Escort

Link, Impa, and I sit in the last row of the stadium. Impa has her hand in a bag of chips and her boots on the seat in front of her while my finger traces the seams on Link's soccer ball and we both appreciate the view. The floodlights are turned off, the soccer field below is deserted and peaceful, and the sky is sprinkled with stars accompanied by a crescent-shaped moon.

"It's almost 9 PM," Impa has to remind me.

"I know," I sigh.

"Tomorrow is Friday!" She cheers.

"Finally," I say, then look to my left where Link is sitting in silence, looking over his game tactics for Saturday's game.

He hasn't said a word in a good amount of time and I'm starting to get worried again. When I look at him for long enough, his eyes leave the scribbled notes and meet mine along with a faint smile, taking my worries away. He's just concentrating. I have to stop being so anxious.

"Do you get nervous before a game?" I ask him.

"Mh... Not really. Only if the opponents are better."

"Who is the strongest team you've played against? I mean here in the US."

"The Boars," he says in a serious tone, his voice bitter.

"You're playing against them at the end of the season, right?" He nods. "Do you think Ganon will be back by then?" I ask carefully.

His eyes narrow slightly, letting his anger slip through. I shouldn't have asked about Ganon. It's clear by his reaction and the bits of history he's told me that Ganon and Lorule Academy are very sensitive topics. I would still like to know what happened at the pier after I left that day, but I don't want to push him.

"Hate to bust the party, but your dad will have you shipped to a finishing school if you're not home in an hour," Impa says and gets up from her seat.

Usually she would try to get me to stay until the very last minute but today she can't wait for me to go home.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" I say half-jokingly.

"By all means, stay all night," she shrugs and gives me a smug smile.

I blush and pick up my bag before getting up.

"Are you going to practice more?" I ask Link when he gets up as well. He nods.

Impa is standing impatiently by the steps with one hand on her hip and a scolding look aimed at me.

"Go on, I'll be out in a second," I tell her. She leaves without a word.

"How are your ribs? Any better?" I ask Link.

"Better than ever," he smiles, but when I poke him, he still flinches.

"I worry about you," I admit and feel my cheeks flush.

"It's sweet."

A moment of silence passes between us and I shift uncomfortably on my heels.

"So," I say, unsure what to do now. How do you say goodbye to someone you've only known for a week but you've already kissed? What am I doing?

I realize I still have his ball, so I stretch out my stiff arms in front of me like an awkward mannequin. He doesn't take it.

"Keep it," he says.

"It's your ball," I argue confused.

"I know. But you said you'd give it back when we're done here. And we're not done," he smiles and tugs one of the loose strands of hair behind my ear. Oh.

"So what do we do now?" I ask when his thumb brushes over my cheek.

"We kiss," he says and does just that.

I welcome his lips with a smile. It's still such a foreign feeling. The taste of his lips cannot be compared to any other feeling. It is irreplaceable. As much as I enjoy his lips on mine, I push him away gently and he frowns.

"That's not what I meant," I say. "I meant what do we do now? From this day forward. You and I."

How else can I put this without using the words girlfriend and boyfriend? We aren't dating now, are we? There has to be a verbal confirmation first. Can we really do this after a week of knowing each other? It feels so much longer. If rebirth exists, I am certain he and I were close in another life.

Link doesn't reply. He kisses me slowly, too slowly. This isn't an act of patience or caution, no, he is teasing me with his soft touch. Tease me all you want, you can't distract me from my question. What are we? What is this? What do we do now? How will I act around him when I see him again tomorrow? Can we even spend more time together or is this the moment I come to realize that this is set up for failure?

His lips disconnect from mine but only for a second. I lean in, eager to feel more pressure upon my lips. I can't help my smile and make myself taller to get even closer to him. He draws back and chuckles.

"I can't kiss you if you're smiling," he scolds me, making me smile all the more. I love his short, rare laugh so much and I'm beyond happy right now. Far beyond. There's no way that I can just stop smiling.

"Sorry," I whisper and plant a kiss on his cheek as my goodbye. "Don't overwork yourself," I order.

"Says Miss Overachiever," he counters.

I stick my tongue out and he mimics me with his nose scrunched. He's too adorable. I'd like to stay here with him, this playful, silly version of him, but I do have to get home.

I head toward the exit while Link makes his way down to the dark soccer field, the stars being his only audience. I take a last look at him before I have to leave. He's so dedicated and keen. His commitment to the training necessary to fulfill his goals is quite admirable. I can see now why he would be the one chosen to lead Hyrule to victory.

I never considered sports important or be something worth striving for. I thought it was a waste of time and a foolish way to destroy your own body. But today I caught myself cheering for a team I know hardly anything about. All they did was chase a ball, and yet I was at the edge of my seat and held my breath to contain the thrill. The only times I felt like that was when reading a well-written novel. I was disappointed when Link missed the goal, but when he scored soon after, all that disappointment dissolved and was replaced by excitement and glee.

If a sport can bring happiness to people, then perhaps it's not so bad after all. It's like an orchestra or a Broadway play; a group of devoted men and women perform to entertain and touch the audience with the slight difference that athletes sacrifice their health for it. An author would never work out until their muscles threaten to tear, just to write a good scene, or throw themselves against another person with the risk of breaking their bones, only to make a chapter more captivating. Maybe it's reckless to entertain people at the cost of your own physical health, but isn't that the point? In a strange and frankly reckless but very genuine way, athletes are heroes.

When I step out of the stadium, the parking lot is empty and Impa is nowhere to be seen. Did she just leave? I came out only minutes after her. The night has fully arrived now and the campus is quiet. Too quiet for my comfort. I feel like I'm being watched and imagine all the worst scenarios for why Impa isn't here. She wouldn't just leave... Was she kidnapped? I look over at the baseball field and feel the hair on my neck standing like needles. That is not possible. Impa knows martial arts, she's untouchable. I don't have to worry about her. I on the other hand... Now I have to make it all the way to my car, all by myself...

I only take one step away from the building when I hear my name being called, though it's not Impa, it's Link. I turn around, and there he stands at the exit of the stadium, taking a look around the empty parking lot, then he walks up to me.

"I will escort you," he insists and I don't decline.

I know we may be seen, but I am not going to walk past the baseball field all by myself tonight. Not going to happen. We walk in silence until I pull my phone up and dial Impa's number. It rings a couple of times but she finally picks up, cooling my nerves.

"What's up?" she says, barely audibly through the white noise in the background.

"Impa? Where are you?" I put her on speaker.

"My car," her voice sounds muffled.

"Why didn't you say goodbye?"

"Uh... Sorry, I thought you were gonna be a while," she says and coughs to drown out a sniffle.

I look at Link to confirm my suspicion, but he shrugs. Is she... There's no way.

"I said I was going to be right out," I defend myself.

"Yeah, sorry, gotta go," she rushes the words in a broken voice and hangs up.

I have a bad feeling about this, but I'm relieved that she's safe. While we're walking past the baseball field, I text Impa. I can't shake the feeling that she was upset, but I know that she'd tell me if she were. This uncertainty, this drama... Not again. I won't let this escalate as it did with Link. This time I will take care of it immediately.

*Are you okay?* I send.

"Zelda," Link says quietly, his head turned toward the baseball field.

"Yes?"

"If anyone tries to hurt you... You'll tell me."

I'm not sure if he's asking or telling me, but I nod and take his hand into mine. He pulls away and I curse to myself mentally. I wasn't thinking when I took his hand! We can't do that, not in the open like this. Not even at night.

"I'm sorry!" I cry in a whisper.

Just another reminder that this will come back to haunt us. I probably upset him. He must be thinking the same thing as me; this is irrational and risky.

"Now we're even," Link smiles a little. I think back at English class this morning and mirror his subtle expression of happiness.

I was worried for nothing again. I keep getting it wrong. I thought he was so complicated, but he really isn't. He is undemanding, intelligible, sincere, and very self-controlled. He didn't lose his temper, not when I yelled at him nor when I hurt his feelings. I don't believe that he is simply submissive or non-resistant as I have assumed in the past. From what I've seen I think it takes a lot of strength and discipline to be this compliant. He is always calm, even when those baseball players provoked him, he tried to be mature and let it go, and he would have if it weren't for that guy's threat.

To Link, it may seem like a favor he's doing me when he's so accepting of everything, but in reality, it makes it much harder for me to read him. I've wanted him to fight back, even if it would have proven me wrong or upset me, at least I would have known how he feels. How am I supposed to make him happy or avoid the things that cause him stress when he won't tell me when those things happen?

(Hey guys, I've been wondering what your favorite scene of the book was so far. Leave a comment and I'll choose one scene and illustrate it! Love you all!! -Ace)