The First Lost Girl

Chapter Sixteen: I Can Handle It

Rufio's P.O.V.
I sat back and tied up my hair before continuing with the laundry. I never minded doing laundry, so I suppose it was only fair that I was given this chore for the week. I've been here for six days now and I've kept myself busy with laundry, cooking, dishes, and training. Felix was trying his hardest to help me learn to fight this week, but Pan says I'm a lost cause since I'm going back tomorrow. He had watched me train with Felix yesterday, tisking the whole time. The other boys were trying to help too. Thomas had taught me how to shoot with a bow and arrow. Patch had taught me how to throw knives correctly. Curly taught me some of his "special moves" that he uses during fighting. I had no idea you could get so close to someone during a fight. Felix had dragged me away from that one even though I was in the middle of a lesson. Curly had blamed him for being jealous, but I'm not sure why he would be jealous of training. It's hard work, and not exactly fun.
I blew a strand of fallen hair away from my face and wiped the back of my hand against my forehead. It was warmer on this island than I was used to and my dress wasn't exactly helping, but I never complained about the weather, it would just prove that "girls are annoying", or so Pan says.
I stood up and bent over to pick up the basket of wet clothes so I could go hang them up. The forest floor felt fresh and comfortable under my bare feet. Felix had insisted that I wear shoes around the jungle but believe it or not, I've never worn shoes before. And I never want to. They seem so restraining. I liked for my feet to be able to breath and I liked to feel the earth between my toes. I've been barefooted for so long that my feet were calloused over and if I stepped on a sharp stone I'd barely feel it. So I told Felix I was perfectly fine without shoes.
I placed the basket of clothes on the ground and began to pin each item up on the clothes line. The camp was lively with lost boys coming in and out of the jungle. Some of them were playing a game of throwing knives. I smiled. This place had already grown on me, and so did the boys, even Pan. I saw Devin come into the clearing out of the corner of my eye and watched as he dropped off two squirrels then left again. He always seemed to avoid being at camp ever since...
I bit my lip and erased the memory from my mind. I was trying my best to forget. I hadn't completely forgiven him yet. It was hard to forgive someone for doing something like that. I focused on anything but that memory. The big green tree leaves that covered the camp clearing. The tents made of animal skins, the small wooden table that the boys sometimes ate at. The jungle floor, made up of fresh smelling dirt, some twigs, and other sorts of things. Home is what I wanted to call this place. But I couldn't. Not yet. Not until Pan approved of me. Not until tomorrow, at sundown.

Felix's P.O.V.
I walked into camp carrying my dinner, a plump rabbit. There wasn't really any need to hunt anymore. Devin seemed to be bringing in enough food for the entire camp to feast at dinner. He was always away from camp now. Always avoiding Rufio. Good.
I looked up to see the girl pinning up damp clothes on the clothes line. The hem of her brown dress swished above her ankles. She had refused to put on shoes and at that I just laughed. She truly had the character of a lost boy.
I tied my rabbit up on a tree branch by its feet and let it dangle there until later when we started dinner.
I walked over to Rufio.
"Need help?" I asked nonchalantly.
She looked over at me and smiled.
"I can handle it. Thank you."
She bent down and picked up a shirt and started pinning it up.
"Alright then."
I walked away and over to the rabbit. I couldn't think of anything else to do except start skinning it. So I got to work.
Tomorrow was the end of the week. It was when Pan would decide whether or not to allow Rufio to stay. I looked up at the girl and so desperately hoped he would.