Lirssa sat on her bed, back against the wall. Her sock feet wiggled over the edge. It was dark outside. It was mostly dark inside on that midweek night. One lamp was all that glowed in her closed door room. It set the blown glass acrobat she had named Bettina on her dresser to shimmering. She had no idea if there was anyone else in the house. Everyone there walked so softly most of the time. Besides that, Lirssa wasn't really paying attention to who might be walking past her door.
The blank first page in the leather bound book in front of her consumed her attention. It had been a Yule gift from Miss Fio and Mister Ali. The pen had accompanied the gift, and she turned it around and around in her fingers. The book was the promise of opportunity, possibility " that's what Mr. George the book binder said. Lirssa had intended to write starting forward.
That had changed from the lessons that day".
The Teas "n" Tomes smelled snug with spices, papers, and fire burning blending together into a haven from the cold outside. Professor and student sat in their chairs opposite a small round table between them. The table valiantly held beneath the pile of books, strewn papers and tray of half full teacups and nibbled on cinnamon scones.
Science and the brutal subject of math had passed, and now it was literature. Only, Mister Jolly's transition into the subject was not the customary one. "How has the name change gone?" He picked up his notebook and pen and set those eyes on him.
Lirssa sat back and crossed her arms. She had promised to help Mister Jolly with his research, and that deal included him asking her questions. The new deal saved her money, but it also meant she had to spill her thoughts out. Right now, those thoughts were as flighty as birds startled from their nests. "Well," she tried to catch one of those thoughts and form words out of it. "Well, I'm thinkin" you were sorta right. I mean, at first it was weird, just a line. Just me pretendin". It didn't mean anything, but like you said, it meant somethin" to them. And it was easier, too. I mean, callin someone Maman is killer " er- much easier than havin to figure out ?" she stopped, then went on. She could trust Mister Jolly, "..figure out who was awake and adding the Miss, though she's really Mrs even if she doesn't take Mister Ali's name."
There was more to say. It was all there flying around her heart and head, but she stopped the fluttering and just pouted at him. It was impossible to get rid of the feeling when she was forced to talk about it. She was surrounded by Mister Ali and Miss Fio. They were in the clothes they provided, the breakfast in the morning, and the dinner in the evening. They buzzed in her head with soft French sounds and deep warmth.
Mister Jolly's watch on her was patient while he scratched some notes. Not many, not anything as much as what she had said. It was a snip, snip of pencil tip against paper and that was it. After a moment of door jingling open and closed in the silence, he prompted, "But something happened."
Something had happened. Something great and horrible. Lirssa pulled her knees up to her chest, fingers playing with the buttons on her boots.
The blank first page in the leather bound book in front of her consumed her attention. It had been a Yule gift from Miss Fio and Mister Ali. The pen had accompanied the gift, and she turned it around and around in her fingers. The book was the promise of opportunity, possibility " that's what Mr. George the book binder said. Lirssa had intended to write starting forward.
That had changed from the lessons that day".
The Teas "n" Tomes smelled snug with spices, papers, and fire burning blending together into a haven from the cold outside. Professor and student sat in their chairs opposite a small round table between them. The table valiantly held beneath the pile of books, strewn papers and tray of half full teacups and nibbled on cinnamon scones.
Science and the brutal subject of math had passed, and now it was literature. Only, Mister Jolly's transition into the subject was not the customary one. "How has the name change gone?" He picked up his notebook and pen and set those eyes on him.
Lirssa sat back and crossed her arms. She had promised to help Mister Jolly with his research, and that deal included him asking her questions. The new deal saved her money, but it also meant she had to spill her thoughts out. Right now, those thoughts were as flighty as birds startled from their nests. "Well," she tried to catch one of those thoughts and form words out of it. "Well, I'm thinkin" you were sorta right. I mean, at first it was weird, just a line. Just me pretendin". It didn't mean anything, but like you said, it meant somethin" to them. And it was easier, too. I mean, callin someone Maman is killer " er- much easier than havin to figure out ?" she stopped, then went on. She could trust Mister Jolly, "..figure out who was awake and adding the Miss, though she's really Mrs even if she doesn't take Mister Ali's name."
There was more to say. It was all there flying around her heart and head, but she stopped the fluttering and just pouted at him. It was impossible to get rid of the feeling when she was forced to talk about it. She was surrounded by Mister Ali and Miss Fio. They were in the clothes they provided, the breakfast in the morning, and the dinner in the evening. They buzzed in her head with soft French sounds and deep warmth.
Mister Jolly's watch on her was patient while he scratched some notes. Not many, not anything as much as what she had said. It was a snip, snip of pencil tip against paper and that was it. After a moment of door jingling open and closed in the silence, he prompted, "But something happened."
Something had happened. Something great and horrible. Lirssa pulled her knees up to her chest, fingers playing with the buttons on her boots.