CHAPTER 8: CINDERTUCK
Winnie and Miles were waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the entrance room for Jesse. Winnie loved the room. It was round, and there was a chandelier hanging above them. The door was huge. About 2 times the height of the two standing there. The wood came from some rare tree in France. The walls were egg white, and the floor was a gray tile, with a swirl painted in the middle. She'd never been in a house quite like this before. Even her own, one of the fanciest in town wasn't even close to the beauty of the Tuck residence. She stared, imagining herself in some distant far away castle with Jesse. They would roam it looking for secret passageways, and the statues of the knights would follow them when they weren't looking. They'd have ladies in waiting, and brave knights would fight for her.
"Winifred?" Miles interrupted her thoughts. "I swear Winifred, sometimes I don't know where your head is." He put a hand on her arm. "Why don't you like me Winifred?"
She stared in disbelief. "Don't be silly Miles Tuck, of course I like you, it's just that I..."
"Great. That's all I needed to hear. I'll be right back. I forgot the tickets. I believe they're in father's study. I'll be back."
She watched him off. Winnie was still a little dizzy over what had been said. That had been her chance, her chance to tell him how she really felt, and all she did was dig herself a deeper hole. She tried to take her mind off it. She thought about the opera. She had never been to one before. She thought about the colors, and the music, but her thoughts all led back to Jesse who was now at the top of the stairs waiting for her to look up at him. Staring at the floor, a feeling crawled around inside her. She perked up her head, and turned her attention to the top of the stairs. There he was, standing as she'd never seen him before. His hair wet and combed back, his suit primed and un-wrinkled. And his smell, the fluorescent scent reached her all the way at the bottom of the stairs. For once, he didn't look dirty from the day, but it was as if he bathed in the stars, rolled in a field of flowers, and bought a ticket to dance on the milky way. His hand clutched the guard rail, and he gracefully floated down the stairs. Each step was light and soundless, and the whole time, he never took his eyes off her. There she stood, beautiful as ever, in her long red velvet dress, her hair pulled up like she was a grown woman of society, and her smile, that she had returned to his own, sparkled. It was a smile he'd never seen from her before. Nor anyone. Their eyes locked every moment, not once blinking. Not once straying away. She thought of the crystal. She could see it in his bright eyes. She could feel it running through her blood. The moment seemed to last forever, until he finally reached the bottom step, and he kept coming. He got closer and closer to her, and when the time came that he was standing right in front of her, he took her hand, and kissed it. He held his lips in place on her white gloves, never taking his eyes off hers. When he let go, she let her hand float there aimlessly for a while, then retracted it to her side. "You've never looked more beautiful then you do tonight." Returning from her daze she smiled brightly and replied, "Why Jesse Tuck, I'm flattered, and I do believe I have never seen you so jazzed up in all the time I've known you. Why, until this night, I didn't think it was possible."
"Thanks." He said sarcastically. "It really suits us well don't you think? Maybe we could make a habit of it. Adventurers by day, class by night?"
She smiled at him. She wanted to kiss him, but she new there were boundaries in this house. The moment would have been perfect, romantic. And if he had pulled her in at that moment, she would have kissed him. Right there.
Miles walked in just then. "Well what have we here? I don't believe it little brother. You know, I truly didn't think you could pull it off, but I have to admit, I was sure was hoping."
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked nervously.
"You, you looking all, well, your status. It's quite a relief actually. Just one less thing I have to worry about tonight."
"Oh Miles, I believe you have more to worry about than you know. With your date being as beautiful as she is, someone's bound to come up and snatch her away." He gave Winnie a sly smile, but she looked down to the floor with fear of revealing any give away sign on her face.
"They can try, but it's not going to happen to my Winifred."
"Your Winifred? You take my warning too lightly."
"And you take me too lightly. Let's go shall we? Let's enjoy the night ahead of us. Winifred?" Miles held out his arm, and Winnie reluctantly took it.
Winnie and Miles were waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the entrance room for Jesse. Winnie loved the room. It was round, and there was a chandelier hanging above them. The door was huge. About 2 times the height of the two standing there. The wood came from some rare tree in France. The walls were egg white, and the floor was a gray tile, with a swirl painted in the middle. She'd never been in a house quite like this before. Even her own, one of the fanciest in town wasn't even close to the beauty of the Tuck residence. She stared, imagining herself in some distant far away castle with Jesse. They would roam it looking for secret passageways, and the statues of the knights would follow them when they weren't looking. They'd have ladies in waiting, and brave knights would fight for her.
"Winifred?" Miles interrupted her thoughts. "I swear Winifred, sometimes I don't know where your head is." He put a hand on her arm. "Why don't you like me Winifred?"
She stared in disbelief. "Don't be silly Miles Tuck, of course I like you, it's just that I..."
"Great. That's all I needed to hear. I'll be right back. I forgot the tickets. I believe they're in father's study. I'll be back."
She watched him off. Winnie was still a little dizzy over what had been said. That had been her chance, her chance to tell him how she really felt, and all she did was dig herself a deeper hole. She tried to take her mind off it. She thought about the opera. She had never been to one before. She thought about the colors, and the music, but her thoughts all led back to Jesse who was now at the top of the stairs waiting for her to look up at him. Staring at the floor, a feeling crawled around inside her. She perked up her head, and turned her attention to the top of the stairs. There he was, standing as she'd never seen him before. His hair wet and combed back, his suit primed and un-wrinkled. And his smell, the fluorescent scent reached her all the way at the bottom of the stairs. For once, he didn't look dirty from the day, but it was as if he bathed in the stars, rolled in a field of flowers, and bought a ticket to dance on the milky way. His hand clutched the guard rail, and he gracefully floated down the stairs. Each step was light and soundless, and the whole time, he never took his eyes off her. There she stood, beautiful as ever, in her long red velvet dress, her hair pulled up like she was a grown woman of society, and her smile, that she had returned to his own, sparkled. It was a smile he'd never seen from her before. Nor anyone. Their eyes locked every moment, not once blinking. Not once straying away. She thought of the crystal. She could see it in his bright eyes. She could feel it running through her blood. The moment seemed to last forever, until he finally reached the bottom step, and he kept coming. He got closer and closer to her, and when the time came that he was standing right in front of her, he took her hand, and kissed it. He held his lips in place on her white gloves, never taking his eyes off hers. When he let go, she let her hand float there aimlessly for a while, then retracted it to her side. "You've never looked more beautiful then you do tonight." Returning from her daze she smiled brightly and replied, "Why Jesse Tuck, I'm flattered, and I do believe I have never seen you so jazzed up in all the time I've known you. Why, until this night, I didn't think it was possible."
"Thanks." He said sarcastically. "It really suits us well don't you think? Maybe we could make a habit of it. Adventurers by day, class by night?"
She smiled at him. She wanted to kiss him, but she new there were boundaries in this house. The moment would have been perfect, romantic. And if he had pulled her in at that moment, she would have kissed him. Right there.
Miles walked in just then. "Well what have we here? I don't believe it little brother. You know, I truly didn't think you could pull it off, but I have to admit, I was sure was hoping."
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked nervously.
"You, you looking all, well, your status. It's quite a relief actually. Just one less thing I have to worry about tonight."
"Oh Miles, I believe you have more to worry about than you know. With your date being as beautiful as she is, someone's bound to come up and snatch her away." He gave Winnie a sly smile, but she looked down to the floor with fear of revealing any give away sign on her face.
"They can try, but it's not going to happen to my Winifred."
"Your Winifred? You take my warning too lightly."
"And you take me too lightly. Let's go shall we? Let's enjoy the night ahead of us. Winifred?" Miles held out his arm, and Winnie reluctantly took it.