Alice sat up as another melodious bout of laughter sounded from beyond the entrance of the cave. The recognized purr of Gau's chuckle immediately followed. Wrinkling her nose, Alice gave a stretch as she looked around the cave. Eric leaned against the cave entrance while staring out at something on the Veldt. She felt bad. Eric was a great guy and a real kick to be around, and the last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings--again. I just haven't thought much about him and me. It never really came up again. There was always something or someone else needing my attention. Alice sighed, drawing Eric’s gaze.
“We were wondering when you were going to wake up,” he said simply. “Gau wants to take us swimming. Hurry up.” Then he left the cave.
Guilt accosted Alice, making her bite her lower lip. "I’m sorry, Eric," she muttered. "I didn’t mean to be dense." She pulled herself from her sleeping bag and grabbed her pack.
When another laugh sounded Carol, Alice winced and rolled her eyes. Slinging her pack over her shoulder, she headed out into the morning sunshine to find Gau and Carol perched on the same boulder from the night before. Eric leaned against it, arms crossed and brows furrowed.
“What in the world is so funny?”
Gau shot a glance over his shoulder and promptly leaped down from the boulder. He wore another pair of hide trousers and still no shirt. “Morning, Alice. Why you sleep so long?
“Oh, I don't know. Because I was tired? What with getting chased by man-eating monsters and things like that. It has a tendency of wearing a person out.” And Eric’s not really talking to me, and I’ll never be able to laugh like Carol . . . .
Gau's handsome face twisted with uncertainty and confusion to amusement and then back again. “You joke with Gau? Or you angry?”
Alice's guilt bit her in the butt even harder than earlier. “Sorry. I'm not a morning person. A swim would probably perk me right up.”
Gau gave a brief nod. Then he turned to gesture to Carol and Eric. “Come. Let's go swim. Eat fish and eggs for breakfast.”
Carol squealed with delight, waving her hands for help down from the boulder. Gau and Eric, of course, were quick to oblige. Alice raised an eyebrow. I never understood that whole helpless-female routine. She's got it down pat, though.
So, the group headed to the west, Alice noticing that Eric and Carol quickened their pace to head up the front. She submerged her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans. He's not even giving me a chance to say ‘I'm sorry’. So the guilt for being dense quickly made way for irritation as she grumbled under her breath about stubborn boys and their infantile behaviors.
“Alice, why you grumble like grumpy Rhinox?”
She met Gau’s concerned/amused expression and sheepishly smiled. “Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind.”
“I see this. Tell so I help.”
She flushed. “It's nothing. Forget it.” It was embarrassing to admit Gau understood more about crushes and who liked who.
Gau chuckled. “I no can forget when plain on both faces.”
Her gaze met his. “What?”
“I no tell. You know.”
Alice shifted her gaze to Eric and Carol several paces ahead. “I really hurt his feelings last night, Gau.”
“I see truth in face when he come back. Why you do this thing, Alice?”
“I didn't mean to.” And she felt lower than forest slime.
“How you make better?”
Adjusting her fists in her pockets, Alice sighed. “I've no idea.”
“If heart sorry, you tell him this thing. No think too long of what to say. Too many words make more trouble. Speak clear and little, but from heart.”
But something told her Eric wasn't ready to hear anything from her just yet.
“Why so glum?”
Alice raised her gaze to Carol's. Gau now walked beside Eric. Alice blinked her focus back to the ground. “Nothing.”
“Have anything to do with Eric?” Alice shrugged. “Didn't I tell you he liked you? Maybe next time you'll believe me.”
Alice grimaced. “Maybe.”
Carol giggled and gave her a little shove. “Don’t worry about it, Alice. Eric will be fine. He’s just got a case of hurt pride. Don’t you remember what you felt when all he could see was Terra Branford?”
Alice remembered the misery all too well. “Yeah.”
“Give him a couple hours and then try talking to him.” Then she gave Alice another friendly nudge and hurried to walk beside Gau.
Alice sighed deep. Man. I hate it when she’s right-- There sounded a sudden squeal, causing Alice to look up to see Carol and Gau standing together on a slight rise. Carol looked absolutely beside herself with joy. I wonder what it is this time? It was the most beautiful beach Alice had seen.
“Oh, Gau,” Carol cooed, “it's absolutely dreamy!”
Alice rolled her eyes. Eric snickered.
“Come here all time with friends before evil gone.” Alice noticed he didn't say 'Kefka'. Gau peered over Carol’s head to Alice and Eric. “Have many good memory here. Of friends. Make more, so have much more memory to make here.”
Carol sniffled. Alice shifted her focus to the rocky beach. Eric dropped his pack and started stripping out of his shoes and down to his swimming trunks.
“Eric, you no swim.”
Eric shot Gau a wide-eyed stare. “What? How come?”
Gau smirked. “We go for breakfast. Swim when they cook.”
Eric glowered as he put his shoes and trousers back on. “Man, this bites.” But he followed after Gau just the same.
Carol and Alice headed down to the beach. “Can you believe this? We're stepping on the same beach as Cyan of Doma. King Edgar of Figaro and his brother Sabin. Terra Branford. Locke Cole. General Celes Chere.” Carol released a melodramatic sigh. “I think I've died and gone to heaven.”
“Heavens, Carol.” Alice handed her a towel to hold up while she changed into her one-piece black swimsuit. “You've been reading those short-story romances again, haven't you?”
Carol blushed and moved her gaze from Alice's accusing face to the water as it beat upon the shore. “I can't help it if I love happy endings and marriages between damsels and the heroes who rescue them.”
Alice adjusted the straps of her swimsuit before holding the towel so Carol could change. “But you're setting yourself up for a fall, Carol. Girls like us never get the knight on the white horse. We get the Eric's and Dane's, and we live in small towns running Inns and Item Shops.”
“What's wrong with that? Eric's a hero, of sorts. He just hasn't had an opportunity to show it yet.”
Alice reluctantly conceded the point. “He won't, either. Not in our town. Nothing ever happens in Border.”
Carol took the towel down to reveal her somewhat modest but all-revealing two-piece emerald green bikini. Alice wrinkled her nose as she looked away. Nobody else fills out a swimsuit like Carol.
“Alice, don't be such a stick in the mud. There's plenty of opportunities for heroic deeds in our home town. Just not on a grand scale like in the books.”
“Fine. Fine. Whatever. Let's set up the blanket and take a dip before the boys get back and demand we cook and clean.”
Carol's expression showed concern as they cleared a beach section of driftwood and pointy pebbles. Once they finished, her expression had darkened to near panic. “They won't really make us cook breakfast, will they?”
Alice groaned while handing Carol one end of the blanket. “Let me guess: you can't boil water.”
“Oh, I can boil water and make toast, or simple things like that, but . . . .” Carol's eyes glistened with tears. “I don't want to make a fool of myself, Alice.”
Alice sent her a reassuring smile, draping an arm around her shoulders as she led her toward the water's edge. “Don't worry, Carol. I'll do the difficult stuff. I've been on a million camp-outs with my folks. I'll have you do the easy stuff. All right?”