Taking Flight pt. 11

Swifty landed soundlessly in the grass and tiptoed to where Snap sat, joining him. Folding her legs, criss-cross-applesauce, she cleared her throat and waited for him to turn his head. Snap didn't move. Undaunted, Swifty scooted to her right a few inches until she bumped into Snap, giving him a gentle nudge. With a sniff, Snap shifted further to the right and mumbled something, his words lost in the cavern he had made with his tangle of arms and legs.

Shaking her head, Swifty made a second attempt and scootched over again, brushing up against Snap's side. This time, Snap raised his head a few inches and looked at Swifty out of the corner of his eye. "What do you want? Come to poke fun at silly ol' Snap?" He removed his glasses and ran his sleeve across his face, his glistening eyes reflecting the lantern's light.

"I'm sorry, Snap," she mumbled, her heart heavy. "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings." Snap shrugged, but didn't turn away. Swifty continued, gathering her courage. "I was going to fly with you, you know. But you left..."

"Because you left first," he croaked. "You and Pip and, and all the rest of them." He glanced across the field at Dot and his fan club, his round face scrunched up and his glasses smeared. "Never mind." He buried his face again.

"Look," Swifty said, fists clenched. "I said I was sorry. Back at the Gnarled Log, I hurt your feelings, but I'm here now and I'm, well, I'm hoping you'll be my friend." Silence. In a last ditch effort, Swifty leaned against Snap, pressing her shoulder into his. "Please."

This time Snap didn't scoot away, but looked up at Swifty, his glasses two white orbs of lantern light. "Really?"

With a grin Swifty cocked her head in his direction and nudged him with her elbow. "Friends stick closer than a brother, right?"

"You've been talking to Murt, haven't you? That sounds like something he would say."

"No. That sounds like something wise you would say and Murt is just repeating it because it's true. So? Do you forgive me?"

A smile stole across Snap's face as he flung his arm around Swifty's shoulder. "I forgave you the minute you sat down."

Swifty felt the weight of the past half-hour fall away and she sighed happily. But her joy only lasted a moment. With the clanging of the bell, class began and her dinner turned back into stone. Tonight they would be tested on covert bedtime operations and Swifty still hadn't gotten the hang of maneuvering around fidgety sleepers. She could only hope her luck continued...or didn't get any worse.

Image courtesy of Pipii

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As part of a personal 30-Day challenge (that is turning into a much loooonger challenge!) to write everyday and in light of this new season of life with all the kids in school, I have begun a little tale. Be sure to start at the beginning...