Awkward Moments, Rangers Apprentice by Cookieninja450

Chapter 6

Will gave Abelard four apples and patted Tug on the back. "Good job, Tug," Will whispered. Then he gave Tug an extra apple. Abelard snorted angrily.
The two Rangers went back to the cottage, grateful that Arnold couldn't intrude anymore.

One year later...

"Will, I'm going to the market for coffee!" Halt called as he took Abelard from the stable. Will, however, looked extremely nervous. "Halt-"
Halt knew that tone of voice. Something was very, very wrong. He whipped around and almost fainted. It was Arnold. Arnold had grown very much since the previous year-he was starting to grow a small, peachy beard and he looked much older.

Arnold smiled. "Why, nice to see you, Halt! How are you doing, old friend? We're still best friends, aren't we?"
Halt looked at Will for explanation. Will just shrugged. Halt glared at Arnold. "I thought you were gone!" he shouted, his fist in the air.
Arnold looked startled. "Gone? You thought I was gone? You're kidding, right?"
Halt made no movement. He just stared at Arnold.

"Oh, I knew you were kidding, Halt!" Arnold said, beaming at Halt. "We're still friends! Give me a hug!"
Halt stood rooted to the spot. He did not twitch a single muscle. He could've been frozen. But then the grizzled Ranger spoke. "I do not give people hugs," he said tonelessly.

Arnold looked disappointed. "Everyone gives hugs!" he said, holding his arms out wider. "All you have to do is put your arms out like this, and then just..." Arnold struggled to find the word. "...just...HUG!" he said, annoyed. "DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO HUG?"
Halt shook his head. "Never heard of such a thing," he said simply.
"I thought we were friends!" Arnold cried desperately. "Friends always hug!"

Halt shook his head again. "Then I daresay I am not your friend," he said.
"But...we've been through so much together, and you even wrote a song about us!" Arnold waved his hand at Will, who was now bellowing the Halt and Arnold song.
Halt pressed his lips together. "That was Will."

Arnold looked depressed. "But it's about US!" he cried. "US! US! US as friends, US together, US-"
"As I said before, I am not your friend," Halt said, a little louder this time. "Do you hear me? So either go away or stay here and suffer."

That threat was all Arnold needed. He looked on the verge of tears. "Fine!" Arnold cried, glaring at Halt. "Fine! Be that way! I'll find a new friend! A friend that can HUG! Goodbye, Halt! You were never a good friend anyway!" Arnold stomped off, crying all the way. Silence.

Will made a weird noise behind Halt. Halt turned, and found the apprentice holding a sign that said Awkward Moment #330.
Halt was surprised. "I thought you stopped with those years ago!" he said.
Will smiled. "Nope! I knew Awkward Moment three-hundred thirty was bound to come sometime, so I saved all of them! Aren't you surprised that you've had that many awkward moments?"
Halt shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. Let's go have some coffee, you can have extra sugar today..." Halt was in a good mood now that Arnold was gone for good.

Halt let a small escape him. Arnold was gone, things were peaceful, all was well. Nothing could possibly go wrong...

THE END