Moons Over Red River

Chapter 6 : What Dreams May Come

"Me?" Lucy blinked back at the steely-eyed boy across from her. "I didn't think you even liked me."

From his place across from Lucy, Pike chuckled. There was something almost taunting about the way he looked at her, about the way he sounded. Even the way he stood oozed aggression, loose-limbed and confident. "I don't."

Lucy wished she'd been able to hide the wince, but it sprang from her features on his command. "Oh. Then why are you here?"

Perhaps to hide the look of hurt she was wearing, Lucy turned away and back to the forest again. If he cared he didn't show it, instead Pike moved around her to drop onto the back of the lawnmower that Jewels still needed to put away.

'Just like that huh,' Lucy caught herself thinking, 'he already looks more comfortable here than I ever will.'  She forced a frown. She'd at least try and seem like she didn't care.

"I dunno. My friends like you, I figured I should at least try."

"How noble of you."

"I know, right?"

Uhg. Suddenly Lucy was a little less sorry she'd slapped him.  In fact, she was starting to itch to do it again.

"Do you even know why you don't like me?" This was pushy even for her, Lucy knew it. "I've met you like twice! You don't even know me."

To her amazement Pike didn't come back with a snide comment or witty snip, instead he just nodded and looked away, back to the forest. "No, I don't." This came out simple and matter of fact, "What were you looking at? Just now when I walked up, you were staring."

Lucy bit her lip hard for a moment, "Nothing really. Just thinking. Listening to the water. Today was kinda exhausting."

He nodded and to her utter amazement he was quiet for several minutes. Finally he spoke, "It can be pretty comforting. I live on the other side, just through the trees there." He pointed toward the narrow path that stretched into the woods. The idea of walking that path made her shiver.

"You walk around out there? Aren't you afraid?"

Pike smirked.  "Afraid of what? The dark? The trees?" He rolled his shoulders before his head tilted back and his eyes closed. Nonchalant and arrogant.

Inwardly Lucy wished she could roll that lawnmower right into traffic. It was a cruel thought but no less honest. "I was under the impression that it was dangerous. Silly me." She drilled back at him. She forced a look of annoyance, but the very thought of the forest made her foot sting again. She shifted her weight off of it and propped her hip against the tree next to her.

"Well, I guess for someone like you it can be."  Her brows arched, and his grin deepened.  "Ya know, new and shit."

"New and shit?" She sounded disgusted, and she was. "Well aren't you Mr. Charming?"

Pike just smiled and opened one eye to look at her before his gaze dropped to her feet. That made him pause, and even lick his lips a little. Not in a hungry way, but in a thoughtful way.  "What happened to your foot?"

Lucy dropped her eyes to where she was clearly favoring her good foot. This caused her, or forced her perhaps, to put her sore foot down firmly. And she winced. Not much, just enough to cause him to smirk.

"Nothing." she forced out, trying her best to look casual. "I just got it hung in something the other night when I was walking." She let her foot slip behind her leg, rubbing the top of it lightly against the back of it. "Thorns or something," she decided, "it was dark, I couldn't really tell."