moment, before Buzz started to say, "Jessie..."
"What?" her eyes focused on him sadly, and he was confused for a moment before pushing it to the side. "I have something need to tell you, " Buzz said, "I have to say it."
"Then say it," Jessie muttered.
"Not here," Buzz looked over at Woody and Bullseye, who was pretty much in on the conversation.
"Why not?" Jessie asked. Despite the let downs that day, she couldn't resist the rising tide of emotions surging through her again at Buzz's insistence to tell her something that sounded just like what she wanted to hear coming from his mouth.
"Because I'd rather not?" Buzz didn't know why it turned into a question, but it did.
"Oh. Well, I don't know." Jessie suddenly realised she was going to play hard to get. After all, he was doing it to her constantly. Let him have a taste of his own medicine!
"Please Jessie," Buzz wheedled, and she smiled. "No spaceman, you got something to say, you say it right here, in front of Woody...and Bullseye." She indicated the toy horse, who was watching the scene from Bonnie's arms, his ears pricked forward.
Buzz blinked and coughed. "I'd rather not." He admitted, "It isn't something everyone needs to hear." He wondered suddenly why he felt so uncomfortable. This telling Jessie she meant a lot to him, it was just a game. Part of a game. So why did he feel so out of his league with it?
"Well, it's like I said before," he started, "I think you're a beautiful young woman with a hairful of yarn. I mean..." he stuttered as Jessie giggled and rolled her eyes at him. "I mean, a yarnful of hair...no, not that either...I mean...oh darn it..." he could feel his grip slipping on the situation, "I just think you're lovely, alright? I...and you, you..." he trailed off as Jessie's expression changed to one of utter shock, "...you...well, you mean a lot...the world..." another cough, "...to me..." he finished, then jumped to his feet, "wow, what's that over there, must be off, bye!" and he literally ran towards the edge of the bed, grabbing the blanket and lowering himself to the floor. Jessie, too, jumped up and followed the space toy to the edge of the bed, watching him go. Her heart was back to pounding out of her chest again.
"What just happened?" She wondered quietly to herself, as Woody came to rest his hands on her shoulders. "I told you Jess...I told you, give it time."
"I know Woody, I know," she murmured.
"Hey Buzz," Slinky called to the space ranger, who sat on the bookshelf above Bonnie's desk, looking out through the window into the night. "Did you do the dare?"
"Yeah, I did the dare." Buzz mumbled, not looking at the slinky dog. He didn't trust his eyes not to give him away.
"How'd she take it?" Slinky called.
"I don't know," Buzz said quietly. In truth, he hadn't wanted to stick around long enough to find out. Her eyes had been focused so directly on him when he was speaking, that it had made him more uncomfortable with every word. As long as he had been sitting on that shelf he had reminded himself over and over that it had been part of a game, there was nothing in it.
"Hey Buzz, you ok?" Slinky's voice sounded concerned, but Buzz wasn't bothered. He had other things on his mind.
"I'm fine Slinky. Go to bed." He said in a low voice, still not trusting himself to turn his head.
"Oh, ok Buzz. G'night," Slinky called back, and shuffle-clinked off, but Buzz was too lost in his own thoughts to notice him go.
Across the room, Woody watched Jessie slumbering fitfully next to him, occasionally murmuring to herself, twisting her body as her dreams plagued her. He turned to look at Buzz sitting on the shelving unit and smiled. "Told you I'd make you look ridiculous," he grinned to himself, waving to Slinky who was shuffling under the bed.