Whispers of the Heart

Chapter 4: Alisha

Chapter Four Lucas

            "Lucas!" Shelly's voice rang through the sounds and I turned and studied her. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail and a speck of dust was on her cheek. Her slim hand slipped into mine as she started to pull me out of the barn.

            "What is it?" I chuckled, taking my hand back.

            "Alisha's here! Finally there's another girl around here!"  Shelly laughed as she whipped around to look at me. "You know, she's kind of pretty! You two might just hit it off." She winked at me as she turned back to the door.

            "Not likely." I grumbled. A neigh from behind caused me to turn around and I watched as Snow reared and her hooves attacked the stall. "Hey!" I shouted and ran over to her. "Hey, girl, what's wrong?" Her body relaxed as her eyes studied mine. Her head poked out from the stall and I gently stroked her head.

            "She's fine, now come on." Shelly groaned as her hands appeared on my arm and tugged me away. I could feel Snow's gaze on me as we walked out of the barn and I couldn't help but feel like there was something that Snow knew that I didn't. She had never acted like that unless someone she didn't know went into her stall and, even then, this was almost different.

            Then my eyes fell on her. The new girl. Alisha Parks. Her back was towards me and I studied her as I walked closer. Her light brown hair was down to her waist and puffed out around her. Her jeans hugged her around the waist, hips, and legs, revealing the figure beneath.

            "Ah, Lucas!" Father called.

The girl's shoulder's stiffened, her fists clenched by her side. Her hair hardly moved as she slowly turned around. Her skin was smooth and youthful, her light pink lips formed a polite smile, and her hair caressed her face, but none of that was what caught my attention. The bright blue eyes that stared into mine, the look of surprise that was hidden to the others by the pleasant smile. I knew those eyes. The amount of times that I saw them when I was younger, all those times that I went out of my way to give her those surprises. Snow reacted the way she did because she smelled our long lost friend.

It was her. She came back. She finally came back.

"Mira." Her name slipped from my mouth and I saw her eyes flash with recognition. There was no doubt, it was her.

"Mira?" Shelly huffed. Her hand collided with the back of my head and she stepped forward to glare at me. "You really need to let her go, especially now that you're accusing a complete stranger of being her."

"This is Alisha, Lucas." Father sighed. He tilted his head in her direction. "Just ignore my son, he's... well, let's just say I need to talk to him later." Father gave me a knowing look and I groaned. Why didn't they see it? Why didn't they realize? Yes, she had grown up. Yes, she had changed, but it's her. I know it is.

"It's nice to meet you."

Her voice has changed. It was higher than it was when she was a child. Her voice wasn't an annoying pitch, but a soft, gentle, loving kind.

Mira held her hands behind her, her weight shifting from one side to another as her eyes studied me. She knew that it was me, she knew that I knew who she was, so why wouldn't she admit it?

"Well, Alisha, why don't we go into the house?" My mother smiled. Her slim hand slid around Mira's, or Alisha, whatever her name is, waist. Mira's skin looked pale and sickly next to my mother's tan skin and I couldn't help but wonder if she never got enough sun. Alisha's shoulders tensed as she realized what had happened, but allowed herself to be steered into the house.

My eyes followed the procession and I couldn't help but wonder what happened to her after all these years. I couldn't help but wonder why she changed her name. And, I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing.

"So the pots and pans are in the bottom cupboards and the plates and cups are in the top ones." Mother explained as she told Mira about the set-up of the kitchen.

I leaned against the wooden walls, examining the scene. Mira stood in the middle of the kitchen, soaking in what she saw. Her blue eyes were wide and her lips parted slightly in awe.

"It hasn't changed much." Her hair flew behind her as she whipped herself around to look me in the eye. I shifted uncomfortably when I realized her eyes were filled with fear. But why would she be afraid? Was she worried that we would be angry that she disappeared? Is that why she refused to admit that it's her?

"Now, Alisha." Mother's voice interrupted and Mira turned around to look at her. "We go to the store every weekend. It's part of your job to make a list of food and ingredients that you'll need to cook. I have a few cookbooks there by the stove that you're more than welcome to look at if you want to try something new, but it's all up to you."

"I'll try my best."

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Mother laughed and patted Mira's cheek. "Don't worry about being too fancy, we're more than happy to eat a bowl of chili or a sandwich as we are some of those fancy dishes you may have learned how to make."

"I'll keep that in mind." The soft laugh in her voice caught me off guard and I stared at her in surprise. Mira was still in there, the way she was acting, that was all an act. She was still Mira, even if she did try to fight it off.

"Mother." I smiled softly as Mira tensed. She knew I was the only one who knew who she really was. She knew that I could blow her cover at any time, but I wasn't going to. Not yet. I wanted to find out why she changed her name and, above all, I want to find out what she's so afraid of. The best way to do that was to get her away from her and I knew the perfect horse to do that.

"Yes, Lucas?" She sighed, her eyes rested on me, suspicion in her eyes.

"Well, if Alisha," I emphasized her name and felt a sense of pride when she closed her eyes from worry, something she used to do way back then, "is going to live on a ranch, shouldn't she learn how to ride a horse? It'll make moving around on the land a lot easier."

"Oh, I think that's an excellent idea!" Mother's smile was genuine and I knew that she had no idea what I had planned. "It really is a good idea for you to learn, my dear. I can see if Aaron will teach you."

"No need to bother Father." I said as I stepped forth. I slipped my arm over her small shoulders and pulled her close to me. "I can teach her in between meals and, while she's working, I can do my chores."

"Are you sure?" Mother demanded in surprise, but I saw the sparkle in her eyes. She thinks that Alisha is going to make me move on.

"I-I don't want to be a bother." Mira's voice shook slightly, out of fear or surprise, I wasn't sure.

I smiled down at her. "It's no bother. It'll be fun and I think I have the perfect horse for you to learn on." What she didn't know was that she was learning on the same horse she had helped raise.