“…nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!” Janey laughed, and scanned the grove of trees for her friend. Emma covered her mouth to keep from laughing and crouched low to the ground behind the tree. She’d picked the tree because it wasn’t very cute—kind of like a slug with arms. She thought it might…
Tag Archives: Friendship
“Look, Janey, that tree’s yawning,” Emma said, pointing to a tree at the end of the block. “What tree? Where?” Emma ran up to the tree and pointed up. “Right here, see?” Her friend squinted her eyes at the tree and tilted her head. “It’s just a tree with a hole in it, and a…
It was a forty five minute walk to the abandoned school where Nev had agreed to meet her. She waited by the entrance, glad to have Zoe for company. Dusk was starting to settle in. She gave three short whistles, like they used to do when she and Nev and Mearzt had played in the…
It was obvious as soon as the Counsel began arriving that everyone was on edge about something. They stood in the living room, not even bothering to sit, drinking cocktails and eating finger food, their conversation a buzz of topics Ayn mostly didn’t understand until Professor Chirwnoff said, “That’s right, the mine’s been closed now…
She was checking to see if Mearzt had left messages when Lettie called through the door, “Please be ready in ten minutes, Ayn.” Ayn jumped as if she’d been caught cheating on a test. She mouthed a curse, but called back, “Okay,” then, remembering her mom’s advice, added, “thank you.” It wasn’t easy being nice…
“Why?” she said, her voice shaking with disbelief. “Because of his ‘associates’? Why not take them in? Why do this to Nev?” Her dad stared at her, wordless, shaking his head. Zoe whimpered and went to him, resting her head on his lap. He stroked her back, and ruffled the fur between her ears, then…
Her friend answered immediately. Ayn told her what had just happened and asked if she knew where Nev was. “I think he had to work after school today,” she said, sounding worried. “I’ll find out.” “Do it now,” Ayn whispered. “I will. Call you right back,” Mearzt said. There was a knock on the bathroom…
Her dad caught her arm as she passed him. “Apologize, Ayn,” he said, not letting go. His voice was quiet but firm. Ayn clenched her jaw and turned enough so she faced the iron-haired woman whose lips curled in the faintest of smiles. A burst of heat rushed through Ayn’s chest. She’d only experienced that…
“Thank you,” her dad said to the Black Suit as the got out of the solar craft. On the front stoop of their apartment, he stretched; several bones cracking as he did. “I’ll be right there,” Ayn said. Her dad nodded as he raised a palm over the security box beside the front door, and…
“Fine,” Ayn grumbled, secretly happy that her friend was insisting on this. It’s what she would do, and it’s what she would ask her dad to do. If he were here. Right now, it felt like Mearzt was the only one who cared about her at all. And Zoe, of course, Ayn thought, resting her…
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