MCSM: The Forest Temple

Part 14 (Lukas)

The two competitors lowered their hands to the ground, ready to sprint. "One. Two." They chanted together, "Three!" They sprinted down the obstacle course. They leapt over a hole in the ground onto the other side and rolled under a stone wall, moments before it shut. Jesse jumped up onto the rock wall and began to climb upward while Lukas pulled himself up a rope. Two cave spiders crossed their paths. 

Jesse drew her sword, stabbed it, flung it off the wall and continued upward. Meanwhile, the second cave spider attempted to jump on Lukas. He gripped the rope between his legs and flipped upside down. The spider missed him by inches and glared at him as it feel straight past him to the ground. Lukas grinned and propelled his body upward again, continuing up the rope. Right as he got to the top, Jesse dove into the pool of water down below. Lukas slipped the goggles from his forehead over his eyes and dove after her. Lukas wasn't as fast a swimmer as Jesse was, but seeing where he was going helped him almost stay caught up with her. She got out of the water a few seconds before Lukas and he sprinted after her. She might have been a swimmer, but Lukas Jumped hurtles. He shot a skeleton in his path as he ran with a bow and arrow and continued. 

Jesse grumbled as Lukas passed her, and she jumped on a cave spider in her path as if she was a kid jumping on a crackable leaf, then sprinted. Two ropes sat side by side over a large hole. Jesse watched Lukas leap into the air and grab the rope, swinging to the other side, and she did the same. They released from the ropes landing on the other side. Lukas was still ahead, so Jesse devised a plan.

"Ouch!" She dropped to the ground and gripped her right ankle. Lukas heard her screech and turned around. She winced as he neared. "What happened?" He asked, worry clouding his gaze. 

"I think the potion wore off." She sighed. He knelt beside her and leaned forward to inspect her foot. She laughed and pushed him causing him to land on his back, "Gotcha!" She teased and ran away. 

"No fair!" Lukas protested, smiling. He sprinted after her. It was near the end of the race, "Two can play at this game." He said. Jesse shot him a confused glance to see him pull an ender pearl out of his pocket, throw it at the finish line, and wave. He disappeared from sight.

"Cheater!" She yelled to him when she saw him tapping his foot at the finish line as if he'd been waiting there for a while. She tackled him and they went rolling. She sat on top of him arms crossed, "I won and you know it." He smirked and pushed her over reversing what she'd done, "Nope, I was ahead before you cheated first." Jesse lay on her back and sighed, "Fine." She extended her hand, "Tie," He rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say." He shook her hand to agree to a tie and then stood up, pulling her up with him in the process. 

"That was fun!" Jesse grabbed her hair and started to wring the water out of it. "Yeah, it was," Lukas agreed, "You're getting closer and closer to beating me everyday." Jesse laughed and then bit her lip, "About earlier when we..." She cleared her throat, "Kissed. I'm sorry about that, I was just really excited to see you. It surprised me as much as it did you."

Lukas itched his neck, "You're fine. By saying that do you mean it was an accident, and you didn't really want that to be normal or..." Please say you do, please say you do!

"Not exactly. Sorry I made that super awkward. We're great friends. I didn't mean to push that on you like that." Jesse forced the words out of her mouth, but she didn't want to. She wanted what happened earlier to be a more normal thing, but she didn't want to pressure him.

Lukas' heart sunk, Ouch. Friend-zoned. Maybe I should just tell her how I really feel. Maybe not. If she said that then she probably isn't ready for anything like that. Instead, he just said, "Okay, well I'm in desperate need of a shower. I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Jesse sighed, "See you." Lukas walked up the stairs and she sighed and sat down on the ground. She face-palmed, Ugh. I don't know anymore. I want to be with him, but I just don't know if he wants the same thing. I had to cover up somehow. I couldn't help but notice that his shoulders slumped when I told him we were just friends. I really wish I just had the confidence to tell him how I really feel, but I guess that letter to Lukas will explain it all.