Chapter 4: letters
Badger continued to clean the horses that Mallory and he had used to go down to the lake while he watched her go after Jake as he stormed out of the barn assuming the worse. He put copper in his stall as he went to the barn to see what was going on, he saw the anger from Jake as he yelled at her for being alone with him and messing around, this is what he had expect from Jake. However Mallory was a different story, she was upset as she tried to explain what had happened between them, although he knew that she wouldn't mention their almost kiss. He could always count on Mallory to do the unexpected.
Deciding that he could no longer bear to watch them, as they began to make up, it made his heart ache when he saw Jake kissing or hugging her, he went upstairs to his loft where he could draw what he felt rather than say anything.
As he went to his bed he saw the letters that she had left for him to read last night, he picked them up just Ty walking into the room making sure he was ok after seeing the scene between Mallory and Jake.
" hey you ok kid? I mean what happened to just being friends?" Ty said as he looked at Badger's expression as he put the letters down and lay on his bed
" yeah I'm just great thanks! I tried just being her friend and I am but we can't seem to help these little moments where we always almost kiss. Oh btw Amy has amazing timing!" he said slightly sarcastic as he pick up his stretch pad and pencil
" Amy? What does she have to do with it? And you guys almost kissed again? What happened?" Ty asked as his mind became filled with all sorts of question but still not happy with the thought that Mallory was caught in the middle of a love triangle
" yeah we ended up messing around in the water and we leaned in to kiss each other and Amy texted Mallory and we left unkissed" he said as he thrown his art stuff on to the bed, sparing a glance at the letters
" ok I get it now and she with Jake right? [picking up the letters] where do these fit in to the equation, huh?" he said as he looked Badger intently, already figuring out the question as he noticed Mallory's handwriting and remembering her writing them. Badger didn't answer but rather looked down at his feet
" well, maybe the only way to figure out your next move is to read these letters and find out what you missed" Ty said as he left the loft after throwing the letters at Badger
Badger went to the loft doors and sat on the floor as he looked out to find Mallory and Jake cuddling on bench on the porch. Looking at the letters he decided to read them as he opened letter number one
Dear Badger
I know that you left because you thought that I used to make Jake jealous despite the fact that he was with Jamie. And you should know that the day on Mrs Bell's farm when you were stung by the bees, I told Jake how I felt about him. However nothing happened between us, partly because he was with Jamie and partly because I realised that it was okay to be alone. Plus I couldn't really just go on to the next guy after you left, you were still on my mind. Despite my current state of mind on the subject of boys but I cant stop thinking about you and our kiss, the only downside is that it happened as a result of you leaving. I need to remind myself that while I write this letter, you're gone and ... I'm here thinking about you all alone. Anyways Jack tells me that he applied to some fancy art school, just don't forget your old muse. Plus maybe sometime you could come back and draw Heartland some more. Always I need to go, Amy's finally teaching me how to jump so I can compete with copper.
Love Mallory
Badger looked up as he slightly smiled at her words as he looked out on to the field where she and Jake were walking away from the barn. He wondered what they were talking about.
" but seriously who's better superman or batman?" Mallory said as she was laughing at the thought of a fight of between them as she and Jake were holding hands as they walked towards the Heartland gate in order to the post
" superman but don't change the subject, how can it not feel weird that he's back out of the blue when you pined for him for so long?" Jake said as he began to fish for answer about how she really felt on the subject of Badger as she kept avoiding the topic
" ok 1. I knew it! And 2. I didn't pine for him, I just wanted to remain his friend while he didn't and I still do. I'm sorry if you don't like that but we live together we can't just not talk or be friendly to each other" she said as she looked down at her shoes as she thought of all the near kisses she and Badger had shared within in the last two days
" it's ok I trust you, plus I can do this ( he kisses her) and he can't, anyways how we play a game of cards when we get back?" he said as he put an arm around her, thinking that maybe if he over did the public display of affection, both her and Badger would get that he was serious about her
" oh ok? Wait can I give you a reading using my tarot cards?" she said excitedly at the idea of the future could hold for Jake as she began to run away from him while he chased her
Back at the loft, Badger was now reading letter 16 as he began to feel more and more bad for what he did to her as he read each letter
Dear Badger
I don't know why aren't replying to my letters or texts or calls, Ty says it may be due to your new school since you might be super busy with your art homework and Amy says it might be because you're still hurt over the whole Jake thing. If that's it then please tell ok? I didn't Sam to hurt you or use you, it just happened. So I shall give the Heartland update, Lou found out she's pregnant, I have no idea how her and Peter are going to work that on out since he's still in Dubai . Oh Ty and Amy broke up, I know shocking right? All cause of that stupid Blair, I means does she know how much work I put into getting them together in the first place, how am I going to fix this? Oh you're going to love this one, Ashley and Caleb aren't really married I mean apparently the guy who married them wasn't properly licensed or something. So how's things with you? Is school really that hard? Did you make any new friends? Please write back
Love Mallory
He couldn't believe that he had caused to doubt why he wasn't replying, he thought he was protecting her from the truth and from him but he never thought that she would assume it was something that she did wrong
During dinner, Badger noticed that Mallory and Amy were missing from the table but never thought much of it,since he just assumed that they we're working with some horse, till it was
getting later
" where's Mallory and Amy, shouldn't they be here for dinner too?" he decided to ask as it seemed strange for them to miss a meal, as he looked at Jack
" they are at Lou's new house for dinner tonight since Lou wanted a girls in with them and Katie but they should be back later, it just means you and I will do the washing up tonight ok?" Jack said as he continued to eat his dinner
" yeah ok, what about Ty i mean isn't he usually here too?" he asked as he suddenly though it was it was strange that it was only him and Jack at the dining table and ever so slightly awkward since it was never just him and Jack
" Ty is on call with Scott tonight since horses in a barn not that far from here are infected with the strangles which can kill a horse like it did Tim's" Jack said as he began to take a sip of his coffee
After a few minutes of silence, the older man decided to confront the young boy in front of him on some of the house rules
" just so we are clear, I sleep very lightly so much so I could hear a pin drop or I don't know ... The creaks on those stairs leading to the loft if someone should left or come in to that loft in the middle of night. Are we clear?" he told him as he tried to appear slightly threatening
" crystal" Badger said slightly sarcastic but underneath wondered if that was true a sudden idea came to mind
After dinner he decided to bite the bullet and read Mallory's final letter, but he was afraid of it might contain. As he thought it was the worse of all, judging by the tear smudged ink on the page that he could just make out
Dear Badger
I thought when you left, after kissing me and everything and knowing that I wouldn't see you again, was the worse kinda hurt that you could ever make me feel. That was until I realised you were deliberately hurting by not talking to me since you call Ty all of the time. So why me, huh? And if that wasn't enough of a sign, you decided to send back all my letter which you didn't open. Do you have any idea how much I care about you? I guess not but Amy and Lou were right, I can't keep dwelling on someone who keeps rejecting me. So I need to move on from you, the first step of that is that I'm not writing to you anymore so this is my last letter to you. And you'll be happy to know I'm wont be texting or calling you anymore. So I hope everything is good with you and I mean you deserve to be happy. Before I finish this, you should know that I actually began to fall in love with you.
Goodbye Badger
Love Mallory
" oh wow!" He said as suddenly a new fresh set of tears began to smudge the page