Darko

vii - An Unlikely Decision

The scariest act is faith. Putting your trust in someone you don't know at all. This is what Darken was doing. Anne and Justin had sat down with him that Saturday afternoon asking if he was willing to try out for the Valedale Equestrian team. If he were to succeed, he would go to the island of Jorvik, and spend the summer along with Anne ad Justin. However, his friends getting chosen for the team was almost guaranteed judging by how they had been in the saddle before they could walk. Not to mention, connections.

Darken fiddled his fingers in front of his dinner plate.

Crest spooned an enormous piece of ravioli into her mouth. She, however, immediately stopped chewing when she saw that Darken had not touched his food. "You're not hungry?" Crest said in an offended tone.

It took a moment to realize Crest had asked him the question. "Um- n-no." He returned his eyes to his thumbs.

Crest moved the food around in her mouth, swallowed, and placed her fork on the plate. "Harkin told me about the uh- what do you call it?"

Darken sighed. "Equestrian team?"

She lifted her fork and pointed it at him. "Yeah, that."

Darken sighed and rolled his eyes. "You don't have to pretend Crest."

Crest stopped all her limbs from motion. "Pretend?"

Darken's jaw tensed, causing pain to radiate up toward his head. He was fuming. "You would never let me go to Jorvik!" Darken pointed out the kitchen window in a frustrated manner. "You wouldn't even let me drive."

Crest slammed her palm down on the table, causing the forks to jump off the wood. "If anything happens to you, I get blamed!" She aggressively sat back in her chair, folding her arms.

Darken was especially emotional. Horse riding was a deep passion that lingered in him since he was a child. Hearing Crest make a mockery of it was awful. "I'm taking that as a no."

Crest took in a deep breath. She was obviously frustrated, but Darken immediately noticed her facial muscles relax when she was beginning to speak. "Actually, I did think about it."

Darken's eyebrows raised. His tense jaw released softly. "Really?" He replied in disbelief.

Crest laced her fingers together. "I-Harkin and I talked about it."

Darken's face continued to stay in disbelief. Despite blood rushing frantically through his chest. He stayed dead silent.

"He was telling me that, part of the reason Anne was so independent, was because she did this."

Darken made a noise that sounded like a faint mumble, but was unnoticed by Crest.

"So, I think-it would be best- well." Crest struggled over her words.

"I try out?" Darken still was in disbelief. What had come over the woman?

"Perhaps, that's a start." Her eyes pierced straight into Darken's bright blue eyes, indicating she was serious.

"I-um.." He was speechless. This was the last thing he would have expected to come out of Crest's mouth.

Crest's eyebrows raised. "You look surprised."

Darken scrunched his eyebrows together. "I am surprised." His eyes were wide open. It still came off of a shock that the man that was Joe Harkin, could've convinced the stubborn Crest.

He thought about it a moment. "So, you trust Harkin's judgement now?" Darken asked intrigued. He didn't actually care, just seeing Crest flustered made the boy smile.

Crest's eyes widened. "Well- I.."

He smirked. "It's obvious you get weird around him." Darken lifted an eyebrow.

Crest scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever conclusions your jumping to, it's not like that."

"I never suggested it was like that." He returned his eyes to the ravioli spindling around his fork.

Crest titled her head, a smirk grazing her face. "Your one to talk."

Darken stopped his fingers from twirling the pasta and looked up at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Crest scoffed. "You and Anne."

Darken let out a loud groan, and sat his fork down in frustration. "Seriously Crest? She's just a friend." He looked at her with a frown. "What?"

Crest chuckled. "No, no it's fine. I shouldn't have brought it up." The smirk still lingered on her lips, making Darken more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Why would you even think that?"

Crest wiped her mouth roughly with a napkin. She decided to change the subject. "What about Justin?"

He shrugged his shoulders dramatically. "What about him?"

Crest gasped dramatically. "You're not jealous?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you're doing, it's not going to work." His eyes went to his fork as he stabbed another piece of ravioli.

Crest raised an eyebrow, keeping her blue eyes pinned on him.

Darken let out a huff, slammed his fork down, and looked the woman straight in the black holes of her eyes. "Despite how much your mind likes to wander Crest Sands, there is nothing going on between Anne von Blyssen and me, neither am I jealous of Justin Moorland." He scooted his chair out from the table and tossed the napkin onto the table.

Crest eyes followed him as he stomped away up the wooden staircase, carrying creaks after every stomp.

She rubbed her eye with her pointer finger. "He really needs to get his priorities in order."