Counting Stars

Ceithir

Cobalt halted his galloping abruptly, throwing a half-asleep Bean, off guard.

He jolted awake and sucked in a breath from being startled, and his eyes shot open. "What's the hold-?" He asked the horse, but stopped when he saw a sleeping girl against a great big willow tree.

His brown eyes widened and his eyebrows went up questioningly. He let go of the reins of the horse and untangled his feet from the stirrups and jumped off of Cobalt's back.

As his large feet landed against the ground, the girl shot awake. She stood up, rubbing her eyes. Bean stayed quiet, not moving a muscle as he watched her.

Angelina saw Cobalt’s hooves as she looked down, rubbing her eyes back to normal. She looked up and jumped back. “And who might you be?” She asked, taking small steps backwards in fear that Bean might be someone her parents sent to find her. Bean stood there silently, wide eyed and watched the beautiful girl in front of him. “Are you going to answer my question or are you going to stand there and stare at me?” She asked. Her fear faded as she took a brave step forward.

She leaned forward, keeping eye contact with the boy and picked up the quiver, along with her bow and slung the quiver back onto her shoulder. Bean stood there and kept watching her amazed that he actually found a person that had traveled so deep into the forest.

Angelina quickly pulled an arrow out from the quiver behind her and drew it into the bow, pointing it at Bean. Beans arms flew up in defense. “Tell me who you are and what you want.” She demanded.

“I’m harmless I promise. I’m just a kid, trying to get through the forest.” He spoke slowly drawing out every word as if she didn’t understand English. “This is my horse,” he pointed back at Cobalt. “And while we were riding through here he saw you and stopped. When I saw you I thought you were dead so I came over to check.” Angelina lowered her bow towards the ground, as Bean lowered his hands.

“What’s your name?” She asked. “Bean.” He stated watching her. She let out a laugh and covered her mouth. “What?” He spat at her, as she continued to try and hide her laugh. “Oh yeah, and my name is Potato.” She joked, mocking him. He gave her a glare. “You know, Bean’s just a nickname, no need to make fun of it.” He said in an annoyed tone.

“Okay then, what’s your real name?” She crossed her arms and smirked at him. “I’m not telling you.” He mumbled, embarrassed at his real name. “Is someone embarrassed?” She smirked at him, knowing she was right, and stepped towards him.

Bean took a brave step forward as he came face-to-face with her. “I’m not ‘embarrassed’, how do I know you aren’t trying to kill me or something?”

Angelina’s smirked turned into an ‘are-you-serious-right-now’ face. “Oh really? Because I definitely know who you are and someone sent a girl to kill you in the forest!” She screamed. “Well how do you expect me,” he pointed his finger towards himself.  “-to know?!” He yelled back.

“Ugh! I don’t even know you yet and I already don’t like you!” Angelina screamed back at him. Beans scowl twisted into a sad face. “My real name is Xalvador all right! I’m sorry if I didn’t want to tell a complete stranger my name, Potato!”

Angelina’s face turned back into a blank look. “Okay, ‘Xalvador’ my name is Angelina, NOT Potato. And by the way Xalvador is a better name than Bean.” She said.

“Whatever you say, Angelina” He said. She stuck out her tongue at him as he walked away. “That’s not very lady like.” He turned around and stated matter-of-factly. “Yeah, well, does it look like I care?” She said with a smug smile on her face. He gave her a glare and she sent it right back at him.

Angelina slung the bow back onto her shoulder, tucking it underneath the quiver strap and turned on her heels and walked away from the scene without another word to Bean. Bean watched her from behind, his eyes glued to her. “Wait.” He shouted at her, Angelina stopped, and turned around, resting her hands on her hips.

Bean sucked in a breath and looked at her. “I need your help with something.” He mumbled, kicking a pebble over with the tip of his shoe. “And what makes you think I want, or have the time, to help you?” She barked at him. “I don’t know my way around the forest or where exactly I am going. I also don’t really know if I’m even headed in the right direction.”

“And, what exactly do you want me to do about that?” She asked. He took a deep breath and looked up at her sheepishly. “I need you to help me find which way I need to go, and how to get out of the forest.”

“Well, that way,” She pointed to her right, “is north. And I don’t know how you expect me to tell you how to find your way out of the forest, because I don’t even know how to get out myself.”

***

Bean and Angelina ended up teaming up to find their way out of the forest together. And they both agreed that once they did that, that they would go their separate ways and never talk or see each other again.

Bean jumped back up onto Cobalt and they both headed north. “Why are you not wearing shoes?” Bean asked Angelina as she walked next to the horse. “Because I do not want to, is there a problem?” She looked at him.

“Nope, no problem here.” He said, shrugging his shoulder.

“Very well then” She said. Bean nodded and they continued walking.

***

Okay, so I will not be updating for about a week because I am going on Vacation and wont be back until next Saturday.

But please vote and comment, it would be greatly apprieciated!

~BearDayCare