Penny Ling sighed.
"Sunil, stop."
"But it's a great trick! You should be proud to be part of it!" Sunil crossed his arms and looked at Penny Ling disapprovingly, his yellow eyes narrowed.
"Sunil, I just think that it wouldn't work."
"It totally would, you just don't have enough faith."
Penny Ling rolled her eyes and looked across the room. Russell was lying down on a pink beanbag, reading a thick, brown novel. A huge pile of books were sitting next to him, and a box of tissues on the other side. His hair was sticking up, and his eyes looked tired- like he had been reading all night. He blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes quickly.
He sniffled a bit as he turned the page. Penny Ling smiled. He looked so cute. I wonder what book he's reading... Penny Ling thought to herself. She stood up as Sunil kept on rambling.
"What, you're ignoring me now?" Sunil said loudly as Penny Ling walked towards Russell.
Penny Ling ignored Sunil and carried on walking. Russell was blowing his nose on a tissue. Penny Ling quickly took a peek at the cover as he wiped his eyes.
In a Nutshell, a romance novel by Silky Brooke it read.
"You read romance novels?" Penny Ling said loudly, an amused yet serious look on her face.
"AGHH. Penny Ling!" Russell shouted, his paws held up to his face, each paw clutching a wad of tissues. "Wh-what do you want?"
"I wanted to see what you were reading." Penny Ling glanced up at Russell. "You read romance books?"
"Erm... Yes. Yes I do." Russell pulled his book up to his face. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, it's just..." Penny Ling stared at the serious hedgehog. He pulled the book up to cover his face even more. "You don't seem like the type who would... Like romance novels." Penny Ling muttered. Russell narrowed his eyes.
"What I mean is..." Penny Ling looked away from Russell. "You don't seem like a very romantic person."
Russell put down his book and blinked his big green eyes at Penny Ling. His straight face turned into a frown. Penny Ling giggled a bit at the sight of it, which only made Russell frown more.
"I can be romantic, in fact, I can actually relate to some of the characters in this book."
Penny Ling smiled, "Really? Which one?"
Russell looked down. "Theirs a girl in this who is very smart and intellectual. She is sometimes in her own world, and tends to be very... Uh... Dense. She doesn't have a lot of interest in spending time socializing with other people, yet she can be very kind when she does make a friend." Russell smiled.
"Is she the main character?" Penny Ling asked, intrigued.
"Well- yes." Russell mumbled.
"Who is she in love with?" Penny Ling said quietly.
"Erm..." Russell looked down at the book on his lap. "She is friends with a guy who she has known for awhile, but she starts likes him." Russell glanced at Penny Ling, "but after awhile, she starts to think that she loves him."
"What's the guy like?" Penny Ling asked, putting her paws on the beanbag,
Russell looked down at her paws. He shifted a bit in his seat. He realized how awkward this situation was getting. He just wanted to get back to his book.
"Um... Well he is very caring. Very sweet, and sensitive. He wishes to become a famous dancer, but is afraid people will think less of him. He feel like he can't trust anyone, except for the main character." Russell looked down at Penny Ling. Penny Ling was smiling.
"So... You relate to the main character?" Penny Ling said, taking her paws away from the beanbag.
"Well... In some ways yes." Russell looked down at the book. Then at Penny Ling.
"I feel like I relate to the boy." Penny Ling leaned away from Russell. "But only in character, nothing else."
Their was silence.
Russell carried on reading, and Penny Ling walked away.
But that was enough.