Thread: P-Please! I need this...

RE P-Please! I need this... Alan x Izzy Jarrod had always thought of himself as braver than average. In Antarctica, he'd accompanied the adult men through blizzards on dangerous duties, and had once braved a treacherous ravine simply to rescue an injured penguin. During a brief stint in Capetown, he'd stood up to the school bully, two years older than himself and twice his size, and when their classmates had pulled them apart it hadn't been Jarrod who was the most relieved. Yet he knew that there were people in the world who could give him lessons in courage. Soldiers, firefighters, policemen, explorers... What he hadn't expected was a lesson in courage from this slight, trembling girl! His heart went out to her in admiration. He could see what a trial each day must have been for her. Constantly humiliated and bullied by the other girls in every way imaginable, just because she was small and shy, and couldn't fight, and couldn't help crying easily. Yet instead of just giving up, here she was facing her problem, trying to deal with it. Facing the embarrassment of having to admit to someone who was almost a stranger that she needed help, couldn't cope. Fighting took one kind of bravery, he knew. This took another kind, but was just as hard. It occurred to him that he'd be proud to have a girl like this as his friend. Seeing that she had tilted her head, he cupped his fingers under her chin and gently pointed her face back up to his. There was still the residue of tears in her large eyes, and her cheeks were puffy from crying. She was shaking, whether in fear or emotion he couldn't tell. When he slipped his hand protectively under her coat and blazer he found her school blouse had come untucked, and looking down he saw that the previously tightly pulled up socks had now slipped down, making her look even more vulnerable. It's OK, beautiful one, he smiled. Every girl cries now and then, he touched her lips with his finger. Pushed a stray curl back up her forehead. Actions which, in the unspoken language of adolescents and adults everywhere says I am looking after you. You are mine. He straightened her school tie, and then, before he even realized he was doing it, pushed her crumpled school blouse back into the waist of her skirt. And then, without even being conscious of it, he moved his face forward, his eyes closing... And where that might have gone, who could tell. Save that at that very moment, he heard his voice called in a confident, female voice. So, what you doing out here then, Jar-Jar? laughed Charlotte, a girl with whom Jarrod was on excellent terms - yet whom, he knew, was one of the leaders in the Let's bully Ellie club. With her were Leigh and Piper, also good friends of his, yet who both had total contempt for Ellie. His mind raced. Should he describe Ellie as his girl - for, after all, nothing had been said? Would that make things even worse for her, for he knew Piper had been chasing him for ages. He decided that thinking had its limitations. Sometimes, just going with the flow worked better. He slipped his arm around Ellie, pulling her tiwards him possessively. If she chose to pull away, that was her choice. Getting some advice from my friend here, he grinned. Thanks, Ell. Yeah, what you said makes sense. I'll try that. He hoped she'd be quick enough to pick up on his deception, and why he was using it.