Huck turned to him, and Tom tried to contain his breaths into swallows of air and suffocation.
"Hey, Tom." Huck said. Tom couldn't even look at him. His lungs were already acidic. He couldn't take the lurches in his stomach at seeing Huck's eyes. His face.
"What are you doing here?" Tom asked. He didn't mean it to sound harsh. But it did, between his breaths. And Tom finally looked up and ran his hands through his hair. He took off his schoolbag and set it down on the rough ground.
"Y'should be at school, Tom." Huck said.
"You know, you didn't used to care about that sort of thing." Tom said. He let his hands fall. Even hearing Huck's voice just made him feel hot, buzzy. Made Tom want to look at him.
"When was that?" Huck asked. The morning air was thick. The sun grew to fit a lighter blue into the air.
"Before your trip." Tom said. Huck took a step towards him, and Tom took a step back.
"Why're you avoiding everyone?" Huck asked. Tom shook his head.
"I've been sick."
"...Then what are ya' doing, running around out here? You're not sick, Tom. You're avoiding us." Huck said.
"Just... Just go to school, Huck. I'm not doing this." Tom said. He looked at Huck with a steeled look, and Huck just looked right on back. A second, and a moment, and... Tom would break apart if Huck looked any longer. He couldn't take the radiance in his eyes. Being so far away from him for this time...
Huck glanced away. Wrung his hands together.
"Why not?" Huck asked quietly. "You know," Huck took another step closer, and Tom took one back again. Huck nodded, and Tom thought he could see anger or something in his eyes. "I... I came back to town for you. Forâfor all of you. And all I'm seein' now is you staying away from all of us. Why?"
"Because, Huck... I..." Tom came for refuge. If he wanted confrontation, he would've gone to school.
"Tom, I ain't ever gonna stop caring for you." Huck said. It made Tom's blood cold. "No matter if you're with Becky or whoever. No matter if you got good health or not. So it's makin' me real worried, seeing you all beat up like this, and then not seeing you at all."
"I needed a break." Tom felt bewildered. He couldn't go anyplace to be free of whatever he was feeling. He couldn't get rid of it.
"From what, Tom?" Huck took another step, and Tom didn't move. He couldn't say anything.
"Huck, I... I can't tell you. I can't tell any of you." Tom said. Huck rubbed his hands together, and a sort of hurt flashed in his eyes.
"Well, why not?" Huck asked. Took another step through the forest.
"Because, I..." Tom exhaled, frustrated. He turned away from Huck, pulling his hands through his hair again, Huck took more steps towards him. "I just can't. I just... Becky won't marry me until I'm alright, and I won't be alright until she marries me, and..." Tom sighed again and again, and his breaths were compounded and thick and anxious.
"Well if there's a problem, Tom, I don't think marryin' will end it." Huck said.
"Yes, it will." Tom said. "I won't have room for a problem if it's over with." Tom said. He turned back and Huck was just a few paces in front of him. Tom felt so clutteredâhis breaths and his stomach and his heart were just so mixed up and sad. He hardly felt anything but sad, anymore.
Huck sighed.
"Tom, I," he rubbed his hands together one last time, "I think you gotta know what happened on my trip." Huck's voice was soft and tense, and he was looking down now, towards the forest ground.
Tom finally took a step towards him, and Huck looked up. And then Tom could see hurt in his eyes, clearly. He decided to stay, to listen.
"So," Huck sat down, and patted the dirt next to him. Tom stared for a moment or two, but went and sat down where he was. He couldn't... He couldn't be so close. But he couldn't move; Tom sat and hardly breathed, feeling the warmth of Huck's shoulder next to his.
Huck watched him and that look stayed in his eyes. "So, I started off runnin' from..." He sighed harshly, "from my father and everything that reminded me of him. Back when things were getting real bad." Huck said.
The rising sun came and showed the shine in Huck's eyes. "And that runnin' never really stopped, Tom." Huck said. Why was he telling him this? Tom already had lots to think about.
Tom could feel the twigs pressing into him. He could notice that ache and that swirl in his heart. Tom leaned back on his hands, feeling a slight stab from the leaves, and watched Huck.
"So I kept going. Went all the way down to Georgia." Huck said. Tom looked in his eyes and couldn't look away from the view. There was hurt, there was some sort of happiness, and there was everything that Tom had felt. "And I found a person I really liked."
"That girl?" Tom asked.
"Well..." Huck tilted his head back and forth, and a bitter, sad smile came to him. Tom furrowed his eyebrows. Tom could hear birds, now. He could hear the school bell ringing. "So, I met..." Huck looked at Tom nervously. Tom looked back, almost confused, waiting. "Tom, I's tellin' you this story so you don't go through it too. Alright?" Huck asked.
"I don't see how, but..." Tom said, nodding.
"'Cause I can see you wanna run from your situation, still. Don't you?" Huck asked, and Tom closed his eyes for a moment.
"I... How would you know?" Tom asked.
"CauseâTom, it's in my story. And I can see it in you, Tom. You don't seem ready to marry, but... Tom, I don't think you're ever gonna be ready." Huck said. He waited for a response. Tom's heart just kept beating strangely, giving away everything.
"Just finish your story, Huck." Tom said, shaking his head.