Chapter 17

What's going on!? LUCY!!! But, this is an Edo chapter. I guess we'll never find out.

Edward

 

"Al, seriously, why did you bring me with you?" I asked my brother as he transmuted a pile of dirt into a doll. "This is pointless for me."

     "Alchemy training," he said without looking at me. "Did you try to send that letter again?"

     "Yes!" I grumbled with irritation. I've been trying to send Lucy a letter since I arrived in Dublith, but it keeps getting sent back. They won't accept it for some stupid reason.

     "She's probably mad because she hasn't heard from us," I said, flipping the letter around in my hands.

     "Did you try calling?" Al asked, turning away from his alchemy for a brief minute.

     "The phone line's dead."

     "Try the letter again."

     "It's not going to work, Al."

     "Then try the phone again."

     "I just did!"

     "You're screwed then!" he shouted. "Quit whining."

     "Don't forget, I'm still your older brother,"I grumbled. "Watch your mouth." He just laughed and continued his alchemy.

     Something wasn't right. I didn't need this training because it was pointless beginner stuff. I don't get why Al needed it so badly, and I just had to come along. And Lucy seemed so torn up about it...

     That's the hundredth time you've thought about her since you left, my brain told me. And it was true. I always caught myself thinking about her.

     I yawned and moved my shoulder around. My AutoMail was bugging me again. I forgot to bring that book on AutoMail that Winry gave Lucy for her birthday.

     "How much longer are we staying in Dublith?" I asked lazily, staring out the window but not really seeing out of it.

     "As long as it takes," Al said.

     "Huh?"

     "Brother, let's talk." He pulled up a chair across the table from me and said, "How do you feel about Lucy?"

     Kind of an odd question to suddenly bring up...

     "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

     "Do you like her?"

     "As--As a friend," I studdered.

     "Liar," he said accusingly. "We've all seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you."

     "She looks at me?" I said stupidly.

     "Brother, focus!" Al shouted. "We're not leaving here until you confess to yourself that you love her!"

     "That I what?!"

     "Exactly what I said," Al said. "Coming here wasn't for alchemy at all. It was to help you."

     "And just where does Lucy stand in all of this?" I demanded.

     "Winry's questioning her back home," he said. "Now, what do you like about her?"

     "This is ridiculous," I grumbled, slouching in my chair.

     "Maybe to you," Al started. "but probably not to Lucy. Think about it, Brother. Admit that you liked living with her."

     "Well, yeah, of course I liked living with her," I said, thinking about it. "But she was uptight about rules and stuff. She always got mad at me for never cleaning the dishes."

     "Did she enjoy your company?"

     "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did," I replied, thinking of how sad she looked the day Al and I left. She cried, and she made me promise I'd stay in contact, something that I haven't been able to keep.

     I suddenly felt really guilty about leaving her.

     "One more thing, as long as you're feeling guilty," the little mind reader said. "Have you kissed her yet?" I felt my face get red immediately as I thought about it. How could I have forgotten?!

     "I have to go home right now," I said, abruptly standing up from the table. "Al, pack your things."

     "I can't go, Brother," he said, going back to his alchemy. "I paid for these lessons in full. I'm not leaving until the month here is over so I get my money's worth. Go ahead, I'll meet you back home."

______________________________________________________________________________

 

I felt guilty again, leaving Al behind, but I had no choice. Lucy was more important this time. I had to go back and tell her how I really felt.

     After packing my suitcase and running out of the house, I made my way to the train station and bought a ticket. The seconds felt like years as time ticked by, the train taking forever to pull into the station. Ever minute was precious in this matter.

     The train finally pulled in, and I couldn't have gotten on it fast enough.

     About twenty minutes after the train got going to Resembool, I went to go use a phone to let Lucy know I was going home to her.

     I dialed the number and waited.

     And waited.

     And waited.

     There was no answer. She must not've been home. So, I called the Rockbell's.

     "Rockbell AutoMail," Winry said as she answered on the other end of the line. "Winry speaking."

     "Professional," I said.

     "Shut up!" she shouted. "Ed, why haven't you sent Lucy any letters? You've made absolutely no contact at all with her! She's depressed and loosing sleep and stuff!"

     "Our phone line hasn't been working!" I countered. "And the letter I keep sending keeps getting sent back by the postal service! Anyway, I'm on the train right now, I'm coming back."

     "So Alphhonse succeeded?!" Winry squealed.

     "If you mean, he made me realize that I...l-love her, then, um, yes," I said lamely. "Is she there? She's not home."

     "She should be home," Winry said. "We went shopping earlier, and she went home not long ago. Where could she have gone?"

     "Winry, she probably went for a walk," I said. "She visits her mother's grave regularily now."

     "Maybe you're right," Winry said, not sounding so sure. "I--I'll go look for her. I really don't have an easy feeling about this."

     She hung up quickly, and I couldn't help not having a good feeling about this, either.

      "Lucy...what's going on...?" I whispered to myself.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Anonymous]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

[Emunah June.]

RUN LITTLE BOY! RUN!!!

Ed: DONT CALL ME LITTLE!!