Saving Outcast
Ellis
He looked like he was listening to me, like he cared what I said. I wasn't used to it. I used to be able to say most whatever I pleased, and nobody ever heard. A thousand other thoughts were racing through my mind at the speed of sound. At the last second before I began to speak, I changed my mind. It wouldn't feel completely right telling a stranger about my past, even if I did need closure.
"F-for wasting so much time on the butterfly," I blubbered out. Harlo looked disappointed, like a starving dog, mere seconds away from being rewarded a tantalizing steak, only to have it taken away. The look on his face alone was almost enough to make me break down in tears, and recount ever secret I'd ever kept. Every like I'd ever told.
"Is that really what you wanted to say?" he questioned, like a psychiatrist would to a mentally unstable patient.
"No," I replied. It was as if he knew my intentions, my thoughts, just be looking me in my eyes. I guess it's true. The eyes are windows to the soul.
Harlo looked like he understood. Not frustrated in the least. Most people would be getting irritated from my antics and mood swings.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I did really want t say?" I asked out of curiosity.
"No." It was all he said. One word. One single syllable, and it drove me crazy.
"Why! Everyone else would! It would be driving them insane! They wouldn't be able to think of anything else until they found out!" I yelled. Only after I finished, did I realize what I had done.
"You mean like you did seven seconds ago?" he joked, but there was an undertone of seriousness in his voice.
"Yes," I said sheepishly. I looked down at the ground, which had suddenly become the most interesting thing in my world.
"Are you sure that's the only thing about me that's driving you crazy?" he asked, trying to flirt.
"You're right," I said, "Your obnoxious behavior is too." I turned away from him, so he wouldn't see the hurt on my face. I had a feeling he knew what was happening in my head despite that fact.
"Ellis-" he broke off, and came after me, seeing as I had started walking away from his excuses. It might seem like I run away a lot by now, but I assure you, I don't. There was just a lot to run away from at the time.
"Ellis," he began again as he caught up to me, "Ellis, you know I was only kidding." He had the wounded puppy look again.
"No, Harlo. Unfortunately I don't know that," I hissed, "I net you today. I don't know enough about you to make that assumption."
"Okay, well how about this? Since it's getting dark, we'll sleep in that tree," he said whilst pointing to a random tree behind me, "On different branches. And in the morning, we'll play twenty-questions while we run."
"Seems almost foolproof," I stated, knowing that he was missing one crucial element in his plan.
"What do you mean almost?" He was staring at me with a confused look on his face.
"What do you plan on eating? We both know that you can't go two days without food." I stood facing him. Smug smile, arms crossed, feet apart. I swear, by the look on his face, you'd think I was his personal executioner. Once he was over his apparent fear, he spoke.
"You make a valid point. If you knew so much about surviving in the wild, what do you suggest we do for food?" He looked so smug. He thought I would have no idea, that I would draw a blank. He was in for a rude awakening...literally.
"Just wait and see, pretty boy. Breakfast will be ready by the time you wake up." Before he had time to wipe that surprised look off his face and recollect his thoughts, I was gone.
"F-for wasting so much time on the butterfly," I blubbered out. Harlo looked disappointed, like a starving dog, mere seconds away from being rewarded a tantalizing steak, only to have it taken away. The look on his face alone was almost enough to make me break down in tears, and recount ever secret I'd ever kept. Every like I'd ever told.
"Is that really what you wanted to say?" he questioned, like a psychiatrist would to a mentally unstable patient.
"No," I replied. It was as if he knew my intentions, my thoughts, just be looking me in my eyes. I guess it's true. The eyes are windows to the soul.
Harlo looked like he understood. Not frustrated in the least. Most people would be getting irritated from my antics and mood swings.
"Aren't you going to ask me what I did really want t say?" I asked out of curiosity.
"No." It was all he said. One word. One single syllable, and it drove me crazy.
"Why! Everyone else would! It would be driving them insane! They wouldn't be able to think of anything else until they found out!" I yelled. Only after I finished, did I realize what I had done.
"You mean like you did seven seconds ago?" he joked, but there was an undertone of seriousness in his voice.
"Yes," I said sheepishly. I looked down at the ground, which had suddenly become the most interesting thing in my world.
"Are you sure that's the only thing about me that's driving you crazy?" he asked, trying to flirt.
"You're right," I said, "Your obnoxious behavior is too." I turned away from him, so he wouldn't see the hurt on my face. I had a feeling he knew what was happening in my head despite that fact.
"Ellis-" he broke off, and came after me, seeing as I had started walking away from his excuses. It might seem like I run away a lot by now, but I assure you, I don't. There was just a lot to run away from at the time.
"Ellis," he began again as he caught up to me, "Ellis, you know I was only kidding." He had the wounded puppy look again.
"No, Harlo. Unfortunately I don't know that," I hissed, "I net you today. I don't know enough about you to make that assumption."
"Okay, well how about this? Since it's getting dark, we'll sleep in that tree," he said whilst pointing to a random tree behind me, "On different branches. And in the morning, we'll play twenty-questions while we run."
"Seems almost foolproof," I stated, knowing that he was missing one crucial element in his plan.
"What do you mean almost?" He was staring at me with a confused look on his face.
"What do you plan on eating? We both know that you can't go two days without food." I stood facing him. Smug smile, arms crossed, feet apart. I swear, by the look on his face, you'd think I was his personal executioner. Once he was over his apparent fear, he spoke.
"You make a valid point. If you knew so much about surviving in the wild, what do you suggest we do for food?" He looked so smug. He thought I would have no idea, that I would draw a blank. He was in for a rude awakening...literally.
"Just wait and see, pretty boy. Breakfast will be ready by the time you wake up." Before he had time to wipe that surprised look off his face and recollect his thoughts, I was gone.