straightened my hair. "Hey. That's playing dirty."
I called his scowl and raised with fists on hips. "Whatever. How else was I supposed to get loose?"
He called my fists on hips and raised with a threatening lean forward. "Use your muscles, duh."
I glared, all the while feeling the laughter foam and bubble. His expression was expectant, just as it had been last time, and the urge to give him another kiss rose like a wave--No. Instead, I punched him somewhat firmly in the stomach.
"Oof," was his response.
I laughed, holding my middle with my hands as I staggered backward. "You should see your face," I howled as I pointed at him.
His expression was shocked. "Hey. That was a good hit," he said in a serious tone.
My laughter quieted as I smiled at him. "Of course. I had a good teacher."
Zell stepped closer, a soft smile twinkling in his eyes. "It's not just the teacher, Meg. It's you, too."
I flushed, but held his gaze. "Thanks."
His lips twitched as he continued to stand close, still looking into my eyes. "You're welcome."
I like it when you're close. Not only did he smell great, but his presence did something really crazy to how I felt and thought. And I really liked it. I was becoming addicted to it. Maybe you could just say it now?
I grabbed at my courage and softly said, "Zell." But then I heard his stomach growl and couldn't stop the giggle. He grinned, the soft and somewhat 'serious' mood lost. Oh well. I reached out to pat his tummy-–which was as firm as a table, of course. "I think I better get you to the shop and feed you before you decide to use me as a snack," I informed, holding his twinkling blue gaze. He has such gorgeous eyes.
Zell grinned. "Cool. Food."
We entered the shop just as my mom brought the sign up to hang on the door.
"We're here," I said with a smile as I took the sign from her. Zell took it from me and moved to hang it on the door. "Is Dad back yet?"
Mom shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sally. He won't be back until after your train leaves. There's been an accident."
"What happened?" I asked as Zell came to stand beside me.
"A dog was hit by a car."
I covered my mouth with my hands and gasped "Oh no!"
Zell rested a hand on my shoulder, voicing, "That sucks," under his breath while giving my shoulder a squeeze.
Mom smiled reassuringly. "He said she'll be fine, but he needed to do some minor surgery." Mom motioned for us to come back. "Come on. I've got sandwiches and brownies ready and waiting."
I nodded, wishing Zell could have kept his hand where it was. But I had to follow after her, which meant he had to let go. Darn it.
"Bummer about the dog," Zell offered.
"Yeah," I sighed with a glance toward him, "but Dad's the best. She'll be fine."
"And you're not gonna worry, right?"
I sent him a wavering smile. "Right."
He smiled back at me and, much to my surprise, encircled my shoulders with an arm to give me a comforting squeeze. "Good."
What I wanted to know was how could I worry when I was having lunch with Zell Dincht after the kind of morning I'd already had?
8: Day Six - On the Way Back to Garden
I snuggled into the warm embrace with a smile. "If this is a dream, don't wake me up," I mumbled.
Chuckle. "Got to. We're here."
I frowned and moved my hands slightly under my cheek. "Nuh-uh."
Another chuckle and a gentle nudge. "Come on. Or I'm letting the train take you back to Timber."
I moaned my complaint but opened my eyes just the same. Zell stood over me with a smile as he crossed his arms and slightly shook his head. I gave him a silly smile and adjusted my arms around my jacket as I snuggled it closer. "Hey."
"Hey yourself, sleepy head." He gestured to the left. "Come on. The conductor's getting antsy."
I took in a deep breath and stretched before sitting up and rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands. I yawned. "OK." I stood and scooped up my jacket.
"Better put it on. I think it's raining."
I shrugged into it, still drifting in and out of the dream world and visions of Zell and me having fun and laughing and hugging and kissing. Yeah. I definitely liked that part. "Where we off to now?"
"If there isn't a message from Ma saying she can't make it back in time, I figured we'd watch T.V. or something."
"And if there is?" I asked as I followed Zell from the train.
"Then we'll hoof it back to Garden before the big storm hits."
"Oh."
Zell looked over at me. "Unless you want me to rent a car. It's no big deal."
"Walking's fine," I told him. It's just that I don't want this day to come to an end, is all. Up to that point the day had been a surreal experience from one moment to the next. I stared at the floor under my feet as we made our way down the stairs. It sprinkled more than rained. "I don't mind getting wet. I don't melt."
"You know what's really fun?"
I shook my head as I looked over at him. Besides you and your sense of humor and your grin and getting you to laugh? "No. What?"
"Swimming in the rain."
"Really? I've never done that before." Visions of Zell in blue swimming trunks danced in my head. I flushed and lowered my gaze.
"It's a trip. Too bad you didn't bring your suit. We coulda swum around a bit."
I nodded with regret. "Maybe I could come back another day? We could do it then." Did I just ask that?
"Hey. That'd be cool."
We hurried our step a little bit to his house, and I closed the door after me as he went to the computer to log in and check his email. Please oh please don't let there be an e-mail.
"Oh yeah!" Zell exclaimed. "I think she's coming. No e-mail."
Yes! "I'm glad. I'm looking forward to having dinner with her. After all, you had lunch with my mother."
Zell swiveled around in the computer chair, spinning full circles while grinning that same boyish grin I'd grown to love ages ago. "Your mom's a riot. And those stories about the animals from the shop? I was laughing so hard I thought I'd fall out of my chair!"
I shrugged out of my jacket to put it on the coat rack close to the door. Then I sat cross legged on the floor in front of his chair. I couldn't help it. I was a floor-sitter. "Her and Dad have tons of those. Sometimes she'll e-mail me them. I've thought about making a book for the junior classmen."
"Hey, that'd be sweet," Zell said as he stopped spinning. "You should send it to Timber Maniacs, too, and see if he knows someone who'd publish it. I know they'd sell."
I examined an ink spot on the knee of my right pant leg and scratched at it. "I'll think about it some more, but I'll probably do it."
Zell spun around in the chair once more. Then he leaned his elbows back against the computer desk. "So, what d'ya wanna do? T.V.? Video games? Too bad it's raining. We coulda gone fishing."
Zell didn't strike me as the fishing type, though. I gave a shrug, still picking at the ink spot while only occasionally sending Zell a glance.
"I might have a new Combat King magazine we could look at," he said as he stood. "I'll go up and check in my room. Hold on a sec."
Zell ascended the stairs to his room, and I sighed before looking back to my worn jeans. So many thoughts were dancing around in my head that I didn't have a chance to completely think one before another was pushing its way through. My life couldn't get any better. Well, except for graduation if I passed the field exam.
"No way!"
I looked up. Zell hadn't come down yet.
"Ohh yeeaah!"
I smiled, giving a shake of my head as I stood to hover at the bottom of the stairs. "Zell?"
"Yo, Meg! Check it out!"
I waited for him to come downstairs. When he didn't, I hesitantly began the climb. Oh my gosh. It seemed to me like I entered the shrine of a, well, never mind. Zell sat on his bed intensely reading an article in the promised Combat King magazine. I self-consciously
cleared my throat, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I wrung my hands in front of me. I stayed near the doorway.
"What?" I asked after another clearing of my throat.
"They published my submission!"
Inhibitions and boundaries were forgotten as I hurried over to his side, sitting on the bed close beside him as I pulled the magazine closer to my side. "Where?"
Zell pointed several times in quick succession to the left side of the page where I read the verbal description of the move and the pros and cons of it, just as Zell had described to me and my mom over lunch that day. "See? They published it!"
"How cool is that?" I asked with a wide smile. Then I threw my arms around him to give him a tight hug. "Congratulations!"
Zell's left arm went around me to return the embrace. Then, when my sluggish brain realized what was happening, I pulled back as calmly as possible. Once his arm had left the now very warm section around my waist, I scooted a fraction of a measurement away from him.
"This is so sweet," he said, seemingly oblivious.
Whew. "It is, isn't it? Are you going to send in another one?" I asked calmly.
Zell looked over at me with a grin. "Damn straight! I get 1500 gil each time they accept a submission."
I blinked. "Really? Wow. Maybe I should start submitting?"
Zell's expression grew thoughtful. "You know? That's not such a bad idea." He closed the magazine after another moment, sending me a momentary point. "Tell ya what, when we meet tomorrow to start naming your better moves, we can start putting together a submission packet."
I'm getting together with Zell tomorrow, too? I smiled. "OK. Sounds like fun." Be still my beating heart.
Zell stood and headed for the doorway of his room. "Come on. I've got two magazines downstairs we can look at,