A Pirate's Life for Me

Chapter 14: Close Your Eyes and Pretend it's All a Bad Dream-That's How I Get By

Nora fled to Tomorrowland, as far away from the two men as she could get. No sir, she didn't need the drama.

She ended up throwing the rest of the cinnamon roll away, sending a little prayer to the sky in apology for its regrettable, not stomach related death, but couldn't handle eating after Gaston's accusation. Seems like you go to see a certain pirate now that I've inspired you to meet everyone.

Maybe she should go to the Haunted Mansion and mourn for her dignity.

It's not like it was that bad...but maybe it was. From Gaston's tone, he knew that she had a crush on him. And it wasn't difficult to add up all the little tidbits, like her Pirate ears and pirate necklace she normally wore. Not to mention the look on her face when he'd mentioned Jack.

She stayed in the bathrooms near Space Mountain for a chunk of time, listening to all the flushing toilets that so represented how she was feeling. Still, it was better than going back outside to that Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, with its chipper music and overwhelming amount of people. Usually, she loved it, but after that?

Nora hesitantly left her sanctuary after receiving a text from Levi saying he would meet up with her. It was bad timing, but she'd texted him earlier. I'm sorry about the other night. Would you like to meet up after work today? I'm here.

She hadn't seen him since the whole asking if she was egregious thing. She felt bad for avoiding him. Hadn't she promised she wouldn't do that to him? Not that he'd really texted her much over the past few days. Meeting up with Maddie and her own potentially new friends had given her some courage, which Gaston had promptly smashed like the Hulk.

Still, it shouldn't be a problem talking to Levi, right?

Levi found her a few minutes later. He was holding a half-eaten turkey leg, which he'd clearly been eating on his way over.

They sat down in the shade under the Astro Orbiter while he finished. She stole glances at him, skeptical that their meeting would go well after her fiasco with Gaston.

"It's been weird not seeing you," he said after some time.

"Yeah. I've missed having my park buddy."

When he finished his turkey leg, they climbed aboard the People Mover, Nora not minding sitting backwards, knowing it bothered Levi to. She rested her feet on the empty space besides Levi.

The wind blew past, refreshing and cool for once as the electromagnets moved their sleek, blue train. They had the whole train to themselves, helping her be a bit more relaxed at anything she might say.

"I'm sorry for being so...clingy," she said before she could stop herself. "I wasn't myself and I didn't want you to think I was..."

She didn't know how to finish that sentence, but she didn't think he needed her to.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything the other night," Levi said. "I was off too."

"Any reason?"

"I feel egregious."

He didn't say anything more. She couldn't help but dread his reuse of the word she'd used with Jack, the word she'd repeated to him. "Why?"

He opened his mouth to speak. The People Mover stopped abruptly. They'd made it to the side above the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. A safety message indicating that the attraction was experiencing an unexpected delay and would be back online shortly—probably a handicapped guest getting on or off the ride.

She turned back to Levi. "Why are you egregious?"

He looked at his lap. "I saw someone I used to know today. I didn't handle it well."