Promise said, sitting up, alarmed. “I just said if he knew !”
“Well, he can’t just know ,” Lea said, “That’s silly. If he knows then he’s going to want to help…at least…I think he’ll want to.” She looked at Mark and took a deep breath. “Promise and I are going to catch Chance and hold him at her old house until they bring the cure to change him from a vampire back to a human,” she said, all in one breath. Then she smiled. “You can help us if you want.”
“Course I’ll help,” Mark said without hesitation. He kept his eyes on Lea. Her smile widened.
“Okay then. Now, let’s go get Peter,” Lea said.
“Hold on ! Wait just a second!” Promise said and stood abruptly, hands going to her hips. “No one said anything about Peter being involved. We don’t even know him, you guys. Why would he even want to? He has no reason to help me…he doesn’t even…we don’t even…”
Lea dropped her face into her mittens, shoulders shaking. Mark put his hand on her arm, concerned, and said, “Lea? Are you–” just as Promise said, “Oh, Lea, I didn’t mean–”
Then they both heard the chuffling, snorting laugh muffled by the thick mittens, and Promise sat down just as abruptly as she’d stood. Mark glanced at her briefly, then returned his attention to Lea.
“Lea?” he said. “What’s funny?” He was beginning to grin in spite of himself. Then Lea looked up, and her eyes were so full of sparkly mirth that he laughed, too. “What is it?”
She shook her head and glanced at her friend then back at Mark. Her giggles had tapered all the way down to a smile. “Everyone is a dummy about love,” she said. “Not just me. I just realized.”
Lea and Mark smiled at each other. She was frail and child-like in her mittens and matching scarf and so pretty, especially with the cold painting her cheeks a fresh pink. Light came up in Mark’s eyes as he gazed at her.
“Okay, whatever, I’m a dummy, okay?” Promise said grumpily, descending toward the field. “Can we just please go? Daylight’s wasting.”
Lea watched her descend and called after her, “We’ll stop and get Peter first!”
Promise didn’t turn, merely held up a hand in acknowledgement. “Fine! Whatever!”
Lea giggled and looked at Mark again, inviting him to laugh with her. But his face was still, almost grave as he looked at her.
“What?” she said, her eyes wide.
Now he smiled and shook his head. “Nothing.” He held out his hand and pulled her to standing. “We’re all dummies, Lea. Just so you know.”
She smiled and nodded and then followed him down the bleachers, and they trotted to catch up with Promise.
~ ~ ~
“It will be dangerous,” Peter said, and despite herself, Promise felt something almost like relief. He had said ‘it will be dangerous’ not ‘that’s too dangerous’ or ‘it will be dangerous for you guys .’ He was in, that much seemed clear. She did feel relieved…why did she also feel aggravated?
“We know that…we’re not stupid,” she said, the irritation evident in her tone. “We’re not babies.” She crossed her arms, and her eyes scanned the cramped room where he was supposed to stay with Snow. She and Lea and Mark had found Peter here when they’d come in from the football field. “If you think we’re too young for you…for this , I mean…then why don’t you just say it?” Her face had gone a deep red, either from anger or embarrassment, or both.
“Can I talk to Promise alone for a minute?” Peter said to Mark and Lea, his eyes not leaving Promise.
Mark and Lea looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and then rose to leave the confined space.
“We’ll see you in 508,” Mark said and put his arm around Lea. She leaned against him and glanced back at Promise as they left, but Promise’s eyes hadn’t left Peter’s.
“I think I scared you last night,” he said, and his face softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know,
“Well, he can’t just know ,” Lea said, “That’s silly. If he knows then he’s going to want to help…at least…I think he’ll want to.” She looked at Mark and took a deep breath. “Promise and I are going to catch Chance and hold him at her old house until they bring the cure to change him from a vampire back to a human,” she said, all in one breath. Then she smiled. “You can help us if you want.”
“Course I’ll help,” Mark said without hesitation. He kept his eyes on Lea. Her smile widened.
“Okay then. Now, let’s go get Peter,” Lea said.
“Hold on ! Wait just a second!” Promise said and stood abruptly, hands going to her hips. “No one said anything about Peter being involved. We don’t even know him, you guys. Why would he even want to? He has no reason to help me…he doesn’t even…we don’t even…”
Lea dropped her face into her mittens, shoulders shaking. Mark put his hand on her arm, concerned, and said, “Lea? Are you–” just as Promise said, “Oh, Lea, I didn’t mean–”
Then they both heard the chuffling, snorting laugh muffled by the thick mittens, and Promise sat down just as abruptly as she’d stood. Mark glanced at her briefly, then returned his attention to Lea.
“Lea?” he said. “What’s funny?” He was beginning to grin in spite of himself. Then Lea looked up, and her eyes were so full of sparkly mirth that he laughed, too. “What is it?”
She shook her head and glanced at her friend then back at Mark. Her giggles had tapered all the way down to a smile. “Everyone is a dummy about love,” she said. “Not just me. I just realized.”
Lea and Mark smiled at each other. She was frail and child-like in her mittens and matching scarf and so pretty, especially with the cold painting her cheeks a fresh pink. Light came up in Mark’s eyes as he gazed at her.
“Okay, whatever, I’m a dummy, okay?” Promise said grumpily, descending toward the field. “Can we just please go? Daylight’s wasting.”
Lea watched her descend and called after her, “We’ll stop and get Peter first!”
Promise didn’t turn, merely held up a hand in acknowledgement. “Fine! Whatever!”
Lea giggled and looked at Mark again, inviting him to laugh with her. But his face was still, almost grave as he looked at her.
“What?” she said, her eyes wide.
Now he smiled and shook his head. “Nothing.” He held out his hand and pulled her to standing. “We’re all dummies, Lea. Just so you know.”
She smiled and nodded and then followed him down the bleachers, and they trotted to catch up with Promise.
~ ~ ~
“It will be dangerous,” Peter said, and despite herself, Promise felt something almost like relief. He had said ‘it will be dangerous’ not ‘that’s too dangerous’ or ‘it will be dangerous for you guys .’ He was in, that much seemed clear. She did feel relieved…why did she also feel aggravated?
“We know that…we’re not stupid,” she said, the irritation evident in her tone. “We’re not babies.” She crossed her arms, and her eyes scanned the cramped room where he was supposed to stay with Snow. She and Lea and Mark had found Peter here when they’d come in from the football field. “If you think we’re too young for you…for this , I mean…then why don’t you just say it?” Her face had gone a deep red, either from anger or embarrassment, or both.
“Can I talk to Promise alone for a minute?” Peter said to Mark and Lea, his eyes not leaving Promise.
Mark and Lea looked at each other, eyebrows raised, and then rose to leave the confined space.
“We’ll see you in 508,” Mark said and put his arm around Lea. She leaned against him and glanced back at Promise as they left, but Promise’s eyes hadn’t left Peter’s.
“I think I scared you last night,” he said, and his face softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know,
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