Page 26 of Deadly Sights

“You went first on your birthday.” The boy refuted Hair Beads, shaking off his shock and closing the distance toward the cake.

Afro Puffs sliced a piece of cake that took up the entire surface of the paper saucer she served the dessert on. She handed the confection to the boy and sliced another piece about three-quarters the size to give Hair Beads.

The other girl looked longingly at the rest of the cake but sat on the blankets covering the floor and ate her slice in silence.

The boy sat next to Afro Puffs. “Where’s your slice?”

She shrugged without providing an answer.

When he realized he wasn’t getting anything else from her, the boy tasted his cake and groaned. “This is even better than last year. How’d you get it?”

Because he hadn’t looked away from Afro Puffs, he caught the darkening tint to her cheeks when she avoided his gaze. “You should try it.” Without waiting for her to object, he forked another piece and pushed it against her mouth.

She opened in surprise and he shoved the rest in. Afro Puffs glared at him while chewing the confection. When she finished, she quietly stood and cut out a small square for herself before returning to her seat on the floor.

The boy hid his grin while eating the rest of his birthday treat. Then he froze and stared at Afro Puffs as if he’d never seen her before.

“What? There something on my face?” She raised her hand to wipe her mouth.

Instead of answering her, he asked, “When are we leaving to find your parents? You already know how to leave the grounds undetected. So why are we still here?”

“I’m not strong enough yet.”

“I think you’re plenty strong,” Hair Beads said. “I mean up here.” She pointed to her head. “Cause when the bigger kids be trying you, you wait until you have an advantage before putting them in their place. I know. I been taking notes.”

“That doesn’t sound like a fair fight.” The boy frowned at Afro Puffs.

“There’s no fairness anything when they’re bigger than me. I make it fair when I take up a chair and knock the sense God should’ve gave them into their heads.” She picked up her cake and ate in silence, leaving Hair Beads to cheer her on and the boy to watch in amazement.

“Why’re you still staring at me?”

“Promise you won’t go off to find your parents without me,” he demanded. The sudden earnestness of his request caused Afro Puffs to drop her plate into her lap.

None of them saw Hair Beads approach the remaining cake while keeping her attention on them.

“I promise,” Afro Puffs said with wide eyes. “I already told you I would. Why’re you pressed?”

The boy rammed his fork onto his plate, surprised when it didn’t sink into his dessert. He placed the saucer beside him and grabbed Afro Puff’s dish to do the same. Then he took her hand in his. “You said I belonged to you. Were you lying?”

“No.” She shook her head to emphasize her response. She stared into his eyes, unable to glance away from the solemnity shining through.

“Good, this is for you.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved a ring woven from baby’s breath flowers and grass. When she looked at him askance, he said, “When I’m grown, I’mgoing to marry you and give you an even better ring.” He placed a grass ring without flowers on his finger. “And when you’re older, you’re going to put a real one on me.”

CHAPTER 13

A SHOCKING DISCOVERY

Nadira

For the first time in a while, I wake from a dream without a headache. I don’t know if it’s because of my new surroundings, exhaustion catching up with me from crossing eight time zones without sleep, or if the dreams are becoming clearer for another mysterious reason. Either way, being in Julian’s space has helped to ease some of my misgivings.

His need to organize isn’t isolated to my home. Every room I’ve seen is a testament to his need to put everything in its place. His behavior no longer strikes me as casual or a quirk. I wonder if he’s ever linked this behavior to a trauma he may have suffered as a child?

I dismiss the thought because I haven’t seen every room in this colossal mansion. I spring out of bed, needing to tackle the more impending issue of the people hunting me. More refreshed after a night of odd dreams than I’ve been in a while, I headtoward the kitchen where Julian will pamper my cat with bacon while making me breakfast. His consistency is a definite check in the pro column of why I should trust him, but it’s not enough.

As I walk down the hall and approach the kitchen, my curiosity drives me into another room. If not for my background where snooping is a required skill, I still wouldn’t feel guilty about digging into Julian’s things. The whole reason for staying here is to get to know more about him by less traditional means.

Exploring his space comforts me. There is no explanation for it, so I’ll accept the feeling without digging too deep.

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