The Gold and the Forest

XXI

Chapter 21: Declan

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They had started a game of basketball in a park near them. One thing that Carl noticed was that Clan was getting taller. It made him feel old, which was not something he expected to feel this early in his life.

Declan shot the ball, the ball bouncing off the rim. He groaned.

"Hey Carl. Let's talk about girls." Clan suggested, offering a cheeky grin.

Carl snorted, snatching the ball and trying to score a point.

Clan bumped him roughly. "So, last week... Remember detention girl? She like, called me out to a party or something."

"Aren't you going out with her friend?" Carl mumbled, sweat dripping down his face.

"That was three days."

Carl sighed, shaking his head. "Clan."

"Don't come at me with the respect women hurrdurr." His stepbrother ran around the court, shooting a smirk at him. "Mr. Bad-Boy."

Carl paused, looking bewildered at Clan's comment.

"I know about you doing adult things to Vivi."

Carl shut his eyes and started walking off to the water fountain.

Declan jogged over to him. "So...?"

"Hm?" Carl lowered his head to splash water on his face.

"...Should I go?"

Carl hesitated when he heard the tone in his voice change. He looked up at Clan, a slow smile creeping onto his face.

Upon seeing that expression, Declan shoved Carl's face into the water spout, which resulted in a livid, but also very wet, Carl.

---

Vivi worked her hands through the ribbons, tying the bags with a dainty bow. She smiled at her achievements and then looked at the products of her partner's clumsy paws.

She blinked.

"What." She picked up one of the bags he had tied, placing her finger on the mess of a ribbon. "What is that?"

"Ribbon." Carl mumbled.

"No, it is not!" Vivi squinted and then gasped. "What did you do to it?"

"Tied it."

Vivi looked at the ribbon and then at him and pursed her lips. "Carl. Have you ever done any packaging in your life?"

A long silence ensued. Vivi let out an exasperated sigh and picked up an untied bag and cut some ribbon. "Look. You make one loop, and then another. In, pull."

He stared at her hands so blankly she wondered if he was hanging in there. She tapped him on the head a few times and then handed him some ribbon. "You try it while I fix your... accidents."

He took the bag from her, looking disgruntled. "Don't say accidents."

"Your... oopsies." She corrected, giggling.

She peeked over at him and noticed he had made a monstrosity again. She snatched the bag from him and undid the bow and then placed it back into his hands. She held his fingers, guiding them.

"That's how you do it," She muttered a french term under her breath, smiling.

"I heard you." He muttered.

"Oh? You can understand français?" She raised an eyebrow, teasing.

He turned his head, suddenly closing the distance between them. Her eyes widened, staring first at the flecks of green in his eyes and then at his lips. He stared stoically at her, or so it seemed. He was actually just looking at her eyelashes.

"No flirting at work." Sean reprimanded without even looking at them as he passed by.

Vivi snapped from the moment and pulled her head back, letting out a strangled laugh.

"Boundaries, boundaries!" She rambled, organizing the finished little bags. "That was not workplace appropriate!"

Carl focussed his attention back on the taxing task of tying dainty bows. He wondered if it was just because of the difference in their hand sizes. He remembered that morning, with her fingernails painted white and coral.

"Clan wants me to come to a party with him."

Vivi perked up, glancing at him. If it was anything that catches her off guard, it's when Carl initiates the conversation.

"Mhmm?" She prompted.

His gaze flicked from the bow he made to her and then to the window in front of him, where the cars were idling by. He clenched his jaw.

"Do you... do you want to come too?"

---

They met at the front of his house, and Declan was bouncing with energy, anticipating the arrival of the very attractive coworker of Carl's.

"Aren't we going to that party for that girl?" Carl inquired.

"Yeah," Declan huffed. "But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a pretty girl when I see one."

Carl scoffed at this comment.

"What do you think she'll be wearing?" Clan sighed.

Carl shrugged, shuffling his feet, idling about.

Someone pushed him from behind, throwing him off his balance. He turned around quickly, met with the laughing figure of Vivi.

"That's not how you greet someone..." Carl scolded her, and she pouted. She was dressed rather casual, a floral dress with a kimono jacket thrown over.

"Hello, Declan." Vivi waved at the boy, and he perked up with an energetic hello.

"You look great." Clan complimented. Vivi did a little curtsey and then laughed.

"We're going to a party with high schoolers?" Vivi piped up as they started walking away from Carl's house. "What if they hit on us, Carl?"

Carl shrugged.

"I'm sure one or two of those rascals will try to win your pretty hand, Vivi." Declan commented, shooting a charming smile at her.

Carl was instantly reminded of the way Kade talked to girls, and made a disgusted noise in his throat. His stepbrother was turning into his friend. He couldn't be more concerned. Vivi seemed to pick up on his displeasure and bumped her hip into him.

She snickered to herself.

"Birthday girl invited you, right? What's her name?"

"Oh—Iris?"

"Do you even remember her name?" Carl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Declan shrugged, smiling smugly.

Oh my. He's quite a playboy. Vivi thought to herself. I wonder what the girl is like.

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