The Littlest Bitty

Chapter 9: Pent-Up

After grabbing and putting on our protective gear, we head out through the village entrance, unnoticed. After making quite a bit of ways through the forest, Alvin speaks up.

"So..." He starts, "Where are we going?"

"To the mulberry tree." I answer.

"What!? Why?" He exclaims, "We aren't running out of food already, are we?"

"Oh don't worry, we have plenty of food." I reassure, "I mostly just wanted to get away from little miss brat's party."

"You really don't like Elisa-mae don't you?" he asks.

"We've never gotten along..."

"Why?"

"Some people just don't get along kid," I dismiss, "it's just a fact of life."

"Hmm..."

We were just about to get to the mulberry tree when we heard someone call out, "hey, would you look who it is?"

I look up a head, to see two giant skeletons. Stretch and Slim were standing by the tree. Alvin starts running towards them shouting, "Giant skeletons!"

Slim just looks amused, while Stretch chuckles at Alvin's antics, "hey, little al. the names stretch remember?"

"Oh right, I forgot." Alvin admits, "A lot of y'all look the same."

Stretch feigns being hurt, "ouch, that hurt my feelings."

Slim jabs him with his elbow, "knock it off you."

"What are you two doing here?" I ask as I get closer to them.

"been hanging around here for a while now," Slim answers then winks, "wondering if we would happen to catch sight of our favorite little people."

"Oh well, there really hasn't been any reason to come out here..." I explain, "You all helped gather so much food. It's gonna last us quite a while. Plus my leg..."

"speaking of your leg, how is it?" Stretch asks as he bends down to hold out his hand for us to get on, "you had to walk quite a ways to get here."

"Better!" I answer as Alvin and I climb on to his waiting palm, "Climbing trees is still out of the question, but walking seems to be fine."

Stretch smiles, "that's good to hear, honeybun."

"but if you're not here for food," Slim cocks his head to the side, "then why are you out here?"

"Oh," I look away nervously, "I just wanted to go for a walk. Got tired of being cooped up for over a week..."

But then Alvin decided to rat me out apparently, "[Y/N] told me she didn't want to be at Elisa-mae's party, cause they don't get along."

I punch him in the arm.

"Ow!"

"You did not have to mention that part." I say through clenched teeth.

"Why not!?" he asks while rubbing his soar arm.

But Stretch interjects asking, "a party? now why would you want to miss that?"

I fold my arms and huff, "Cause Elisa-mae is a brat, and I didn't want to have to watch her show off all day about how much better and prettier she is than everybody else, like she does every... single... year!"

Stretch looks me over for a sec before saying, "that's a lot of bottled up emotions inside that small body you got there..."

"Elisa-mae thinks just because she is the daughter of one of the Elders, that means she can get and do whatever she wants," I say angrily, "And I mean, she's not wrong! Cause her father let's her get and do whatever she wants!"