Arrietty 5 Years Later Chpt. 1

"You mean he's alive?"  Arrietty blurted out.
Spiller shrugged his shoulders in a very blaze' way.  He hadn't wanted to tell her this but it would hurt more lying to her.  Besides, who was to stop her from finding him?  Every summer since she had to leave her home, she "coincidentally" went over to the property.  Spending several hours watching the open field as if waiting for him to come back.  And now that it seemed that he was actually back, Spiller couldn't believe it himself.  Spiller had to admit that he loved seeing her; this happy, but he wasn't so sure if he was happy about her reasons for being so cheerful.  Maybe, he should have told her father first.
"That must mean that his surgery went well," Arrietty continued, starting to gather her borrowing things.
"You're going now?" Spiller blurted out helplessly.
Arrietty turned then and smiled, tightening the strap on her borrowing bag.
"Arrietty, he is older now.  He may not even remember…,"
Arrietty stopped and snapped her head around her chocolate eyes blazing, "He helped save my mother's life, how can he forget that?  I know I haven't..." she mumbled softly as if to herself but loud enough for Spiller to hear.
"Boys forget!  It's been five years…"
"He was not a child!  He is seventeen now!  I am going to see him," and she spun on her heel and headed out the door only to be grabbed by Spiller.
"Maybe I should go with you," he began slowly; knowing already how she would answer.
She jerked her arm away.
"Sho was…is my friend.  I haven't seen him for five years.  Every summer I hope I will get to see him, to know that he is alright, just to know that he is alive!  I don't need your protection.  Please don't follow me or tell my dad.  I'll be back…,"
"When?" Spiller asked desperately.
"When I'm back!"  And she started off back to the home she had left so many years ago.
"He won't be the same!" Spiller shouted from the doorway.
Arrietty turned, this apparently had caught her attention.  Her long read hair caressed her face as the breeze gently moved it around.  Her eyes looked much wilder now.  What Arrietty had to understand was that while she was the same height as she was when Sho had seen her…
"He is taller now."
"He's a human bean!  He's always been tall."
"I don't mean that.  He is much bigger than how you will remember him.  Boys like that can change a lot in five years and I am telling you he is different now.  I've seen many human beans, and even more than that that you have and I am telling you, he is one of the tallest beans I've see in a long time.  He may not even see you approach; his head is so high up now.  Be careful when you approach him."
"I'll do that," but Spiller could see that this warning frightened her.  Sho was only twelve when he met Arrietty, a small sickly boy.  This boy looked tall and strong and easily able to snatch up any Borrower.  But Arrietty was right; this boy had saved Arrietty's mom's life.  For that, Spiller was always grateful. There were not many Borrowers left in this world and when a human is actually responsible for saving the life of just one, the fact had to be respected.  He watched Arrietty walk away unable to bring himself to tell her the last thing he new about this new, older Sho.
That he was looking for her.
When Spiller had spotted him, he did not even think that it was the same boy.  This bean was easily over six feet tall, hunched over, crouching on his knees whispering something into the bushes.  He would stand up occasionally, hands on his hips and shake his head as though giving up on his search.  Spiller was always proud to be a Borrower, but beans like Sho was now sometimes made him jealous.  Approaching the bean, Spiller would hardly reach his ankle while his mass would stretch up forever, like a human mountain.  His movements were graceful, almost gentle as he moved around shrubs and bushes, looking for whatever it was he was looking for.  Spiller would occasionally catch him looking around his feet as if something very small would approach him.  The boy looked tall, but still young in the face.
Noiselessly, Spiller approached the bean.  He had a familiar face at the time, but his size.  Spiller had not seen a bean this tall in a long time.  Almost as quietly the boy fell to his knees and called out in a loud, but gentle whisper,
"Arrietty?" and waited in silence.
Spiller's heart fell to his cloth shoes.  It was the boy.  The same boy who saved Arrietty's mom so many years ago.  The boy who made Arrietty cry when she had to leave her, 'first true friend' she called him.
"Sho," he said to himself in despair but perhaps a bit too loud.  
Sho snapped to attention.  "Arrietty?" he asked again, so much hope coming into his call.  But Spiller did not reply.  Sho stood up, running a large hand through his dark hair.
"I guess she wouldn't be here after all of this time." And Sho started to walk towards the house.
Spiller couldn't and wouldn't do this to Arrietty.  
"She is still nearby!" he screamed without making his presence known to the boy.
Sho's head snapped around.
"Who said that?" he asked cautiously.
His voice was also different, no longer child-like but deep and rumbling.  Sho started approaching, each stride so long that if Spiller wanted to escape he was not sure if he could.  Spiller knew he wouldn't be able to outrun him so he took a different approach.
"Stop right there!" he shouted with as much authority as he could manage.  But…Sho stopped anyway.  His large hands and arms fell to his sides and he waited patiently.
"Arrietty is who you are looking for?  Are you really Sho?"  Spiller asked.
"Yes…and yes." He said quietly hoping not to scare the voice away.  This may be his only connection to Arrietty.  He had to be gentle and calm.  "Do you know where she is" he asked looking all around for the voice that was speaking to him.  He assumed it was another Borrower.  It was a male voice, but as far as Sho could tell it wasn't Arrietty's father.  
Sho smiled shyly, a gesture that was all wrong on such a large bean.  Spiller wanted to reveal himself then, he hated that he was actually scared of this bean but he wanted Sho to see him as well.  Spiller wanted to wipe that smile off his face.  He had no right to smile like that.  Slowly, with knees that shook he stepped out into the field.  
"I will tell her that you are here again."  He said loudly enough for Sho to hear and now see him.  
Sho was surprised to see another being as small as Arrietty but so happy to know that this stranger revealed himself to him.  He would not move, so not to scare him and he would not follow him.  He had given his word that he would tell her he was here.  That was enough.  
Spiller stared up and up at this huge bean and wondered how Arrietty could possibly have ever trusted him.  He could snatch up and keep in a cage if he wanted. He could do the same to Spiller as well, but he just stood there.  Looking down at him, yes, but he had to because of his size, but with a look of respect.  Spiller watched as Sho lowered his eyes,
"When will she come?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
"She will come."  And with that Spiller ran back into the shrubs.