When Dean and Hogarth got on the motor bike, Hogarth couldn't stop smiling, thinking about the good times he had with Deidre, But he couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. He just couldn't, and the stomach butterflies were fluttering like crazy, his cheeks hot and red from blushing
Dean looked at the love-struck boy and chucked, knowing he was thinking about Deidre.
"You had a good time with Deidre?"
"Yeah the best". He sighed deeply with pure bliss thinking about Deidre. It's all he could think about for the rest of the day and as he fell asleep.
The following weeks, Hogarth spent a lot of time with Deidre. They rode their bikes together, had ice cream at the chat and chew, watched scary movies,and especially worked on making comic togethers. They had a great time with each other. Deidre got more and more closer to Hogarth and would talk and hang out with almost everyday. She may even feel like she might be developing feelings for him, but he often pushed that thought aside.
Hogarth stared to get close to Huck the puppy, too. He would bring him Twinkies and squirt his mouth full of whipped crème, play fetch with him, and rub his favorite spot on his belly. Of course the puppy adored him and would jump on Hogarth and lick his face when he see him. Hogarth's friends noticed his new female friend and would sometime tease him for always being with her, but they accepted her and would let her hang out with them.
One day, Hogarth was planning to have a walk in the woods with Deidre, and Annie volunteered to pack them a lunch to eat there. She packed sandwiches, carrots, apples, and two bottles of milk. Deidre and Hogarth packed a box of Twinkies and whipped cream, without Annie knowing, of course. They said bye to Annie and Dean and went to get their bikes. Huck followed behind them, eager to go. Deidre was about to get on her bike when Hogarth said,
"Come on, why don't you ride on my bike with me. It could be fun..", Hogarth smiled wide and waited for Deidre's response. Deidre rolled her eyes and giggled, "Okay, Okay! I'll get on, but just this once", she wagged her finger at Hogarth and got on after him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Huck got on at the front, sitting on Hogarth's lap and paws on the handle bars. They then rode off into the wood along a clear trail. They stopped at the small lake and ate their packed lunch there. They ate everything but the carrots, which they saved to feed to the deer if they're able to.
There they ate their packed lunch, expect for the carrots. They decided to feed them to the deer if they are able to. They played fetch with Huck, the puppy running fast and hyper from eating three Twinkies and a mouthful of whipped. They then took a stroll in the woods as they had a conversation. Huck had a sugar crash and fell asleep by the lake.
It was then that Hogarth thought of the iron giant and the memories. He had met and befriended somewhere in these woods. He missed him terribly. Deidre could see that Hogarth looked sad a little.
"Hogarth, what's wrong? You look sad."
"Oh, nothing... I'm just...thinking about a old friend , that's all."
"Tell me about it."
"Well..alright you may not believe me, but this old friend of mine was a giant robot. I called him giant. It was one night when I spotted something strange..." Hogarth told Deidre the whole story. How he first saw the giant, saving him from getting electrocute. Befriending the giant, how Dean helped hide and look after the giant, good memories Hogarth had with him, how government agent Mansley thought that the giant was a threat. How the army sent a nuclear missile to destroy him, only to find out that the missile would kill everyone in Rockwell, too. How the giant sacrificed himself to block the missile from hitting Rockwell. The sadness Hogarth felt when he was gone. Receiving the giants screw one day eight months later. The screw heading towards the reassembling giant.
Hogarth concluded,
"Ever since, I've been waiting for his return, but all the while I miss him terribly. Im sure that he would be fond of you, Deidre."
Deidre took in the whole story then, said,
"Wow... it was pretty awesome that you befriended a giant robot, and of course I believe you, Hogarth. I can't wait to meet him when he comes back. It will be very cool having a towering robot for a friend."
"I sure agree-Shh. Look."
Hogarth pointed at a doe and her fawn in the distance, strolling quietly among the trees.
"It's a mother deer and her fawn. Let's try and get close but no too close. We could scare them away."
Silently, they crept towards the doe and fawn, carrots in hand, careful not to alarm them. When they got less than 10 feet from them they stopped and stood still. The Doe turned and look at the two kids, ears pointed up and tail raised. The fawn looked from in between his mother's leg, curious at the sight of the other creatures. They stood there looking at each other for a while before unexpectedly, the fawn slowly walked toward them. The Doe looked a little alarmed that her son was getting too close to the humans, but stayed where she was
The fawn got closer and closer until he was only 3 feet away from Hogarth. Carefully, Hogarth held up the carrots up to the fawn's eye level.
"Here, boy. You can have some. Don't worry, I won't bite."
cautiously, the fawn examined the carrots, then happily took three from Hogarth's hand, churching loud and content. He happily helped himself to the rest of the carrots and munched eagerly. When he was done, the fawn rubbed his head against the boy's hand, seemingly thanking him for the carrots.
Deidre looked on, touched, until suddenly a blood curdling scream could be heard ringing out in the forest. Hogarth and. Deidre jumped. The doe and fawn were alarmed as well. Then from out of no where, a large blurt of brown fur streaked toward the doe and ferociously knocking it to the ground breaking his neck. The fawn jumped back behind Hogarth and Deidre in fright. They stood still, blood running cold and frozen in fear.
What they saw was a cougar
to be continued...