That's Why They Call it the Unexpected

You Smell Good (Tyler's P.O.V.)

*Tyler’s POV*

               I was standing outside of the old lodge waiting for E- uh… I mean Derek, when I saw El walk out and slam the door behind her. Then she started running. Furious, I walked into the room El had just left. I saw Derek sitting there like a gaping like a fish out of water.

               “Derek. What the hell did you do to her?” I asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep my anger out of my voice. He stood there looking shocked for a couple more seconds before I lost it. “What. Did. You. Do?”

               “She punched me… she actually punched me,” he said, totally flabbergasted.

               ‘Ha. Serves him right,’ I thought to myself. ‘Bad Tyler, you’re not supposed to be thinking like that. He’s your best and only friend.’

               Two seconds later I was running out the door with Derek yelling after me, “Where are you going!”

               I yelled back over my shoulder, “To find El.” Okay, I know she was running down this road, so she must be somewhere along here. AHA! I just barely spotted her running in glimpses through the trees. Wow. She’s a really fast runner. I wonder if she’s in the cross country running club at her school. “EL,” I yelled to her at the top of my lungs so that she could hear me. “SLOW DOWN!”

               Surprisingly, she listened to me, but she only slowed down to a jog. With her at that pace I easily caught up to her. I saw tears running down her cheeks and my heart went out to her. I knew to wait until she started talking, so we jogged in silence until she eventually slowed down to a walk.

               “Thanks,” she whispered, so quietly I could barely hear her.

               “It’s no problem. We better follow the trail back, though, before we get lost.” She obviously tried to smile at my lame attempt to cheer her up, but she couldn’t do it. El nodded her head and we turned back the way we came. At the edge of the tree line I stopped her.

               “What did he do to you El?” I asked gently.

               “I can’t talk about it. I’m sorry.” She said it with so much sadness in her voice that I didn’t think twice before hugging her.

               I held her tightly and whispered directly into her ear, “And I’m sorry for whatever he did to you, even if you can’t tell me.”

               We stayed like that for a couple seconds before she pulled away. Damn, I already missed her warmth. Plus, she smelled really good. ‘Bad, Tyler! You shouldn’t be thinking that way about someone you just met not even two hours ago!’ I thought to myself. I mentally smacked my forehead. “I’m sorry if that was totally inappropriate right there. Considering we’re pretty much strangers.”

               “No, no. I needed that. Thank you.”

               “My pleasure. Shall we?” I asked as I gestured toward the camp with my hand. She took a deep breath then nodded.

               As soon as we were close enough for people to see us, we went our separate ways. We didn’t want any rumours spreading on the first day. As she walked away in the opposite direction, I looked over my shoulder and smiled softly. Then I crashed into a tree and fell on my ass because I wasn’t watching where I was going. ‘Smooth, Tyler. Smooth.’ But then I heard El giggle. Hitting that tree – it was worth it just to hear her laugh.