Pop Tarts, Brand, and Her

Chapter 9: Solo Mission

Chapter 9: Solo Mission

Shannon leant back into her uncles’ soft sofa. It was like lying in marsh-mellows… like floating on fluffy white clouds of soft, squishy marsh-mellows…just less sticky. So comfy…so warm…and such a good place to sit, eat her sandwich, and think. Think about the situation between her and two charming, comedic, men… Noel and Russell.

While she liked Russell, for he was of course very charming, she felt something more for Noel…something she hadn’t ever felt before, something couldn’t quite explain – or really wanted to for that matter. But this provided a rather curious conundrum. Shannon could hear voices coming towards the lounge-room she currently occupied. She didn’t want to move! It was so comfy in Freddie’s sofa! But she wanted to be alone for a while. So, sighing, she slipped from the room, out the back door, down towards the duck pond.

Once there, Shannon sat down on the west bank of the pond and sighed again, smiling a little as two, speckled white ducks waddled towards her. She tore up her bread crusts as she thought over the situation at hand, throwing the crumbs towards the ducks absentmindedly, unaware she was being observed.

***

Julian smiled as he watched Shannon with the ducks, throwing bread crumbs. She was just as he remembered…though maybe ever so slightly taller. He’d seen the way her eyes would light up whenever Noel was around, despite Russell’s attempts to divert her attentions to him. She was sweet, kind, gentle, and…innocent. Noel would be a good match for her…Russell could ruin her in a heartbeat! He was a nice enough chap, but he could ruin her.

Julian mulled over what he knew. It was more than obvious to anyone with a brain that Noel and Shannon were right for each other… and were already falling for each other too. They just needed a little nudge in the right direction. Hang the bet those two scoundrels had made! Shannon deserved to be happy, and Julian was convinced that only Noel could do that for her.

He would start with Shannon; get her out of that shy, protective shell. Get her love to blossom first. Then he would deal with Noel. So, without further hesitation, Julian began his solo mission of ‘Get These Two Together…Or Else!’, and made his way over to where she sat…alone.