My Sisters Best Friend • Jonah Marais AU •

The Day In The Forest

Field trips had never been Jonah's thing.

All of the year 7 classes and all of the year 6 classes were forced to go on an excursion through the local forest environment together so that when the year 6's moved up into high school, they would have buddies that they had 'shared memories' with as the teachers put it.

Obviously Jonah picked Arla to pair up with because he didn't want anyone else stealing his friend. That and his sister was sick.

However even as a 12 year old, Arla knew that she shouldn't have listened to Jonah when he said that he 'knew a short cut'.

"No JoJo let's just stay in the groups please." Arla pleaded but Jonah gave her his best puppy dog eyes and she sighed, falling into the back of the group with Jonah.

It was maybe five minutes later when the whole of the two grades were walking under a large, red and brown canopy that Jonah grabbed a hold of Arla's thin arm and pulled her behind the trunk of a mossy tree. Arla's fast beating heart and Jonah's quick breaths were the only sounds heard for the next few minutes. That and the natural sounds of the almost dead forest.

"I think the coast is clear?" Jonah puffed out as he watched the last of the supervisors round the trails bend and disappear from view. The younger girl giggled, butterflies in her stomach again from the adrenaline of wagging an excursion.

At least, that's why Arla thought they were there.

The next fifteen minutes were fun for both children. Jonah would chase Arla around the forest, her black hair flying around her face as she zoomed through different trees and tracks. Laughs and little screams where heard leaving their mouths and neither had a care in the world.

Until Jonah noticed they'd past the same clearing of trees six times.

"Hey A." He ran up to her and grabbed her arm ceasing her movements. She smiled and stared at him, her eyes still filled with excitement. "I think..."

"You think what JoJo?" She asked and her once happy expression was now fearful and anxious as she stared into Jonah's green eyes.

"I think we've lost the tourist path." He whispered and she ripped her arms from his grip. Her anxiety immediately kicked in and she paced around in front him.

"No no no. We should be fine." She stomped up to him and pointed at him. "You said you knew where you were going!"

"I never said that!" He smirked. "I said I knew a short cut."

Arla groaned and her face felt hot. She gave a final glare to her friend before jogging off in any direction away from him.

"Arla? Arla!" Jonah called and ran after her but the crunching of dead leaves under his feet notified her and she picked up her pace.

In one second things got worse for her.

Arla turned to see if the boy was still behind her and didn't pay attention to the root sticking up from underground. Her black and white converse got stuck under the arch of the tough root and she tripped, letting out a little yelp as she faced forward again and collided with the ground.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Arla felt more embarrassed than ever and she quickly dusted herself off. Jonah had run over to her in 0.2 seconds and helped pick out dead leaves and twigs from her long silky, black hair. "Are you okay?-"

"I'm fine." She growled and stood up stomping over to a tree and making sure to sit on the side out of Jonah's view. He sighed and sat down also on the opposite side of the trunk.

"I'm sorry A. I-I just wanted to have some fun with you without Sarah and I screwed up. Again. I'm sorry." Arla cradled her ankle as she listened to Jonah talk and she immediately forgave him like she always does when the two of them get into trouble.

Jonah heard the girl sigh and held his breath, hopeful that she would forgive and wouldn't ignore him like that time when he accidentally ate her sandwich.

"It's okay Jonah." She poked at the dead leaves and looked down. "You know it's always going to be fine because I love you JoJo."

To Arla, those last four words seemed so normal to say to Jonah. Where as the brunette boy couldn't contain the toothy grin that spread across is face. He jumped up from his place and ran around the tree to Arla's side. He crouched down in front of her and picked up her hand from playing with the dirt. He interlocked their hands and smiled at her as of to say 'thank you'.

Jonah made his green eyes enrapture her brown ones and stood her up as well. "I promise to get us out of here okay!"

She nodded even though she was skeptical at first. However if there was anything she has learnt through the friendship with Jonah; it's to always trust him when he's helping you. Still holding hands, the children ran straight ahead into the open forest and kept running until Jonah halted causing Arla to smack into his back. She glared at him behind his back and rubbed her shoulder. He pulled his hand which brought Arla up next to him and pointed between two trees.

"What?!" Arla whisper yelled and Jonah shushed her pushing her head to look closer. Faintly, she could see the vibrant yellow colour of the school bus they all traveled in. The girl could also see children piling back on in a long line.

"There it is!" Arla yelled but Jonah turned and quickly covered her mouth and she placed her free hand on top of his as if it would shut her up even more.

"Be quiet. Stay low. Follow me." Jonah instructed and she nodded her head obediently. Walking around through a small bush Jonah noticed that all the teachers were outside the front of the bus so he let Arla's hand go and booked it to the back of the line.

"Jonah!" But the boy didn't come back for her. Instead he gave her an evil look and waved her over. She cursed at him mentally and took a quick last look around her surroundings before making a dash to Jonah.

Kids around them began to whisper as Jonah caught his little friend to slow her down, but a glare from the oldest boy in the grade made them hold their tongues and turn around. Jonah stopped scowling as soon as he faced Arla again and chuckled with her. For no reason she joined him and the two were still laughing as they were marked present and walked onto the bus.

They may not have been holding hands, but when Jonah looked out the window he curled his pinky around Arla's and she knew that they were okay now.

She knew that she was okay now.

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1178 Word Count