Chapter Five

When class ended, Ernest snuck out of class as quickly as possible to make it out of the school.

"Mr. Rivers, where do you think you're going? You have detention." Mrs. Baxby said.

"Mrs. Baxby- dear God.." Ernest said with a dropped jaw as his best friend was running down the hall screaming in his underwear.

He asked for a distraction to get out of detention, but he wasn't expecting this.

While Mrs. Baxby was distracted, Ernest made haste and rushed to Deadmans bridge.

Ernest felt his world spin each step he took. The air seemed thicker than honey and his legs were wobbly before he started running. He was admittedly nervous and had no idea how to get rid of the feeling.

But what was he so nervous for?

When he made it to Deadmans Bridge, Ariel was nowhere in sight.

Was she just late? Not showing up? Why wouldn't she? Ernest thought they were getting along so well. Ernest let out a sigh as his anxiety started to peak.

Maybe I should have just stayed in detention.

He thought, but before he could have walked away, he heard cooing from underneath the bridge. Ernest carefully looked over and saw Ariel in her pastel pink dress and pink bow playing with the cutest puppy.

"Ariel, hey!" Ernest yelled. Ariel looked up with the biggest smile on her face.

She reminded Ernest of sunlight on a cool winter morning, and the beginning of spring.

"Oh, hi Ernest! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Ernest shook his head as Ariel made her way back up to the bridge; she had a small brown dog wrapped up in her arms. wagging its tail with it's tiny pink tongue sticking out.

"Hey, who's this cute little guy?" Ernest asked. The dog got very excited and jumped from Ariel to Ernest. Ernest caught the dog and let out a chuckle. "Woah there, be careful. Don't want to fall over the bridge." Ernest said while the small dog licked his face. "He has so much energy. Is he yours?" Ariel shook her head.

"I was near the junkyard and I guess he followed me from there and his name is Kippy. I would like to try to find his home, but I don't know where to start." Ariel said. "I don't want to take the little guy to the pound. That'd just be plain mean and leaving him alone would be bad too. He almost fell into the water. He's too little." Ariel said, sounding a little upset at the thought that Kippy could have gotten hurt.

"Aw, well I'm sure we can find his owners. Let's start near the junkyard. That's where you found him, right?" Ariel nodded. "Well, let's go." Ernest said. They started to walk to the junkyard.

"How was school for you today Ernest? I'd like to assume.." Ariel looked at his finger and how his cheek was a little swollen. "Interesting." She said, making Ernest chuckle.

"I bit my tongue pretty hard in history today and cut my finger with a scalpel in biology." Ernest explained.

"My goodness.. Ernest, please be more careful. You could have cut your finger off, or your tongue for that matter." She added, making Ernest snort.

"I'll be fine. Nothing can compare to what I felt yesterday." Ernest said. "What about you? How was your day off?"

"Heavenly. It feels so good to sleep in and not think about school for a bit. It's unfortunate I have to go back tomorrow."

"I thought you liked school." Ernest said. Ariel shook her head and Ernest watched her dark brown curls slightly bounce around.

"No. Just because I'm smart, doesn't mean I like school. It's actually very frustrating, having to get up so early."

"True, plus the homework.."

"I never have homework. I finish it all before I get home. I prefer to do nothing pertaining to school." Ernest was astonished by this. Most people he knew didn't finish their homework until the minute it was due.

"You're so motivated, Ariel. That's amazing." Ernest said.

"Thank you. I truly do try." Ariel said. "Well, here we are, at the junkyard."

"Oh my God, Kippy!" A girl yelled as she ran over to us. Kippy got excited once again and jumped into his owner's arms. "I missed you boy!" She said as she ruffled his fur. "Thank you so much for finding my dog, sir." She said, making Ernest shake his head.

"I didn’t. She found him actually. He followed her to Deadmans Bridge and almost fell in the water." Ernest explained. The girls blue eyes stared at Ariel.

"Oh.. Well, thank you for saving him." She said with a smile, making Ariel smile back.

"It's no trouble at all. You and Kippy take care now." The girl nodded and ran off with Kippy.

"That was really nice of you, Ariel." Ernest said.

"Like I said, it was no trouble at all. It was just the right thing to do." She said with a wide smile.

Ariel was the human version of the beginning of spring and that happened to be Ernest's favorite season.

"Come on, let's go into the junkyard." Ariel suggested.

"But it's locked." Ernest said, looking very confused.

"There's a hole on the other side we can get into. Wanna join me?" Ariel asked. Ernest smiled and nodded; Ariel grabbed his hand and led him to the other side. As much as Ernest hated to admit it, holding Ariel's hand made him somewhat nervous. He never realized how small her hands were compared to his and they felt so soft too. He wondered how she got her hands to be that soft and how despite the major size difference, his hand practically fit perfectly with hers.

"Here we are." Ariel said. "The junkyard."

"Was that hole always there?" Ernest asked. He's walked past her plenty of times and has never seen this hole.

"No, I made it today, so I can sneak in and out of it." Ernest was caught off guard by Ariel's confession. He never thought she'd be the type to break in and enter.

"Was I mistaken? Is Ariel a bad girl?" Ariel gave him a large smile before shaking her head.

"Not at all, more stubborn and curious if anything. Come on." They went through the hole and into the junkyard. "I love this place." Ariel said.

"Why? It's all old broken stuff." Ernest said looking at destroyed cars and broken glass.

"Not true. I found a lava lamp in here yesterday and it works just fine. It's a pretty blue and I turn it on every night before I sleep." Ariel admitted. "I may not have found it the best place, but it's location does not dictate its worth." Ariel said.

"I never thought about it like that.. What are we looking for?" Ernest asked.

"Whatever you're interested in, like.. Oh, look at that lamp." Ariel picked it up and took out a napkin to clean it off. "With a little paint and a cute lamp shade, this lamp could be good as new."

"Does it even work?" Ernest asked.

"I'm sure it does. That lava lamp worked, so maybe this will work too." Ariel said while putting into her old bag.

"Why would someone throw away something that works?" Ernest askes feeling confused.

"I don't know. Why did someone throw away a lava lamp despite it working just fine? People are strange throwing away well working things." Ariel said. "Oh Ernest, you should find something too!" She exclaimed. Ernest looked around and noticed a raindrop shaped locket.

"Something like this?" He said while picking it up. Ariel gasped as she stared at it. It was a necklace in the prettiest shade of blue, which happened to be Ariel’s favorite color.

"Oh, how pretty.. You're so lucky, Ernest."

Ernest stared at the necklace as he cleaned it off. What was he going to do with it? He doesn't wear necklaces and Ariel likes it more than he does.

"Here, you take it." Ernest said. Ariel's eyes widened as he handed her the locket.

"Oh Ernest, I couldnt. You found it. That wouldn't be fair. Wouldn't someone like your mother, or perhaps a girlfriend like it better?" Ariel asked.

"My mom doesn't wear many necklaces and I don't have a girlfriend." Ernest explained. "Come on, just take it." But Ariel shook her head. "How about this, you fix up that lamp for me and we can have a trade off tomorrow? Would that be better?" She looked at the necklace and at the lamp.

"Well, okay. If that's okay with you. Just make sure you don’t lose it." Ernest smiled, feeling successful.

“I’ll protect it with my life, ma’am.” Ernest said, doing a salute, making Ariel giggle at how silly he is.

"Aye, who's over there?!" A man yelled.

"Oh no.. It's Sammy. If he catches me, he'll call the police." Ernest's eyes widened at Ariel.

I learned a new thing, Ariel is a risk taker, reckless even.

Ernest thought.

"Well heck, let's scram before he catches us!" Ernest grabbed Ariel's hand and ran back to the hole to leave. They ran until they got to Deadmans bridge and stopped to catch their breath. "Ariel, you sure are something."

"I'm sorry.. I just really love the junkyard." She let out a deep breath and took one in. "I didn't mean to get you into any trouble.." She apologized.

"Are you kidding me? That was amazing!" Ernest exclaimed. "You're really cool, Ariel. Almost no one is brave enough to go in there, especially not by themselves." Ernest said.

"It's really nothing." Ariel said, smiling. "Oh, I have to head home. My momma wanted me to run some errands for her. I promise to have this lamp nice and pretty for you tomorrow. Deadmans Bridge, same time?" She asked. Ernest nodded with a smile.

"Yes. Oh, before you go. Do you mind if I bring a friend? He'd like to officially meet you." Ariel nodded.

"Of course. I'd love to. See you tomorrow Ernest." Ariel said as she ran off.

"Bye Ariel!" Ernest yelled, wondering what color dress and bow she'd be wearing tomorrow.