"I'm grounded." Nita growled to Kit the next morning at school. "I have to be home by 6:00 for the rest of the week. And my parents quite frankly don't care that we're in the middle of a... project."
"What'd you do?" Kit suppressed laughter, knowing that Nita would strangle him if he even snickered.
"I fell asleep at Louis's. We were watching a movie, I was tired from messing with the trees all week."
Kit was shaking with silent laughter, and fiercely trying to refrain from obscene comments.
"Don't even say it." Nita glared at him.
Kit gasped and muttered several times, "I'm not gonna say it, I'm not gonna say it..."
"Don't." One glance at Nita made Kit glad looks couldn't kill.
"Afternoons, this week, I guess?" Kit proposed.
"Yeah. I hope we can wrap this thing soon. I'm never going to see Louis this week, but hey, at least I'll get decent amounts of sleep. More than 5 hours, wow, what a concept!"
"Hey, speak of the devil... here comes the stud now." Kit gestured as the figure Nita had pointed out as Louis several days prior was walking towards them.
"Kit, don't say anything, please? I have him first and last class today, even if I don't get to see him after school, and I don't want your comments hanging in the air."
"I'd better leave then, lest I make a comment to the aforementioned. I can't even ask him how much action he got or if you're any good, or-"
Kit was abruptly cut off by Nita's foot swinging towards a lower region of his anatomy. He managed to pull back just in time to save himself from excruciating pain. However, she did manage to succeed in connecting her bookbag with his head.
"Oww...." he complained as he began to walk off. He hadn't learned his lesson, however, and leaned towards Nita to add, "Should I ask Louis if you are this feisty in the sack?" He quickly scurried off to avoid another blow.
***
"Who are you assaulting now?" Louis asked, as he approached.
"No one...." Nita said innocently. "Besides, Kit doesn't count. Especially after... nevermind."
"I don't think I'll ask. That looked painful." Louis nodded in the direction that Kit had left. "So that's the infamous Kit...what is his last name?"
"Rodreiguez. Yeah, he's... something else." Nita said, shaking her head.
"So... Since you're here today, I assume you're still alive after last night. I'm really, really sorry... how'd the 'rents react?"
"They totally freaked for a while. I mean, I know they're my parents and they worry about me and everything... but can't they have a little trust? First the whole Kit thing, now this with you.... I eventually got them calmed down, convinced them that absolutely nothing but exhaustion happened, and I'm only half-grounded. I have to be home every night by 6:00."
Louis's eyebrows were knitted together in concentration. "What thing with Kit?"
Nita let out an exasperated sigh, rolled her eyes, and drawled sarcastically, "Apparently, my parents— and the rest of the world— think that guys and girls can't be friends without dating or at the least, having sex, and one night, when we were on vacation , Kit and I were.... out swimming and lost track of time." It wasn't completely a lie—they were out swimming, they were just whales at the time. "Anyway, my parents totally freaked, my mom was convinced we were doing quote/unquote 'adult things'. They— and everyone— can't get it through their heads that we're just friends. I suppose the whole Algebra thing didn't help, but, as I've said before, they were going to talk anyway..." Nita paused, then looked at Louis. "How'd I get back on this soapbox? I've only said it about fifty times... weren't we talking about last night?"
"I... I don't exactly know. And about last night... I am sorry. You looked completely spent, and I planned on letting you sleep and hour to two and walking you up, but.... well, I guess I was tireder— more tired— than I thought. "
"It's okay. Though, next time, wake me up, okay? I know, as Kit is constantly reminding me, I'd work myself to the bone, as tell everyone else to take a break. However, I can take care of myself, and do..." she paused and mumbled, "sometimes. I took was taking a break from— problems— when I went to your house. Thank you for being concerned, but... just wake me up."
Louis nodded. "Promise. If you are only grounded after 6:00, will they still let you do stuff with me in the afternoons?"
"They would, but..." Nita trailed off, wondering how best to say this.
Louis's eyes grew wide, and he subconsciously shook his head. His mind automatically jumped to worst-case scenario.
She said it was okay.... Was she really that upset? No... No... she 's different... It'd only been a week... not long enough, no....
"You aren't going to like this, and perhaps I am working myself too hard, but it can't be avoided." Nita paused. "I'll stop rambling. I still have to finish up this thing with Kit, and since I'm on restriction, I can only— help in afternoons, so it may take longer."
Nita was slightly surprised at the look on his face. She had expected disappointment, perhaps anger or resentment. Instead... he looked slightly relieved. Then a bit of concern passed over his face.
The bell rang. The pair began making their way to French class.
"Are you sure you can't tell me? I could help, some way." Louis offered.
No, you couldn't. Nita thought, and it pained her, to keep not just a part of her life, but a part of her self from Louis. "No. It's... it's not mine to tell, and even if it were, it's something I have to do." She struggled to keep the agony out of her voice.
They reached the classroom door.
"Okay." Louis sighed, and switched languages. "Q'est-ce c'est Samedi?"
/What about Saturday?/
"Je ne sais pas." Nita replied, not wanting to make a commitment she'd only have to break later. "Nous allons avoir regarder."
"We're going to have to watch?" Louis asked with a mocking smile.
"See. We're going to have to... wait. 'Regarder' isn't 'to see', is it?" Louis shook his head at her. "What is 'to see' again?"
***
"Did you really mean that? I mean, honest?" Louis inquired, as they walked from English class to out of the school.
Nita paused her scan of the student body for Kit to nodded her head honestly at Louis and answer, "Yes. I do. I would much rather have a handpicked bouquet of dandelions, than a hundred store bought roses."
"But why?" Louis insisted.
"Because, as I explained several times in class when I stated this, if someone brings you dandelions, you know each one is filled with love, because they took the time and care to handpick each one for you. That means so much more than walking into a store and buying some roses. That doesn't mean I don't like or wouldn't appreciate roses, it's just that handpicked bouquets have more meaning."
Louis slowing shook his head, a small smile on his face, "You never cease to amaze me."
Nita blushed, right before she saw Kit. "Oh, there he is. I have to go. See you tomorrow."
Louis leaned over and pecked her on the lips. "Tomorrow."
Nita blushed deeper, as she walked towards Kit, sure he had seen and would tease her mercilessly about it.
***
She was right. Even after they put in several hours of work, making a little, but not much, progress, before Nita had to be home, Kit still managed to crack a few crude jokes and ask is she was missing "lover boy" yet. She swung, but he had expected it, and disappeared a moment before contact. Nita sighed, and went home herself.
***
"Screw this!" Nita exclaimed in exasperation as Kit told her they couldn't work on the trees Saturday because his parents had sprung some family thing with his grandparents that he couldn't get out of, even for a wizardry.
"I still don't think they get the whole 'wizardry' thing." Kit said, frustrated himself.
"Look, I'll go home at six, do the family dinner thing, fake a bunch of homework, then meet you back at the trees. I'll get Dari to cover for me. She owes me. Let's get this thing over." Nita offered.
"Can you do that?" Kit asked.
"I'm going to." Nita replied, determined.
***
And she did.
Nita convinced Dairine to cover for her, citing not only sibling blackmail, but also the fact that she wasn't just sneaking out for a good time, but for a wizardry. Dairine didn't mind at all. She would keep a watch on their parents, and if they wanted Nita for anything, Dairine would let her know so that she could quickly transport back.
Louis was thrilled that they had most of Saturday, if Nita parents would let her go, to spend together. He said he had something planned, but wouldn't tell her what it was.
"It's a surprise. You find out tomorrow at nine." As if this wasn't suspenseful enough, he added just before leaving, "You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"
After walking across air many, many stories above the ground, I don't think so. Nita thought, but did not voice.
***
"Can I go out with Louis tomorrow, if I'm home be 6:00?" Nita asked at dinner.
Her parents looked at each other, each with I don't know, what do you think? looks on their faces.
"Well..." said her father.
"What happened to your thing with Kit, dear?" her mother asked.
"He can't work tomorrow day. He has a family thing he can't miss." Nita explained, then began urging them, "You never said I couldn't go out with Louis, you just said I couldn't after 6:00."
"That was because you had that work to do with Kit." he mother said. "Still, we never did forbid you... Where will you be going?"
"I don't know." Nita said. "He says it's a surprise."
"I suppose you can go...." her mother looked over at her husband, "If that's okay with you, Harry."
"I guess. Just, be home on time, this time, huh?" her father gave her a look.
Nita nodded, smiling.
As she carried her plate into the kitchen she said, "Both my Algebra and Chem teachers decided it was time to pile on the homework. I think I'll go make a dent in it, since I won't be home tomorrow."
"Okay, sweetie." her mother said, as Nita walked up the stairs.
The moment she was in her room, Nita quickly pulled out her Chemistry book, a notebook, and pen, laying them open on her bed. If she was going to have to return home quickly, she wanted to at least look like she had been doing homework.
Then, just as quickly, she said a few words that had her standing in a grove of trees, next to Kit.
***
"So if I take one-third less of the nutrients in the soil and one-third less water, Infriw and Yunna will part their branches above me and stop hogging all the sun?" Nita nodded, euphoric. Seatyn continued, "Why didn'y you tell me this a week ago and save me a lot of irritation?"
Nita laughed, too happy Seatyn finally got it to be ticked off at how dense the tree was. "Seatyn, that's exactly what I have been saying for a week."
"Was not. And don't be so sassy just because you're a human and grow faster. That doesn't change the fact that I'm 23 years older than you are."
Nita laughed again. She'd finally accomplished something! Now, to seal the deal.
"Yunna, Infriw, this sound good to you?"
"I suppose." Yunna consented.
"It's about time you talked sense into the young one." It was Infriw's way of agreement.
"Let's have the leaves, guys, for the—"
Nita? Dairine's mindspeak interrupted, Mom's going to bed and is coming up to tell you good night.
Crap! Be right there. Then, quickly to Kit, as she prepared to employ the much-used spell home, Be back soon.
Seconds later, Nita stood in her room. She heard her mother's footsteps on the stairs. She barely had time to dive on her bed and grab a pen, when her mother opened the door.
"I'm going to bed, honey. Don't stay up too late."
"'Night, Mom. Love you." Nita answered, not, she hoped, too quickly.
A question popped in her mother gaze, but before Nita could inquire, her mother said, "See you in the morning and left."
After waiting several seconds until she heard the door of her parents' room shut, Nita sent Dairine a quick message, I'm out again.
Okay. Dairine answered.
Nita glanced at the clock, noting it was twenty till twelve. As she started her transport spell, she caught a her reflection in a mirror.
Stuck in her hair were two brown leaves, having blown in there while she worked. Nita could only hope her mother hadn't noticed, but she fear that that was what the questioning look had been about. However, her mother hadn't asked, so Nita hoped for the best, and went back to work.