Memories Chapter 2-3

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Anakin looked down at her, feeling a frown form on his face. "Why did you jump towards me?"

She leaned up slightly, propping herself up on her elbows as she regarded him. "I'm left-handed."

"Oh. Well, I couldn't have predicted that."

She stood up, still rubbing her nose slightly. Suddenly, she glanced behind her, and then reached out and grabbed his hand. She started pulling him down the street. "Right, we have to run."

Anakin nearly stumbled, but was able to get into the same pace as the girl before she dragged him off of his feet.

"Again? We're doing this again?" Anakin asked bewildered.

Between the pants of her heavy breathing, Tahiri answered, "Less talking, more running."

Then to his surprise, she started running faster and Anakin had to focus more on running and keeping up with Tahiri, than with questioning her.

After a few more minutes of running, she stopped and looked around. Anakin leaned against a tree, panting hard, trying to catch his breath after the exertion of the run.

She glanced at him. "You're out of shape."

Anakin frowned at her, as she looked up and down the path they were on. Anakin did the same, and found that she had led them somewhere that he had yet to visit.

"Looks like we ran pretty far," she said calmly.

"Why are you running away two days in a row? I thought we paid yesterday?"

"I went to buy some canapés again today. And I pulled out my wallet, only to notice that I had left my credit chit at home. I was about to tell the baker sorry..."

"Let me guess, a big white furry creature tried to eat one of the canapés again?" Anakin interrupted.

Tahiri blushed slightly. "No. Today it was a whisperkit. It jumped up on the table, and the baker made another face and scared me. So I ran away."

"How many times are you going to do that?"

Her cheeks turned an even darker red. "I didn't mean to!"

Anakin snorted and just looked at her.

She stomped and twisted away from him, saying, "If that's how you're going to be, I don't think I want to be your friend."

Anakin straightened up finally, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wait Tahiri, I'm sorry. But let's go back later and apologize, okay?"

She looked back over her shoulder at him, hurt and forgiveness both shining in her eyes and she gave her head a quick bob of assent. They begin walking down the path, chatting amicably about nothing.

Around fifteen minutes later, Tahiri pulls out one of the canapés, and takes a large bite out of it. "These are so good. And they taste the best when they're nice and hot."

Suddenly Tahiri stopped and looked around, a frown darkening her face. "Hey, didn't we walk down here before?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just walking with you."

She turned towards him slightly. "I was just following you. I've never been in this part of town before." She thought for a moment, and then her head snapped towards him. "Could it be that you don't know where you are?"

Anakin arched an eyebrow at her, even as his mouth dropped open in shock. "Hey, you've lived here for a while. I just arrived from Coruscant. Don't ask me where anything is."

"You just arrived? You've not been here all this time?"

"Yeah, I used to be in training about six years ago, but something happened, and I don't really remember that much," Anakin replied.

"Anakin... Anakin Solo. I... when you introduced yourself yesterday, I wondered. I mean you had the same name, and were kind of weird. But I just assumed that that was a coincidence. But you came back for me. You remembered our promise! Welcome back, Anakin!"

Her arms snapped out, extending as far open as she could make them, and then she rushed forward. Instinctively, Anakin sidestepped, and Tahiri rushed past him. As she did so, he noticed that her eyes were closed, and a large smile was plastered on her face. Then with a solid thud sound, she ran into one of the trees which lined the road.

Anakin winced as he looked at her. "A-are you all right?" He thought for a moment. "Sorry Tahiri. That was kind of mean of me wasn't it?"

She didn't move or respond and Anakin scratched at the top of his head.

"I guess you're not even hurt."

She twirled around fast. "That did so hurt. And it hurt a lot."

"I'm sorry. It was a reflex."

Tears welled up in Tahiri's eyes. "You dodged me. I can't believe that you dodged me."

Anakin was about to reply when something caught his eye. He glanced to the left and saw a girl around his age sitting on the ground, items spread around her, and the bag which had contained them, on the ground beside her with a large rip in it. Anakin looked at her for a moment, noticing the long dark hair, and the shawl wrapped around her shoulders, even though the weather was on the warm side. Finally he noticed that she was covered in leaves from the tree which Tahiri had run into.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. "Y-yes."

Tahiri rushed over to them. "Are you all right?"

Anakin glanced at Tahiri, and said, "Running into that tree knocked all those leaves onto her."

Tahiri glared at him. "You're making it sound like my fault!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just stating the truth."

She stomped her feet, and pointed at him. "It's because you moved out of the way!"

"It's because you attacked me all of a sudden." Anakin almost laughed as he could feel her outrage and frustration growing.

"It wasn't an attack! It was a reunion." She said as she stomped her foot, crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Anakin. "What should have been a happy reunion, you moved out of the way! Fine, but the only person who would ever run into a tree at a reunion after six years would probably be me."

Anakin smirked at her. "Congratulations, I'm sure it's a first."

Tahiri looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm not happy at all!"

Anakin had to suppress his laughter, and glanced down at the dark-haired girl who was still sitting on the ground, trying her best to look at both of them at the same time. He looked back at Tahiri. "Because you're saying weird stuff, you've scared her."

"It's not my fault," she replied.

Anakin sighed, and leaned down closer to the dark-haired girl, holding out his hand towards her. "Can you get up?"

She looked at his hand for a moment, and then looked up at him. Finally, she responded in a weak voice, "Yes."

She slipped her hand into his, and allowed him to help her to her feet.

Anakin smiled at her, and cocked his head towards Tahiri. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I'm just a regular good citizen."

Then he dropped down to one knee and began to pick up the things that the girl had dropped.

Tahiri rushed over to help pick things up as well. "I'm a good citizen too!"

Anakin looked at her, and arched an eyebrow again as he dropped a utility knife and a roll of tape back into girl's bag. "Good citizens don't eat without paying."

The girl dropped to her knees to help them, and in the same weak voice said, "I'm sorry."

Anakin paused to watch her, something aching at the back of his neck over the whole situation. He watched as Tahiri held out the bag of items towards the girl. She accepted the items, wrapping her arms around them to make sure that they would not fall again.

"Thank you," she managed.

She stood up and began to walk down the path and Anakin and Tahiri dropped into step beside her. Silence fell over them for a short distance, before Tahiri broke it. "You sure did buy a lot of things."

The girl lowered her head slightly. "I don't go outside much. So when I do, I tend to buy a lot of things."

Anakin smirked. "She paid for her stuff, so there's not a problem."

Tahiri's head slowly turned from the girl to face Anakin, an angry scowl plastered on it. "You make me sound like some type of criminal."

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "It's just the truth."

"I'm a good girl!"

Anakin laughed. "Good girls don't eat and run."

She dropped her chin to her chest, and scowled slightly. After a moment, she brightened once more and turned towards the dark-haired girl. "So, why are you here on Yavin IV?"

The girl just smiled at them and started down a secondary path. "My house is this way. Bye!"

Anakin watched her walk off for a moment, before he suddenly called out, "Wait!"

The girl paused and slowly turned to face them. "Yes?"

"Do you think you could tell us how to get back to the shopping district?"

A half hour later and Anakin and Tahiri are once again apologizing to the baker. After they had finished, they walked through the shopping district. Tahiri smiled happily up at him. "I was happy today."

"That's good."

"Do you think we could meet again?"

Anakin stopped walking and looked at her. He noticed the blush that had cropped up on her cheeks and nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

She beamed up at him, a bright, infectious smile. "Then it's a promise! I've got to go home now, bye!"

And then she was running away.

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Anakin stepped out of the grocery store, the bag holding the ingredients for dinner in one hand, the bag holding his school items in the other. Suddenly a form wrapped in a brown cloak appeared before him.

"You..."

Startled, Anakin dropped the bags he was holding.

The form spoke again, "you." Then she ripped away the cloak. It was a girl around his age with brown hair curled into long tight locks and yellow eyes. "I won't forgive you."

Anakin frowned at her. "I don't.... who are you?"

She drew back her fist and with a sharp yell threw a punch at him.

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