Inexperienced Heart

Chapter 14: Landa's Secret

That evening, after eating dinner, Logan decided to ask Landa where she goes alone, hoping to catch her before she left.

Logan didn't know how he managed it, but he did. He knocked on her door and was surprised she said, "Come in." He had expected her to be already out.

After closing the door, he stood in front of her and mustered as serious of a look as he could. "Landa," he started, "where do you go? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I'm just curious. I tried to follow you one night, but you escaped." Landa laughed.

"I remember that night," she responded. "Well, you may as well know. Sooner or later you would have found out. Remember those biker guys we met who accused us of robbery?"

"Yes," Logan answered, not knowing what this had to do with anything.

"After I was tortured, when Roco Palson was unlocking the machine, he was whispering to me. It was faint, but I heard it. Basically, he expressed his sympathy towards me and then he asked me if I wanted to hang out with him. I was surprised, but said yes. He arranged a meeting place and I've been meeting with him since. I don't know how long, about a week."

"Do you meet with his friends too?" questioned Logan.

"No, just him."

"Where do you meet him?"

"Come, I'll show you. I was going to see him tonight anyway," commented Landa.

"Wait, Landa!" cried Logan. "How did you get out without anyone noticing?" Landa did not reply. Instead, she motioned for Logan to follow her. She quietly opened her window. There was a ladder leaning against the house. She cautiously climbed down it and urged Logan to do the same. Then, they walked noiselessly in the backyard towards the gate. Logan was about to open the gate, but Landa stopped him just in time by placing a hand on his arm and jerking it away from the gate. "Are you crazy?" she whispered hoarsely. "That gate creaks loudly. It would get everyone's attention pointed in this direction! I climb over the wall. Follow me!"

She placed her left foot on the green stool that was there and swung first her right leg and then her left leg gracefully over the brick wall holding the gate in place. Logan followed suit and the two of them made their journey towards the woods.

Logan was incredulous. "You meet with him in the woods?!? The Haunted Hoots Woods?!?"

"Why not?"

"It's where we got accused of robbery and it's the place where you were tortured!"

"So what?" Landa said, not getting his point at all.

"You don't get it?" he started, then sighed, and quit.

There was a beautiful pond, where crickets chirped and hovered above the frog-filled pond. It wasn't a big pond, only the size of a round table. Fireflies buzzed around, lighting the place regularly. In front of the pond, a wooden bench sat, watching the beauty around the pond. On the bench sat a boy.

Before they reached the boy, Logan sardonically said, "It's so romantic."

Landa, not catching the sarcasm in his voice, dreamily responded, "Isn't it?" She walked towards the boy and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her and grabbed both her pure hands in his. They stared into each other's eyes for a while. It seemed like Logan was forgotten, as if he was invisible or even didn't exist. He was about to speak up, but Landa beat him to it.

"Roco," she started with a pinch of embarrassment in her voice, "I brought along my friend today." As a terrified look crossed Roco's face, she continued, "Remember when I told you that someday Logan would become curious about my activities and ask me? Well, he asked me sooner than I expected."

Roco let go of Landa's hands and turned his eyes in the direction Landa was looking. Logan moved forward and there was an awkward silence that followed.

"Well, what do you talk about?" Logan tried to make some conversation started. Roco and Landa stood next to each other and looked at one another. Roco then placed his arm around Landa's waist and Landa put her arms around Roco's neck and placed her head against his chest.

Logan felt really awkward. He felt he did not belong in this place at this exact moment. He felt he was intruding upon their love-making. He thought this in distaste. Then, Landa, still holding on to Roco, saved Logan from even more embarrassment by saying in a dreamy sleepy voice, "Roco, you may as well tell him your story." Logan looked away. He could not look at her when she was hugging Roco in love.

Roco and Landa walked linked together in step to each other towards the bench and sat down, not letting each other escape from their loving arms. Logan was disgusted, but sat next to Roco on the ground.

Roco, looking out towards the pond, began to tell his story dramatically. "I don't know everything, but what I know, I'll tell you. My father kidnapped this girl named Mira, but I have no idea why. I see her now and then locked up at," here he lowered his voice by a lot, "Lost Surfer's Hollow. He told me that he is trying to lure Landa into his clutches. Again, I don't know why. Also, it was my father who cut Gracie's fin."

Landa jumped up startled and exclaimed, "Why?" Evidently this piece of news was new to her.

Roco shrugged his shoulders and helped Landa settle down into his arms again. He continued, "Now, I'll tell you about my friends. I met them recently at my school. They thought I was a cool dude and joined me. I told them all about my father and how he plans to kill a girl. They said they'd help me. I told my father and he was fine with that. But when I met Landa and had to torture her, I could not do it. She is too beautiful and innocent. I was evil. When I heard my father's plans, I agreed to do it and had an evil passion to accomplish it. But now, I think, Landa has softened my heart. If my father ever finds out of my traitorous acts and betrayal, he will kill me! That's why around him and my friends, I pretend I want to do what they want to do, but really, deep inside of me, I know I don't."

"Your friends are still evil?" Logan asked.

"Yes, all three of them, except maybe Perry Elto," answered Roco sadly.

"Is Landa the girl your father plans to kill?"

"Yes. I feel so bad," Roco said and gripped Landa more strongly.

"Why?"

"I don't know." After a long silence all three staring into space, Landa released herself from Roco and standing up, said, "We should go home. Goodbye, Roco." Roco stood up and hugged Landa tenderly. He kissed her lightly on her cheek and she kissed him gently on his cheek. They let go of each other and walked in opposite directions, constantly looking back, but could see nothing because they were engulfed in darkness.

Landa walked happily. Logan, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed, lagged behind Landa.

Then, unexpectedly, he asked Landa, "Do you like him?"

"Yes," Landa quietly replied.

"And he likes you?"

"I don't know. He hasn't said, but at least we're friends."

"And you probably snog him when I'm not there?"

"No." After a pause, she said, "You're just jealous." She flung her hair back arrogantly and climbed the ladder.