I'm very disappointed! Only one review? I want five before I update again. :P

— — — — —

As soon as Nita got home, she went to ask her parents if they had plans tomorrow night, and if not, whether she could go to Louis's to watch Moulin Rouge.

"It's a school night." warned her father, "Be back by 10:00."

"Promise." Nita was happy that she could go. Now she had to go call Louis and change the plans. She hoped he would understand. She was afraid he would not.

Nita dug through his bag for his number. Finding it, she dialed it into the cordless phone she'd brought from downstairs.

"Wyldon residence." Nita was taken aback. Wasn't his last name Depore?

"Um... Can I talk to Louis?" She faltered as he had when he'd called her house a few days prior.

"I don't know, can you?" The voice on the other end laughed, and Nita recognized it as Louis.

"Perhaps." she laughed, "It depends on whether you want to talk to me. But I thought your last name was Depore."

"It is. My mom's husband's name's Weldon. William Wyldon. How cruel is that?"

"Extremely."

"Now, why would I not want to talk to you?" Louis inquired.

"Because of what I have to say. I... I can't come Wednesday afternoon."

Louis was silent. Nita continued, "I can come that evening though, just not until about 6:00 or 7:00. Would... would that work?"

Louis was quiet for a few seconds. The past two days, Nita looked as if she'd started marathon training or something. She looked physically and mentally exhausted. Louis suspected it had something to do with Kit's problem, and wished she would tell him what was wrong. Perhaps he could help. However, she didn't offer the information and he didn't press. He was having to tread carefully with Nita— she'd been hurt, abused, and deceived by her peers most her life from what he could piece together, what she told him, and what he heard at school. She didn't seem to trust much of anyone. Gaining her trust was a battle inside itself. He decided not to press the issue tonight.

"I suppose. Actually, this may work better. William and my mother aren't going to be home, surprise, surprise. I make a mean linguine. How about a little dinner and a movie? Come over around 6:30?" Louis heard an audible sigh for the other end of the line. Nita hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath in anticipation. Louis was glad he'd not questioned her.

"That would be fabulous." Louis couldn't see the grin that stretched from one of Nita's ears to the other.

"Great. See you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."

"Bye."

"Bye." Nita hung up, her smile only growing.

The grin remained in place on Nita's tired face all day. She decided it would be unwise to simply "appear" at Louis's house— what if he was outside? Inside, she went to her house after leaving the trees, and from there walked to 311 Clinton. She had known it was a nice neighborhood— but it hadn't really clicked until she stood in front of a huge house that was supposedly 311 Clinton and mused whether she had the right house.

Louis popped out of the front door. "Come in!"

Nita walked in the door. It was like stepping into a scene from a movie. The ceiling in this first room was very high. Nita's eyes traveled from the ceiling to the staircase, a large, winding, deep wood colored, piece of work, from the staircase to the beautiful green-gray and various colors swirled into marble tile on the floor, from the tile to an expensive looking statue in the corner.

"Overwhelming, isn't it? Imagine how I felt when I was told I was going to live here. I still get lost."

Nita couldn't manage much more than a, "Wow."

After a few more seconds of watching Nita gape, Louis asked, "Hungry?"

"Ravenous." answered Nita, following as Louis lead her down a hallway, walls decorated with painting of landscapes.

"I didn't even think of this until tonight, but you aren't allergic to seafood, are you?" Louis sounded worried.

"No way. I love it." Nita said forcefully.

Louis led Nita into a large kitchen. "I really don't feel like eating in the dining room or the regular table. Unless you are an extremely messy eater, let us commit the horrid sin of eating on the couch."

Nita laughed. "He without sin casts the first stone. Let's eat."

"What?" asked Louis.

"I don't know." Nita laughed again. "It just sounded good."

Louis laughed, as he pulled a two bowl-plates1 from the cabinet. "My aunt taught me how to make this. It's fantastic. It has shrimp and clams in it, which is why I hoped you weren't allergic to seafood." Louis filled to two bowl-plates with noodles, clams, shrimp, mushroom, what was probably little pieces of onion, and various spices. "Hers is better, but this isn't bad."

"Smells fantastic." Nita was so hungry, however, a baloney sandwich probably would have smelled good. Louis handed her a plate of linguine.

"Soda?" asked Louis, balancing his dinner in one hand as he opened the refrigerator.

"Sure. Any kind." she added when he opened his mouth.

Louis grabbed two rootbeers and head towards a different doorway than the one they had entered. it opened into a posh living room, with thick, soft carpet. The room contained a rather large, though not humongous, T.V., with several speakers sitting around. There was also a white leather couch, a matching armchair, and a coffee table with matching end tables.

"Sit." Louis gestured. Nita sank— and truly sank— into the plush couch. Louis sat down next to her.

"Make sure you put your drink on a coaster or William will have a fit." Louis told her as he picked up a remote and turned on the T.V. and VCR. Preview started, and Louis turned to Nita.

"Is it any good?" he asked, anxious.

Nita swallowed. "It's excellent. Really hit the spot."

Louis beamed. "Glad you like it."

Nita had finished, as had Louis by the time the previews were over. They sat the dishes on the end tables next to their drinks.

"This is funny." Louis told her as a red curtain with the shadow of a conductor conducting quite elaborately in front of it, came on to the screen.

Nita settled back quite comfortable to watch the movie with Louis.

***

She's so beautiful, thought Louis as she looked on to Nita's sleeping face, and she doesn't even know it.

Nita, leaning against him, had fallen asleep ten minutes into the movie. He brushed a lock of brunette hair off her face, contemplating a line of action. Nita made a small sleeping noise, and snuggled deeper against his chest. Should he wake her up?

She really looks as if she needs the sleep. Louis thought of how exhausted she had looked the past three days. I don't know what's wrong. I really wish she trusted me enough to confide in me about whatever is wrong, but as she doesn't... I guess this is the least I can do to help.

Louis decided to let her sleep for about an hour and then wake her up. He settled back to watch the movie himself.

— — —

1 I have no clue what they are actually called, but my family always called them "bowl-plates". Then again, we are from sIL. A bowl-plate is exactly what it sounds like: a large, flat bowl that looks like a plate with sides.