Dialogue Between Characters
Marie St. Clare and her daughter, Eva, went to the store to purchase a list of things including bread, milk, and cheese. Helena and Hermia were shopping for party food, as it was Helena's birthday party coming up. Manolin was looking for medicine for Santiago (and coffee besides). Mr. Steward was looking for someone to whom to give the button.
"Eva, I'll be in the next aisle over. If you need me, that's where I'll be."
"Of course, Mother," Eva replied kindly. "Do you need your medicine? Would you like me to get it for you?"
"Oh, that would be lovely," Marie St. Clare replied. She handed Eva part of the shopping list, tucked a stray strand of hair behind the twelve-year-old's ear, and departed. Her shopping bag swung in her tight grip by her side.
"Phew!" Eva gasped as soon as her mother was gone. She pulled a piece of pink stationary from the pocket of her long white skirts. The paper was decorated with prints of roses and lilies, and across the top was written in swirly script, "Topsy's Wish List."
The little slave girl didn't know her birthday, but Eva was determined to get her presents anyway. They would share a birthday: May 16th.
The following list was written on the pink stationary:
Roses- yellow
Box of chocolates
Red ribbon
Eva wanted to get those things for Topsy without her mother's noticing. It was to be a tricky feat, for Marie had the eyes of a hawk when it came to deception. However, Eva was sure she could pull it off if she could hide the goods before her mother saw.
A boy about her age was standing in the medicine aisle, looking at cough medicines and aspirin. Eva, who was in the medicine aisle for her mother's wants, made her way over to say hello.
"Are you looking for something specific?" she asked him in interest. Even she couldn't tell if she was feigning or being truthful.
"Yes," he answered. He said nothing more.
Frustrated, Eva persisted, "For whom?"
"My friend." Again, he was silent after that.
"What is your name?" she tried.
"What's yours?"
"My name," she told him, trying not to get angry, "is Eva St. Clare."
"I'm Manolin."
"What's your surname?"
"Oh, grow up," he snapped.
"I beg your pardon!" Eva gasped indignantly. "I only asked your-"
"Oh, look, Helena, candy!" came a new voice.
Who is that? Eva wondered silently, no longer speaking. Or, rather, who are they?
Two girls about her age ran into the aisle, giggling. They stopped to look at the cough drops.
"Let's see, Hermia. They have cherry, honey, and mint candy," a girl with long brown hair told her blonde friend. The brunette was taller, but the blonde was a bit prettier.
"That isn't candy," Manolin pointed out to them. "They're cough drops."
Eva knew what he was thinking: grow up.
"Who are you?" the brunette asked rudely. To Eva, it sounded almost like an accusation.
"My name is Manolin. And you are?" the boy returned just as contemptuously.
"Helena. My name is Helena, and this is Hermia," the brunette retorted.
"This is Eva St. Clare," Manolin volunteered. Eva's face grew red and hot: why would he tell the two girls her name?
"Manolin!" she protested.
"Oh, grow up," he ordered her again. "So what if two strangers know your name? They're girls, anyway!"
Eva drew herself up to her full height and gave him the what-for. "In case you haven't noticed, Manolin, I'm a girl, too. So I suggest you take your own advice and grow up!"
To add emphasis, she glared at him in a very imposing manner. He paled a bit, and she was secretly satisfied.
"I… I-" he stuttered. She sniffed and turned to the other girls, who had been pretending to look at the cough drops during the fight.
"Boys are such losers," she sneered, being uncharacteristically mean. Hermia and Helena just smiled and shook their heads.
"I don't think you understand, Eve," Hermia sighed. She sounded as though she was talking to a five-year-old. Eva felt very much like a bird whose feathers had been ruffled the wrong way.
"My name," she growled, "is Eva. It is not Eve."
"No, Eve, you wouldn't understand," echoed Helena as though she hadn't heard Eva at all. Eva figured she probably hadn't and was enormously disgusted with the other girls.
"What do you two know about boys?" she asked, annoyed and frustrated. She was also a bit curious, though she would die before showing it.
"Well, I'm courting a gorgeous boy named Etri- I mean, Demetrius," Helena cooed. "That is to say, he's courting me."
"Lysander's my man," giggled Hermia.
Humph. You're hardly older than me, Eva thought.
"Is that all you know about guys? Please!" Manolin scoffed.
"What would you know?" Eva repeated without thinking.
"Uh, he-LLO! I just so happen to be a boy, Miss Eva," Manolin replied. "So really, the joke's on you."
"There's no joke," Eva muttered hotly, feeling her face flush again. "So tell me, Mr. Manolin," she returned loudly, "what is the secret to boys?"
"Now, why would I tell you that? I suggest you-"
"Oh, shut up and take your own advice," Eva grumbled. He did, but made a face at her retreating back. She had found her mother's medicine and was trying to find the yellow roses.
"Oh, here they are," she mumbled to herself. She took a dozen long-stemmed roses, turned around, and nearly bumped into a man holding something towards her. There was a wooden box in his outstretched hand, and in the center was a big red button.