My Story

“Hey Eylan." I plop down next to him as usual, flipping open my book.

"Hey," He replies dully, not glancing up from his book. I've really had enough.

"Okay. Look here. Seriously, what the heck is wrong?” I demand, glaring at him fiercely.

"You’ve been acting kinda.. oh I don’t know.. strange, lately. Is everything okay?”

“NO!" He replies hastily.

"I.. er... uh... I meant to say, erm no, there's nothing wrong at all. Yeah. Nothing at all.” He won’t look at me. “Everything is just fine.”

Right... How stupid does he think i am?

"Aargh. Fine. Just fine. If you don't want to tell me JUST SAY SO! You don't have to act like i'm some airhead who doesn't know a single freakin' thing that's going on around her!" I huff in annoyance. He doesn't reply, just keeps staring into the distance.

"GOD. WHY DO I EVEN CARE? It's your problem, not mine. Stupid lowlanders and their fat big heads." I throw my hands up in frustration. Something flickers over his face for an instant that looks suspiciously like amusement, but before i can register it it's already gone, that stupid blank look replaced on his face.

God. Sometimes i just want to pull him up and give him a slap.

“Oh, just forget it.” I kick at the ground in frustration. And hit a great big rock that had somehow escaped my point of view.

“OWW!! WHAT THE HECK?”

My frustration welled up to the surface and burst out as a great wail of pain.

“Hey, are you okay?” Eylan’s beside me in an instant, his eyes shining down on me in concern. That reaction, considering the fact that he had shown me less than half as much emotion in the whole past month put together, is so unexpected that I’m momentarily lost for words.

“Uh ya. I’m fine. Apart from the huge blister welling on my big toe this very instant, that is.” I smile weakly at him as he gently removes my sandal and begins massaging my giant swollen ankle. I’m shocked.

No wait.

More than shocked.

More on the lines of 'Totally and utterly baffled into speechlessness'.

“Um, I don’t think you should do that. My foot’s pretty stinky. You might just die of stinky foot syndrome.” I say warningly. He just smiles silently and continues, his hands moving slowly and surely over my blistered foot.
“Ow! CAREFUL! Ouch! What the— stupid— you— what the heck- OWW!!” I yank my foot out of Eylan’s grasp.
“Can you be more careful?!” I rubbed furiously at the blistered spot, glaring at him as I hugged my leg to my chest.
“Sorry, I guess I used too much strength.” He scratches his head awkwardly.

“Let me try again.” Before I know it my foot is in his hands again.

“Uh no, it’s alright. I’m fine.” I pull my foot out of his warm grip, feeling strangely confused . What is wrong with me?
“Are you sure?” He searches at my face worriedly and my heart gives a little flutter. This was getting stranger by the minute. I purposefully ignored the weird feeling and shook my head resolutely.

“Well, okay, if you’re sure,” Eylan replies doubtfully and returns to his book. “Tell me if anything else happens.”
“Uh okay… OWWW!! Stupid rock.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He turns his head towards me.

“Yea yea I’m fine. I just hit another rock.” I wave him off.

“Okay… are you sure you’re fine?” He ignores me. I groan. Trust him to be caring when I least need his help.
“Just.. go away.” I’m getting frustrated.

First he totally ignores me. And then when I’m perfectly fine, he becomes totally caring. What is wrong with him? Weirdo. And let's just say my stupid fluttery stomach isn’t helping much.

“But—“

“Just GO!”

“But—but—your foot—you—“

“Look, just go away. I’m perfectly fine. Why do you even care anyway? This is all your fault anyway. If you hadn't treated me like some wooden doll in the first place, this wouldn't even have happened.” I glare murderously at him, clutching my foot protectively in my arms.

“Well, fine then, if you want to get all huffy and puffy with me,” he sulks.

“I’ve got enough problems already without a miserable old village hag like you adding to my worries. It’s not like anyone wants to care about you in the first place. I don’t understand why i—“

He continues talking. I don’t hear a single word he says.

“A hag?” I whisper woodenly, staring incredulously at him.

"Oh crud. Sofea, i didn't-"

“A miserable old VILLAGE HAG?” I stand up slowly as tears threatened to fill my vision.

“No, Sofea, I didn’t mean—I meant—“He scrambles to his feet and grasps my arm, panic showing on his face.

“Get lost.” I pull at my hand. He doesn’t budge a single inch.

“But Sofea—“

“I said GET LOST!” I wrench my arm out of his grip.

My eyes blurred over. I wipe at them furiously with my freed hand.

Stupid tears.

Stupid me.

Stupid him!

That—that—JERK.

I thought he was my friend.

Why have i ever trusted him in the first place? An old village hag. WHAT THE HELL? Granpa was wrong. Totally and utterly WRONG. Lowland folks stink.

Horribly.

Worse than a smelly stinky dung beetle.

No.

EVEN WORSE.

Like dung.

I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. So far I would never have to see his stupid face again for the rest of my life. So I ran.

“Sofea! Wait! –Stupid-me-why-did-I-say-that- Hey wait up! Sofea!” I hear him chasing after me.

I run harder.

He doesn’t know the path as well as I do.

Even with my sprained ankle I hear him falling further and further and further behind, till I’m all alone in the forest.
Good riddance and too bad.

I run faster and faster, till all I can’t feel anything except the cool wind slapping against my tear-streaked skin and hear nothing except my feet pounding on the forest groundand my heart pounding against my chest.

And I ran.