and I went for a walk to see the grounds. Steven had gone up to his room and Howard was looking over the little theater like an athlete checking out the playing field. All of us agreed he was the most obsessive and intense about his career.
It was a nearly perfect day, with just a dab of a cloud here and there against the light turquoise sky. Although it was in the low eighties, a breeze stirred the air around us. The lawns had just been cut that morning, so the redolent scent of fresh grass was all about us. That, along with the distinct aroma of freshly turned earth, made me somewhat homesick. I planned on writing a letter to Uncle Simon this evening, and thought I would describe the grounds with the sprawling old maples and hickory trees, the rock gardens, and fountains. I'd catalogue all the flowers that had been planted here. He would be so surprised to read that I was living and going to school in such a beautiful place.
"Did Madame Senetsky stop by to see all of you?" I asked the others.
Cinnamon said she had paused to listen to Howard and her read some lines from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, but didn't stay around to speak to them afterward. Ice said she had come by and listened to her doing scales with Mr. Littleton.
"The way she was looking at me. I thought she was handing me a bus ticket home, but she nodded and spoke to Mr. Littleton, telling him she thought he had a rich field to mine. He agreed. I don't like it when people talk about you right in front of you as if you're not there," she added with a touch of fury in her beautiful ebony eyes.
"She did the same to me, talking to Mr. Demeterius, praising my graceful moves aloud," Rose said.
"Why did you ask?" Cinnamon asked me with those narrow suspicious eyes of hers fixing on my face. 'Did she say something to you directly?"
" Yes, "
"So? What? You look like you swallowed a mouse or something."
I didn't want to tell Cinnamon what Madame Senetsky had said about virginity. I wasn't sure how she would take it in light of what she had openly confessed the night before.
We paused at one of the stone benches and I sat. The others gathered around me. waiting.
"This must be something good or bad!" Rose declared. "She didn't tell you to leave, did she?"
I shook my head.
"What do we have to do to get it out of you?" Cinnamon asked. "Sacrifice a virgin?"
I looked up so sharply, she stepped back her eyes full of confusion.
"What made you say that?"
"It's just an expression. You know, primitive tribes... sacrifices and virgins... why?"
"She said she knew I was a virgin. She could look at me andknow."
"What?"
"That's amazing," Ice said. "Most boys look at me and think otherwise,"
"What made her say such a thing?" Cinnamon followed. I shook my head.
"She must have had some reason."
"She said I reminded her of her daughter."
"Daughter?" Rose asked.
"Yes, a daughter who died very young."
"Before she could lose her virginity. then," Cinnamon concluded.
"I don't know. She just said I should..."
"What?" Rose blurted. impatient.
"Stay a virgin for as long as I could."
I shot a quick glance at Rose and Cinnamon. They were both quiet, both looking at me with wonder and confusion. "Why?" Cinnamon finally asked.
I shrugged.
"She said it gave me a certain... she spoke French..."
" Savoir faire? " Rose asked.
"No." Cinnamon said for me. "I'd think it would be just the opposite." She thought a moment. " Je ne sais quoi?"
"Yes, that's it."
"A certain something, indescribable, but there." Cinnamon said. She became very thoughtful a moment. She looked at Rose. "I guess you and I are damaged goods, and in her eves don't have that special something."
"She didn't say that," I quickly reported. "Whatever it is might not be important for what you do. In her way of thinking, at least. I still don't understand it."
"What's she going to do, check you out every week to see if you're still pure?" Cinnamon asked bitterly.
"That woman scares me." Ice said. "How could she look at her and say
It was a nearly perfect day, with just a dab of a cloud here and there against the light turquoise sky. Although it was in the low eighties, a breeze stirred the air around us. The lawns had just been cut that morning, so the redolent scent of fresh grass was all about us. That, along with the distinct aroma of freshly turned earth, made me somewhat homesick. I planned on writing a letter to Uncle Simon this evening, and thought I would describe the grounds with the sprawling old maples and hickory trees, the rock gardens, and fountains. I'd catalogue all the flowers that had been planted here. He would be so surprised to read that I was living and going to school in such a beautiful place.
"Did Madame Senetsky stop by to see all of you?" I asked the others.
Cinnamon said she had paused to listen to Howard and her read some lines from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, but didn't stay around to speak to them afterward. Ice said she had come by and listened to her doing scales with Mr. Littleton.
"The way she was looking at me. I thought she was handing me a bus ticket home, but she nodded and spoke to Mr. Littleton, telling him she thought he had a rich field to mine. He agreed. I don't like it when people talk about you right in front of you as if you're not there," she added with a touch of fury in her beautiful ebony eyes.
"She did the same to me, talking to Mr. Demeterius, praising my graceful moves aloud," Rose said.
"Why did you ask?" Cinnamon asked me with those narrow suspicious eyes of hers fixing on my face. 'Did she say something to you directly?"
" Yes, "
"So? What? You look like you swallowed a mouse or something."
I didn't want to tell Cinnamon what Madame Senetsky had said about virginity. I wasn't sure how she would take it in light of what she had openly confessed the night before.
We paused at one of the stone benches and I sat. The others gathered around me. waiting.
"This must be something good or bad!" Rose declared. "She didn't tell you to leave, did she?"
I shook my head.
"What do we have to do to get it out of you?" Cinnamon asked. "Sacrifice a virgin?"
I looked up so sharply, she stepped back her eyes full of confusion.
"What made you say that?"
"It's just an expression. You know, primitive tribes... sacrifices and virgins... why?"
"She said she knew I was a virgin. She could look at me andknow."
"What?"
"That's amazing," Ice said. "Most boys look at me and think otherwise,"
"What made her say such a thing?" Cinnamon followed. I shook my head.
"She must have had some reason."
"She said I reminded her of her daughter."
"Daughter?" Rose asked.
"Yes, a daughter who died very young."
"Before she could lose her virginity. then," Cinnamon concluded.
"I don't know. She just said I should..."
"What?" Rose blurted. impatient.
"Stay a virgin for as long as I could."
I shot a quick glance at Rose and Cinnamon. They were both quiet, both looking at me with wonder and confusion. "Why?" Cinnamon finally asked.
I shrugged.
"She said it gave me a certain... she spoke French..."
" Savoir faire? " Rose asked.
"No." Cinnamon said for me. "I'd think it would be just the opposite." She thought a moment. " Je ne sais quoi?"
"Yes, that's it."
"A certain something, indescribable, but there." Cinnamon said. She became very thoughtful a moment. She looked at Rose. "I guess you and I are damaged goods, and in her eves don't have that special something."
"She didn't say that," I quickly reported. "Whatever it is might not be important for what you do. In her way of thinking, at least. I still don't understand it."
"What's she going to do, check you out every week to see if you're still pure?" Cinnamon asked bitterly.
"That woman scares me." Ice said. "How could she look at her and say
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