How It Continued

Is it?

Uma was pacing her room. She didn't know where to start. Where to start thinking about what to do next.

She could grab Desiree and talk to her about what she has to deal with but she was currently unavailable due to her being in class.

Uma never felt so undecided. She honestly didn't know what to do. She liked power, being in control, not having to compromise. But she knew that that was what a relationship was about. Compromise, sharing the power and the control. Running big decisions by each other before making the decision. This may sound selfish but it was how she was raised. The Isle was all about saving yourself not anyone else. This was a decision that would change everything for her.

She exhaled and then paused when she remembered something Harry said. Uma turned to her door and opened it. She looked to the left and saw Nathan standing there.

"Nathan," Uma said trying to get his attention.

Nathan turned his head and looked down and her with a smile and said, "So you DO know my name."

Uma rolled her eyes, ignoring his statement by saying, "Can you do me a favor?"

He raised his eyebrow and said, "Depends the favor."

"I need you to switch places with Manny for a bit because I need to discuss somethings with him."

"What did you want to discuss with him?"

"Must you know?" she asked.

"For me to do this favor, yes."

Uma groaned impatiently but gave in, "Harry said he wasn't okay when I was away, but he doesn't want to tell me what happened."

"Oh," Nathan said, "Sure." He got ready to leave when he remembered something, he wasn't supposed to leave Uma's side. "So there's a problem, you aren't supposed to be left alone."

"I promise I won't leave my room," Uma said and she meant it. She really wanted to know what happened to Harry.

He narrowed his eyes, "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I've been here for almost a year, I have no ulterior motive to be left here. I want information about someone I care about and that will keep me here more than anything else."

He scanned her features. He could tell she was telling the truth. He looked out the hallway and saw no one then he looked back at her, "Okay, stay in here and close the door. Don't leave," he demanded.

"Okay." She stepped back inside her door and closed it. She heard him run away so she began to pace again.

Could she do a relationship? Could she go that step further with Harry? Could she risk their friendship?

She couldn't remember life without Harry. If this went haywire she knew she it would be hard or impossible to be able to go back to normal.

Uma heard a knock on the door and shouted, "Come in!" She turned towards the door.

"You summoned me?" Manny asked as he leaned against the door frame.

"What happened to Harry when I was away?"

"Uhhh," he hesitated, "That's not my story to tell."

"Please Manny?" Uma begged. Something she never does. "Harry doesn't want to tell me himself."

"Maybe there's good reason." He stated.

"But I got to know. Harry may seem fine but I know a facade when I see one. I know Harry better than anyone and I can tell he's still not alright."

He continued to hesitate, so Uma went on, "Can't you see it Manny? You could tell from our last conversation. He avoided talking about it. He put all the attention on me. He wanted a quick answer from me because he didn't have answers for something else. He focuses hard on what he can get when there are things he can't get. It's his coping mechanism."

Manny nodded slowly and he began to understand. "Hmmm," was all he said.

Uma said, "I need to know to get him out of his funk."

"Are you sure you aren't going to use this as a way not to give him an answer?"

"No, I said I needed a day and I'm always true to my word," Uma said. Even though, for once, she really didn't want to.

He looked at her and sighed. "You can't tell him I told you. We just got in a better place and I don't want this to ruin it."

"Deal," Uma said. When was the last time she made a "deal?" she asked herself.

"Okay so," Manny began and explained all that happened while she was away and the more she was told the sadder she became.

"He broke his hook?" She whispered. How couldn't she have noticed. "I should've known that things would've gone downhill. I should've known," Uma put her head in her hands as she sat on her bed.

"You couldn't have. You were also dealing with a lot. You did what you thought was right at that moment. What happened was not your fault." At Uma's silence, Manny went on to say, "Harry understands why you left, so don't beat yourself up about it."

She sighed. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem. I should probably get back to Harry. Stay here," and with that he closed the door behind him and left.

"Harry...." she mumbled to herself, "why must your heart be so big? Why must you be so caring? So sweet. So loyal." She got up from her bed and began pacing again.

"'That boy loves you to bits, Uma,'" Jake's voice echoed in her head.

"Is that enough?" She sighed. Is it? she asked herself.

"That's it. That's it!" She shouted. As she walked to her door, opened it with a bang and stormed out.

"Uma?" Nathan asked after he caught up with her.

"I can't take this anymore!" Uma shouted. "I just can't!" She walked faster to the place she knew Harry would be at this time. His dorm.

"So what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"To Harry because only Harry can solve this."

******************************************************************************************************************

At a knock on his door, Harry got up from bed and opened it. Before he could react to who was at the door, he was shoved back into the room. He looked at the teal braids in front of him and got even more confused.

"I thought you needed a day?" he asked.

"I thought I did to, but stewing in my own brain is not helping me," she said.

"We did make a deal we wouldn't ask for "time," he crossed his arms.

"I didn't ask for time. I needed to breathe after a trip," Uma defended herself. But she knew that she broke the deal.

"So what's going on, Uma?" he asked.

"Why? Why do you want to be with me?"

Thanks for reading!!

-TheOnly