brush his
finger over my lips. Then he pushed me gently through the door into the house.
Our fingers touched, and I had to struggle to walk away from him.
»See
you on Monday,« he whispered. Then he was gone. Inside, I leant against the
door and closed my eyes.
Bree
came into the hallway. She looked sleepy.
»Emma,«
she cried. »We were worried.«
»Calum
brought me home. I’m sorry I’m late.«
»Was
it good?« she asked.
»It
was great.«
»Go
to bed and get some rest.« She stroked her hand over my hair. I went off into
my room, then quickly pulled on my pajamas, brushed my teeth and crept under
the blanket. I heard a soft knock at the door.
Amelie
slunk into my room.
»I
can’t sleep,« she whispered. »Can I join you?«
»Sure,
come on then.«
She
snuggled under the blanket with me.
»Tonight
was wonderful, wasn’t it? Are you still mad at me?« She didn’t wait for an
answer. »Emma, have you ever been properly in love?«
»No,
not yet,« I answered hesitantly. »But I think...I think I know what it could be
like.« I stared at the ceiling, thinking about Calum.
Amelie
turned around to me with a smile. »I’m really happy that you’re living with us,«
she murmured.
Then
she fell asleep.
I
was happy too. Very, in fact.
When
I woke up the next morning, the sun’s warm light was already filling the room,
and the curtains were billowing in the breeze. Taking care not to wake Amelie,
I pulled the blanket over me from where she had stolen it in the night, and
snuggled down underneath. I couldn’t get the previous night out of my mind. I
smiled at the memory of Calum suddenly appearing behind me, asking me to dance
in that strange way of his....
I
didn’t get much further in my daydream, for Amelie began to stir and turned
around to face me.
»So
you and Calum,« she said, suddenly seeming wide awake. »Don’t get me wrong,
Emma, but I’m just wondering why he suddenly seems so keen. Especially, since
he was acting so strange with you to start with.«
I
shrugged and smiled at her. I knew exactly what she meant—it was a mystery to
me too.
»I
mean, the way he looks at you...« she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Before
I could lose myself in my thoughts again, she shot the next curious question at
me.
»So
did he kiss you yet?«
»No,«
I admitted with regret.
»Well,
that’s strange too,« said Amelie, wrinkling her forehead. »Most boys I know can
hardly wait. Either he’s the perfect gentleman, or—«, she commented
precociously.
At
that moment, Hannah and Amber stormed into my room, piling onto my bed with
loud screams.
Behind
them, Peter stood in the doorway, shaking his head at the commotion: »Breakfast
is ready.«
I
was sure that none of the three had heard him, for at that moment Amelie pulled
my pillow away and started a pillow fight with her sisters.
After
throwing my blanket over all three of them, I disappeared off into the bathroom
to brush my teeth.
After
breakfast, Peter and Ethan decided to go fishing. They invited me along with
them, but the last thing I wanted to do today was sit around for hours on end.
Deciding that it might be good to spend some time on my own for once, I asked
Ethan if they could drop me off on the way so I could do some painting. I was
feeling in a really creative mood. Every picture would come out well today, I
was sure of it.
I
gathered together my painting supplies and my easel, then looked for my iPod.
After checking the battery and the playlist, I slipped it into my trouser
pocket and hoped that the battery would last the day. Peter and Ethan were
waiting in the kitchen for me.
Bree
had prepared some provisions: sandwiches, apples, and a bottle of water.
»Now
off you go, have fun! And keep an eye on the weather; apparently it’s not
supposed to stay nice all day,« she called after us.
Looking
up at the sky, all I could see was perfect blue. But it was typical of Bree to
be worrying about things. I shook my head
finger over my lips. Then he pushed me gently through the door into the house.
Our fingers touched, and I had to struggle to walk away from him.
»See
you on Monday,« he whispered. Then he was gone. Inside, I leant against the
door and closed my eyes.
Bree
came into the hallway. She looked sleepy.
»Emma,«
she cried. »We were worried.«
»Calum
brought me home. I’m sorry I’m late.«
»Was
it good?« she asked.
»It
was great.«
»Go
to bed and get some rest.« She stroked her hand over my hair. I went off into
my room, then quickly pulled on my pajamas, brushed my teeth and crept under
the blanket. I heard a soft knock at the door.
Amelie
slunk into my room.
»I
can’t sleep,« she whispered. »Can I join you?«
»Sure,
come on then.«
She
snuggled under the blanket with me.
»Tonight
was wonderful, wasn’t it? Are you still mad at me?« She didn’t wait for an
answer. »Emma, have you ever been properly in love?«
»No,
not yet,« I answered hesitantly. »But I think...I think I know what it could be
like.« I stared at the ceiling, thinking about Calum.
Amelie
turned around to me with a smile. »I’m really happy that you’re living with us,«
she murmured.
Then
she fell asleep.
I
was happy too. Very, in fact.
When
I woke up the next morning, the sun’s warm light was already filling the room,
and the curtains were billowing in the breeze. Taking care not to wake Amelie,
I pulled the blanket over me from where she had stolen it in the night, and
snuggled down underneath. I couldn’t get the previous night out of my mind. I
smiled at the memory of Calum suddenly appearing behind me, asking me to dance
in that strange way of his....
I
didn’t get much further in my daydream, for Amelie began to stir and turned
around to face me.
»So
you and Calum,« she said, suddenly seeming wide awake. »Don’t get me wrong,
Emma, but I’m just wondering why he suddenly seems so keen. Especially, since
he was acting so strange with you to start with.«
I
shrugged and smiled at her. I knew exactly what she meant—it was a mystery to
me too.
»I
mean, the way he looks at you...« she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Before
I could lose myself in my thoughts again, she shot the next curious question at
me.
»So
did he kiss you yet?«
»No,«
I admitted with regret.
»Well,
that’s strange too,« said Amelie, wrinkling her forehead. »Most boys I know can
hardly wait. Either he’s the perfect gentleman, or—«, she commented
precociously.
At
that moment, Hannah and Amber stormed into my room, piling onto my bed with
loud screams.
Behind
them, Peter stood in the doorway, shaking his head at the commotion: »Breakfast
is ready.«
I
was sure that none of the three had heard him, for at that moment Amelie pulled
my pillow away and started a pillow fight with her sisters.
After
throwing my blanket over all three of them, I disappeared off into the bathroom
to brush my teeth.
After
breakfast, Peter and Ethan decided to go fishing. They invited me along with
them, but the last thing I wanted to do today was sit around for hours on end.
Deciding that it might be good to spend some time on my own for once, I asked
Ethan if they could drop me off on the way so I could do some painting. I was
feeling in a really creative mood. Every picture would come out well today, I
was sure of it.
I
gathered together my painting supplies and my easel, then looked for my iPod.
After checking the battery and the playlist, I slipped it into my trouser
pocket and hoped that the battery would last the day. Peter and Ethan were
waiting in the kitchen for me.
Bree
had prepared some provisions: sandwiches, apples, and a bottle of water.
»Now
off you go, have fun! And keep an eye on the weather; apparently it’s not
supposed to stay nice all day,« she called after us.
Looking
up at the sky, all I could see was perfect blue. But it was typical of Bree to
be worrying about things. I shook my head
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