missing my spring break.”
“No. Bing is happy he’s your shadow. He told me he is going to prove himself by helping you succeed.”
I was about to ask her when he had said that when the door opened and Bing himself walked in. His black bangs fell over his eyes, but as he swiped them back his gaze fell on us and his face lit up. He walked right over and pulled up a chair.
He tapped Violet’s topknot and she squealed with laughter. He said, “Howdy chickies. What’s new?” He sat right across from me and proceeded to grin at me as if I was his long lost baby sister. “Don’t you look well-fed and happy today!” he teased. “So tell me, what’s good here?” He pointed at my sandwich. “What’s that on your plate?”
When I told him he ordered the same and then sank back in the chair, his arms crossed behind his head, taking in the room and oozing his typical sparkling enthusiasm. I noticed that he truly had the most beautiful skin, the perfect olive color. It was hard to take my eyes off of it but I didn’t mean to stare.
Violet surprised me then by forgetting I was there and turning her attention to Bing completely, laughing at his jokes and teasing him about his floppy hair and his ratty sweater. “Throw it in the dumpster, Bing. You look like a street urchin when you wear that.”
Bing feigned sadness as he picked at the holes: a tear on his elbow, a larger one where his shoulder seam had split, and a rip on the bottom with threads hanging out. The sweater was pilled with little balls of fuzz.
“Don’t judge,” he said. “This has sentimental value. It’s my first staff sweater and I don’t want to give it up.”
Violet teased, “No, I think you’re afraid to ask for another one because you suspect they regret making you staff in the first place. Seriously, Bing. They have high standards here. Don’t they say anything to you about that?”
I watched the exchange closely. There was obviously a friendship between Violet and Bing. I thought it was weird because Zooey had said that they were not friends with him anymore, but that was not what I was seeing with my own eyes. Bing was always nice to me, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Violet, nor she off him. Interesting.
Bing didn’t leave me out. “I heard you were good at mud soccer, Macy.”
“I like running. It was fun,” I said, my mouth stuffed full of a cream puff shaped like a swan. “Only they didn’t play that long. I think they stopped the game because someone said something to me that they shouldn’t have.”
Bing held my gaze with his knowing brown eyes. He would know about the shells, I thought. I bet he would tell me.
“You are a new chickie,” he said kindly, in-between bites. “There’s nothing to be afraid of here.”
“I didn’t say I was afraid,” I said. “I just don’t like secrets.”
Bing laughed. He reached for a swan and pulled its head off, popping it into his mouth. “Yum. We’re a lot alike in that way.”
“Are we?”
Bing didn’t answer me; he just let my question linger in the air. Then he turned to Violet and said, “Can I speak with you alone?” Looking at me, he winked. “Macy, do you mind?”
Ouch. I was being kicked out, but it was okay. I had a stack of reading materials I had barely delved into and was feeling guilty about that. I was always a conscientious student but suddenly I was slacking off. Chanticleer was proving a little more distracting the more I got to know it. I was happy to go off to the library on my own. I drained my cup of warm caramel sugar and immediately felt the glow trickle through me. It was strange how the caramel never cooled down, no matter how long I lingered over my drink. I stood up from the table and Violet smiled at me.
“I’ll join you in the library in a bit,” she said sweetly.
“Hey, just so you know,” Bing said, grabbing my arm. “I looked at the calendar today … you and I will be spending some time together soon!”
My
“No. Bing is happy he’s your shadow. He told me he is going to prove himself by helping you succeed.”
I was about to ask her when he had said that when the door opened and Bing himself walked in. His black bangs fell over his eyes, but as he swiped them back his gaze fell on us and his face lit up. He walked right over and pulled up a chair.
He tapped Violet’s topknot and she squealed with laughter. He said, “Howdy chickies. What’s new?” He sat right across from me and proceeded to grin at me as if I was his long lost baby sister. “Don’t you look well-fed and happy today!” he teased. “So tell me, what’s good here?” He pointed at my sandwich. “What’s that on your plate?”
When I told him he ordered the same and then sank back in the chair, his arms crossed behind his head, taking in the room and oozing his typical sparkling enthusiasm. I noticed that he truly had the most beautiful skin, the perfect olive color. It was hard to take my eyes off of it but I didn’t mean to stare.
Violet surprised me then by forgetting I was there and turning her attention to Bing completely, laughing at his jokes and teasing him about his floppy hair and his ratty sweater. “Throw it in the dumpster, Bing. You look like a street urchin when you wear that.”
Bing feigned sadness as he picked at the holes: a tear on his elbow, a larger one where his shoulder seam had split, and a rip on the bottom with threads hanging out. The sweater was pilled with little balls of fuzz.
“Don’t judge,” he said. “This has sentimental value. It’s my first staff sweater and I don’t want to give it up.”
Violet teased, “No, I think you’re afraid to ask for another one because you suspect they regret making you staff in the first place. Seriously, Bing. They have high standards here. Don’t they say anything to you about that?”
I watched the exchange closely. There was obviously a friendship between Violet and Bing. I thought it was weird because Zooey had said that they were not friends with him anymore, but that was not what I was seeing with my own eyes. Bing was always nice to me, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Violet, nor she off him. Interesting.
Bing didn’t leave me out. “I heard you were good at mud soccer, Macy.”
“I like running. It was fun,” I said, my mouth stuffed full of a cream puff shaped like a swan. “Only they didn’t play that long. I think they stopped the game because someone said something to me that they shouldn’t have.”
Bing held my gaze with his knowing brown eyes. He would know about the shells, I thought. I bet he would tell me.
“You are a new chickie,” he said kindly, in-between bites. “There’s nothing to be afraid of here.”
“I didn’t say I was afraid,” I said. “I just don’t like secrets.”
Bing laughed. He reached for a swan and pulled its head off, popping it into his mouth. “Yum. We’re a lot alike in that way.”
“Are we?”
Bing didn’t answer me; he just let my question linger in the air. Then he turned to Violet and said, “Can I speak with you alone?” Looking at me, he winked. “Macy, do you mind?”
Ouch. I was being kicked out, but it was okay. I had a stack of reading materials I had barely delved into and was feeling guilty about that. I was always a conscientious student but suddenly I was slacking off. Chanticleer was proving a little more distracting the more I got to know it. I was happy to go off to the library on my own. I drained my cup of warm caramel sugar and immediately felt the glow trickle through me. It was strange how the caramel never cooled down, no matter how long I lingered over my drink. I stood up from the table and Violet smiled at me.
“I’ll join you in the library in a bit,” she said sweetly.
“Hey, just so you know,” Bing said, grabbing my arm. “I looked at the calendar today … you and I will be spending some time together soon!”
My
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