Arkansas stared at America, narrowing his good eye. He didn't trust this new person, not one bit. He looked America over, raising an eyebrow. He was tall, with curly hair and sunglasses propped up on his head. He held a small apple blossom in his hand, as a way to convince Arkansas he was a friend, not a foe. Arkansas wore a yellow sweater, and black overalls, an eye-patch covering his right eye.
"Look, Arkansas, I'm not going to hurt you.." America said gently, trying to approach the young boy, who only backed up in response. Arkansas let out a small, bitter hiss, raising his bat warily. America stopped, and sighed, sitting on the ground.
"I'm not giving up on you, Arkansas. I never will." He said gently. Arkansas continued to watch him warily, before sitting down on the bed. America started telling Arkansas stories about his new siblings, about how wonderful they were, and about daily life in the house. Arkansas listened quietly, occationally tilting his head to indicate he was paying attention. As time went on, America stuck with Arkansas the whole time. Minutes turned into hours, until the sun set.
America was quietly sleeping on the floor, dreaming about his family, when he felt something move his arm, snuggled close to him. He quietly opened his eyes, and smiled when he saw Arkansas cuddled up against him, peacefully sleeping. It had been a long journey, but he was glad that the state had finally come around. He felt like he had completed his first goal.
Arkansas was finally learning to trust people again.
(BARE WITH ME IK ITS SHORT.)
