Summer sunlight flickered through
the trees above them. Her hand was in his, warm and soft. Her nails were
chipping and painted in reflection of her usual quirkiness. The thumb had been
blue with yellow stars stamped on, but now it only had one star in a small
patch of shining color. Her hair was floating freely, too. It washed against
his shoulder in a light breeze. Her face was turned away from him, but he could
still make out the color of one eye. It was brown, with a ring of green close
to the center. And her skin was tanned, but smooth, with a dusting of barely
visible freckles. He wondered vaguely if she had Scottish or Irish blood in
her. It would account for her hair color and some of her temperament at least.
As though she could feel his
attention on her, she turned to look him right in the eye, smiling brilliantly.
He felt the moment rise, expectations pressing against the back of his eyes,
feelings crowding to his tongue like it was a life raft, but he had no words
that would adequately describe his jumbled thoughts. She didn't even seem to
notice his dilemma. In another moment she had turned away and was saying
something about the weather, or the garden, or how her brother would really
love this place, or maybe she was explaining how she would be heading back to
boarding school soon.
Elliot had never really thought of
himself as the type to have a school boy crush. The fact of the matter was, he
hadn't really thought about liking anyone in a long time. Maybe when he was
young enough, before his parents died. Maybe when he was still in elementary
school and most of the other boys had been avoiding girls because of their
coodies. He wasn't sure, couldn't remember. But it still remained. He had never
expected to find himself in this position. Ever.
There was a knock at his door and he
scrambled to stuff the small ribbon, bright blue like the sky had been that
day, into his pocket, or behind him, before the door opened all the way. Lily
was standing there, frowning at him. Her eyes were sharp and always had been.
She stood there a moment, not speaking, just casting her suspicious gaze around
his room. When her attention finally returned to him it was with some
impatience and annoyance.
"Mom's going to be late
tonight. As usual. So I'm going to make dinner. Is there anything you'd
prefer?" she asked in a sullen tone. Elliot couldn't understand why she
was so upset. After all, they had just spent the majority of their summer in
the presence of her boyfriend, Matt, and soon they'd be returning to school
where she'd see him all day.
"Yeah," he said after some
careful consideration. "I'd like a meat lover’s pizza with extra cheese,
mushrooms, olives, and pineapples."
Her face suffused with color at this
and she slammed his door without even commenting. She had been a vegetarian
since he'd met her some eight years back and nothing had changed. Unless one
counted an increase in her angry defense of harmed animals.
It didn't matter, though. He would
order the pizza himself later. In the mean time... Sophia Piper. She was out of
his reach now. Her parents had driven her to school two days ago so that she
would have time to get settled. Thomas had gone too, which was also a pity,
although not as great a one as Sophie's escape. He had really meant to tell her
how he felt before she left. Because it had to mean something that he always
wanted to be around her, to hang out with her, even if he was in a bad mood and
wanted to talk to no one. It had to mean something that she had heard about his
parents and shown just the right amount of sympathy and understanding so that
he wasn't overwhelmed with pity. It had to mean something that she could be as
childish and as adult as she wanted, and bring these things out in him. It had
to mean something that her whole family just welcomed him with open arms as
though he was as much a rightful member of it as she was.
But no, he had chickened out at the
last minute. That day, under the tree... Her mother had arrived to pick her up
moments later and she had scampered off after giving him a hug that was more
enthusiasm than accurate. She had been gone for a good five minutes, and he had
sat there thinking for those five minutes, before he'd noticed the blue hair
ribbon that had slipped free and now lay in the grass beside him. It was satiny
and smelled faintly of grass and the shampoo she used. Of course, if he kept
running it through his fingers, the smell wouldn't last, but the important part
was that it was a reminder of Sophie, the Sophie he'd known.
People change, and he knew that
quite well. In one moment they could become something completely foreign. So it
was important that he remember what she had been, how she had made him feel, in
case she wasn't the same when they next met. Oh, but he hoped she was the same.
He wasn't sure how he was going to last an entire year of school before he saw
her again. Maybe he'd be able to visit the Piper house for the holidays,
though. That might be nice. As long as she returned. He got along well enough
with Jean, but Mat was not his favorite person no matter the facade he put on
for Lily's benefit. He hadn't really gotten to know any of the other Pipers. It
would be awkward to be at her family home without her there. It would seem so
much more empty.
"Elliot, dinner!!" Lily
shouted from downstairs. She sounded just about angry enough to have poisoned
him, but he knew better than to tempt her further. If he didn't come running
she would hunt him down.
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