Middle School Heroes

Chapter 44 - Bold Moves and Inappropriate Responses

The next day was such a beautiful early spring day that Skye decided to go outside after breakfast and enjoy the weather for a bit before she grabbed her laptop and got to work on homework or competition practice.

She walked out to one of the benches near where a bunch of guys were playing volleyball, and sat down to watch. She was grateful that no one followed her out or left the game to come sit with her. She was finally feeling like things were getting back to normal. People had stopped talking about what happened for the most part and she had even made it through the wooded path running on her own a couple of mornings ago when Sam couldn't run that day. She was proud of herself and felt well on her way to getting over that particular fear.

Darkness was another matter. She couldn't bring herself to go out there alone at night. While it wasn't really necessary, especially since the days were getting longer, she knew she couldn't spend the next five years afraid of the woods at night. She figured that would have to be her next project, but for now, she was happy to sit and enjoy the sunlight.

She was vaguely watching the game in front of her when the door opened and Clint came storming out with Natasha hot on his heels. He glanced over briefly to where Skye was sitting, before taking off down the path on the other side of the volleyball court, toward the woods.

Skye couldn't imagine what was going on, but the look he gave her before he went in the opposite direction, worried her. She was pretty sure that Natasha hadn't told him about the conversation that they had with Felicity, because Clint hadn't been acting quite as awkward or oddly around her at all this time, with all the dance craziness.

Felicity hadn't helped yesterday when she purposely brought up the subject of the dance a few times at archery. Clint's uncomfortable avoidance of the subject surely must have convinced Felicity that she was wrong about him liking Skye. If that didn't convince her, seeing his complete disinterest in the whole Ward thing last night, or the fact that he didn't sit next to her for the show like he normally did, surely must have done the trick.

She was still watching the tree line a little while later when she saw Natasha come out of the path, dragging Clint by the arm behind her. Skye couldn't make out what they were saying to each other, but Natasha had a look of determination on her face, while Skye thought that Clint looked worried. She hauled him past the volleyball game and right up to where Skye was sitting, stopping directly in front of her. She kept a tight hold on his wrist, while he just stared at the ground.

"Ummm......Hi?" Skye said, looking between the two of them cautiously.

Natasha sighed dramatically. "Skye? I'd like you to meet my best friend, Clint Barton. He's a complete idiot who would really like to ask you to the spring dance, but he has an irrational fear of rejection, and is terrified that you'll say no."

Skye's eyes widened as she saw Clint glance up briefly at her, his face bright red, before jerking his head back down to stare at the ground again. A second later, Natasha reached down and grabbed her wrist, pulling her off the bench to stand at her other side.

"Clint? This is my friend, Skye. She really wants to go to the dance with you, but because of her insecurities, she doesn't believe that you'd have any interest in going with her."

Skye didn't even have time to react because Natasha was now dragging both of them past the volleyball game, which had completely stopped to watch what was going on, and back toward the woods. She stopped long enough to place Skye's hand into Clint's before pushing them both along the wooded path.

"Now, why don't you two go and talk," she said, before turning on her heels and walking away from them.

Skye could hear clapping and shouting coming from the volleyball participants. She heard Peter Quill's voice yelling, "Great idea, Nat. Wish I'd thought of it myself!"