A/n: Two words. Grease fever.
A/n part 2: most of the summer will be from Ariadne's POV. Just adding that bit of knowledge into your brains.
_____Chapter_six______________________l
Ariadne Chant::
"Look at me I'm Sandra Dee Lousy with virginity Won't go to bed til my legally wed."
I sit on the bed, watching Lily singing along to her magically record player on the floor. I can't help but laugh at her choice of song.
"I can't I'm Sandra Dee! Watch it! Hey, I'm Doris Day. I was not brought up that way Won't come across Even Rock Hudson lost his heart to Doris Day!"
She jumps off her bed and begins to dance strangely to the music, singing with her eyes closed. Her ripped stockings and sideways ponytail swinging side to side made her look twice as bizarre. But, Lily, being Lily, cared little. And just being with her sometimes makes me feel the same.
"I don't drink or swear I won't rat my hair,
I get ill from one cigarette."
With that, she pops a fag out of her cloak pocket and shakes at me threateningly, her eyes shining with laughter.
"Keep your filthy paws off my silky drawers.
Would you pull that crap with Annette?
As for you, Troy Donahue, I know what you wanna do
You got your crust, I'm no object of lust,
I'm just plain Sandra Dee!"
Her vulgar motions are cut short as she pulls me up from my comfortable spot on the bed. She begins singing again and soon I am on the floor, laughing at her acting. But even through her hiccupping laughs, she keeps singing loudly.
"Elvis, Elvis, let me be! Keep that pelvis far from me!
Just keep your cool Now you're starting to drool
Hey, fungu, I'm Sandra Dee!"
At the end of the last note, she drops down next to me, her face red and mascara running down her face as she sweats from her exertions. She stares at her fag longingly. "I just wish they let us smoke in here." She gently places the fag back in her pockets and just sits there, panting slightly.
Then she turns suddenly, so look under her bed for another record. I caught enough of a glimpse to see it's another Grease song. I cringe. "Don't you ever get sick of that?"
She looks up just a second to grin at me as she puts in the record. Then, as the song begins to play, she kicks me slightly with her feet. "Sing."
"What?" I cry in surprise and confusion. "Why?"
"Because you're making me do all the work!" She whines gently. Her foot nudges me again. "Please? I know you know the words. There's not a soul in the castle who doesn't!"
And the tune catches me ears and I sigh in the defeat.
"Summer loving, had me a blast Summer loving, happened so fast. I met a girl, crazy for me. Met a boy, cute as can be. Summer days, driftin' away But, uh oh, those summer nights!"
I grin at her gently and she laughs back, singing the next part.
"Tell me more, tell me more! Did you get very far? Tell me more, tell me more, Like does he have a car?"
"She swam by me, she got a cramp He went by me, got my suit damp Saved her life, she nearly drowned! He showed up, splashing around! Summer sun, somethin's begun But- uh oh, those summer nights!"
"Tell me more, tell me more Was it love at first sight? Tell me more, tell me more, Did she put a fight?"
"Took her bowling, in the Arcade We went strolling, drank lemonade We made out, under the dock We stayed up, til ten o'clock! Summer fling, don't mean a thing But uh oh, those summer nights-"
"Shut that shit up!" screams a voice from outside the doors, obviously slamming on the door with both hands. Both Lily and I let the song finish in silence, but we are both grinning like crazy. When the song's over we don't speak for a long while. "I had a dream with one of those songs, last night." I say slowly, thinking about that odd dream. "What about?" she asks slowly, leaning back against the frame of her bed, closing her eyes. "Well, actually . . .don't laugh . . .but Sirius." I pause to hear her response and Lily does not disappoint me. She giggles loudly and opens her eyes to stare at me with amusement. "No shit? Sirius Black? As what, a greaser?" She shows signs of thinking for a moment before finishing. "I can actually see him in those tight-ass jeans and those leather jackets. Totally your style." She winks at me. I roll my eyes gently. "Very funny, and, no, he was not a bloody greaser. He was singing one of those songs that annoy Elizandria so much." "Which one?" She pulls out a couple of records from under her bed and tosses them to me. "One of these?" I shrug. "How the hell should I know? I only heard the song, not the title." "Fine, fine." She begins placing a record on the record player. After playing a short bit of it, I shake my head. We repeat this several times, before I finally nod my head frantically. "This one?" she asks, slightly surprised. I don't understand the source of her confusion, but I nod anyway, humming along to the tune. "Do you think that your dream might be . . .uh, you know. . .prophetic?" She takes the record out before the song finishes and pushes all her records back under her bed, along with her record player. "Prophetic?" I frown into my hands, not really wanting to look her in the face. "How so?" "Er, the song is about how some girl thinks this other guy should shape up because she wants to be with him." She gives me an award-winning grin and slaps me on the back. "You better shape up for your lover, then." "Sod off."
Sirius Black::
It's Sunday and I have no doubts that I can avoid Eli the whole day. Its Monday that I know will be a problem.
I lay in my bed, long after Wormtail has awaken and gotten out of the bed. My stomach growls, but I ignore the rumbling and just lay there, hour after hour. Eventually someone comes.
Prongs shoves his face up in front of mine. "Man, get your ass up!" He pushes the blankets off me and I groan in discomfort as the cold air bites my exposed skin.
"Get up!" he screams in my ear. I shoot him a glare as I sit up, rubbing my cold arms. "This is all your fault, anyway. If you hadn't brought Eli on me like a plague, I wouldn't still be in bed." I narrow my eyes at him when I catch a guilty look cross his face. "You didn't do it, PURPOSELY, did you?" When he still doesn't answer, I'm convinced. "You git. You are a bastard. You set me up! You knew Eli would hear me because you bloody told her I would be there!" I get off the bed and growl at him angrily. "Get before I pop you one." Prongs always has been a smart person. He knows when it's smart to run, and when it's smart to stay. This definitely was a run moment. I manage to drag my groggy carcass out of my sleepy stupor. I get dressed and quickly go on another search for Ariadne. The dare had definitely been invalidated, but she had probably heard me and I didn't want her to think I was back with Eli. I find her sitting with Lily, both talking casually and laughing. I approach unhurriedly, unsure if I want to interrupt their conversation. I mean, a conversation where Ariadne looks happy is rare. But Lily sees me before I can make a decision for myself and calls me over. I can't refuse, so I amble over to Ariadne and Lily as informally as I possibly can. I sit myself down between them and the hairs on my legs bristle as Ariadne's leg brushes against mine.
"Eh, hey Ariadne, did you hear anything weird yesterday?" I try to add this into the conversation casually, trying not to see to forward.
I watch nervously as Lily tries to catch Ariadne's eye, but she keeps staring at me, smiling her side-ways smile. "Maybe," she answers slowly, the words slipping out of her mouth slowly. "Why do you ask?" Flirtatiously?!
I shrug, enjoying the fact that my arm brushes by hers as I do. "Um, I heard something happened. How's Eli?" The questions seems reasonable when I say it in my head, but as soon as I say it out loud and I can see Ariadne's expression fall, I know I messed up.
I put my hands up in my defense. "I didn't mean it like that, Ariadne. Honest. I just. . ." But how can I explain it to her that I want to know if she was talking about us getting back together. If I do say that she'll think I AM going out with Eli, again. And, I don't want her to.
"Fine, I guess. As you can tell, I wouldn't know." Her voice has an edge I hadn't detected before and I bit my lip in my anxiety.
"I think I have to. . .do stuff now. We'll talk later, okay, Lily. " She gives Lily a little wave and nods me a goodbye as picks herself up from the sofa, her thin limbs untangling themselves and rearranging to fit back together.
But when she's walking away I decide that I can't just leave things like that, broken and shattered on the ground like a thousand pieces of glass. So I get up and I run after her. I don't even think about saying anything to Lily. For some reason, I think she might understand.
"Ariadne!" When I reached her, she's turning around, her hair falling straight on her shoulders, and her face paler than usual, possible because of its lack of makeup.
"Yeah?" Her eyes beg me to let her go, but I refuse to let her eyes persuade me into letting go this chance to not ruin a friendship.
"Look, Ariadne," I scramble my words up in the bowl which is my mind and they all slide out of the slot of my mouth. "I don't like her, really and I don't want to ruin whatever the bloody hell we have it might we might be friends you know and its not like I don't have but I don't want us not to be friends because well, it's just not something I wouldn't miss and can I just say I don't want her, and if you heard it, don't believe her because it was a dare and they told me to do it to you, but Prongs tricked me so she came out and I didn't want her and she kept going at it but none of it is true I'd totally not go out with her I'm not." I take a deep breath after my lack of intake a second before.
Her eyes are wide, staring at me with a peculiar expression. At last the words her eyes want to speak reach her tongue. "Er. Can I just interrupt and say I didn't really get it?"
I can't help but grin at her expression. "You know I wouldn't go back out with Eli, right?"
She bits her bottom lip and looks down. "I don't know. You won't?" Her voice rises with a bit of maybe hope? I hope I didn't just imagine it.
"I won't. She was a bitch." Her eyes rise to meet mine, and she smiles.
"Good. I wouldn't want to see you hurt again." Her hand flits towards mine for a second, as if she's considering holding it, but she changes her mind and walks upstairs towards her dorm hastily.
Ariande Chant::
The rest of the school year flew by when I was friends with Sirius. We hung out every so often and began feeling more and more comfortable with each other. Of coarse, sometimes I would let myself fantasize an actual relationship with him. But all this bliss made summer seem more like hell than usual.
I dreaded the ride home, but what other choice did I have?
"I'm having some ice-cream as soon as I get home!" Lily cries getting into the compartment. Her red hair shone in the moonlight that slipped into the room from the window, and James, sitting next to her, caressed it carelessly.
My envy must have shown in my eyes, because Lily flicked her head in Sirius's direction. I frown and shake my head frantically. She rolls her eyes at me and turns her head to kiss James's hand.
I have to hold back a hiss of anger that almost passes my lips. I know Lily just did that to make me even more jealous. I excuse myself softly and get up from my seat.
But being in the passage, feeling the train shaking under my feet and people talking barely audible all around me makes me feel isolated. I walk along the empty passage for a while before I feel someone beside me.
Her white paws make no noise, but I can feel her there nonetheless. "'Allo, Isis."
"The word is 'Hello'. Please, I am a cat and I can speak better than you." Her dignified words and her cocky attitude are by now something I am used to and I dismiss her words totally, as she knows I will.
"What should I do, Isis?" my voice holds a weakness that few people but Isis have as of yet heard. And Isis understands completely, dropping her act and instead padding along the passage beside me silently, deep in her thoughts, apparently unsure how to answer my question.
"You know how I feel about that boy," she replies at long last, "but even I can not see how this boy will affect your d-life. I am afraid for you, child."
I stop walking and look down at the white cat beside me. The only spots of color on her are the brown patches on her legs and her red eyes, brilliantly shining of all her intelligence and personality. "Ever since I've met you, ever since I was five, you've been there. You're not even a pet. You take more care of me than I take care of you. Why is that, Isis?"
I don't expect an answer, really. But I get one. "Maybe it is time." The cat murmurs. Her red eyes look up at me, and I cringe under their stare. "Ask me that question at the end of this summer and perhaps you shall receive your answer." With that she turns tail and retreats back to our compartment.
I remain there in the passage but a little while, waiting for something it seems. But nothing comes to my rescue. I finally turn back myself toward the compartment.
_______________________--------------------___________________
And I stand in front of the building, my eyes widening in the sight I saw. What had happened to this place while I had been gone? I let my trunk fall to the ground as I gaze more deeply at the building.
I look around at last, my eyes catching the eye of a store nearby untouched by the fire that had caught the orphanage.
I fly in, trunk and all. I no doubt am a fright for the poor man at the counter, but he stays strong and stares me in eyes questionably.
"What happened to the orphanage?" I ask in a out of breath voice.
"Where have you been?" he asks in disdain, but I ignore it. There are more important things at hand.
"What happened to it?" I ask again, my voice firmer.
He rolls his eyes, but continues. "Some kid inside. Thought it might be fun to play with matches. Burnt down the whole building at midnight some day in November. Most people didn't get out in time. There went all those buggers." He laughs bitterly. "Ruined my business some, it did."
I would have turned away from him if the impact of what he had said didn't smack me in the face. I had had friends there. Gabriel, a small child for whom I was like a mother for. Jane, a girl who had been like a mother to me. Hilda, the girl who had been orphaned in a horrible fire, and whose own face had been burned away in the incident. And so many others. Even those I had hated I wept for. I stood there in plain view of the man at the counter, holding my face in hands, sobbing loudly.
The man, like the bastard he obviously is, stands there, stareing, thinking about who he should tell about this girl who appeared half a year after the fire to mourn. And I can't stand in there anymore where the building, or what is left of it, is in my plain view. I have to leave.
So I clutch my trunk and run out of there, running until I'm out of breath, and far away from the building. Then I realize that I have nowhere to stay. The little bit of money I do have, I know I have to save for later.
I decide my best chance of find a place to stay is to find a squat. If I can find a decent place, I'll be fine. I convince myself and walk on path towards the home of a man that everyone knows controls many of those sorts of things.
I gather my courage and knock on the door, expecting to see a tall man, known as Homer. But instead a woman, whose hair is pulled into a tight bun, answers the door.
"Homer!" she calls to the house as soon as she looks me over. "There's another one here!" She motions for me to come in, and orders me towards the couch. The couch is lumpy and smells of vomit, but my legs welcome the rest.
I sit there, trying not to look at the woman to closely. I hadn't heard of the Homer being married. It was a revelation. I had met him once or twice, usually with older friends who got somewhere to stay with his helping hand. He did not do things for free, but I am sure I can follow up with whatever he requests of me.
He comes down the stairs; his large boots making the dust on the house rise up and fly around, making me sneeze. "So, let me guess, you are a runaway that needs a new home?" His fat lips smack and I try not to wince. I nod carefully and Isis sits on lap, watching Homer very attentively. "Hmm, now let me think. I believe there is a place with a place for a girl like you," he winks at me and I manage to smile back at him. Any sign of insult could ruin my chance of making it. "What is you name by the way?" "Minnie." I answer back in a small voice. He motions for me to follow him. "Nice name. Now, the door will be open at midnight," he leans over the table to write me an address. "Go here and open the door. Tell Orlando I sent you. I shall contact you when it comes time for . . .payment." His eyes twinkle and I move away a step, smiling all the time. "Thank you. Thank you." I hear some mention of serving me something to drink, but I shake my head and rush out, grabbing my trunk on the way. Isis is right beside me. I run a block, just to make sure they don't follow me. "I don't like that man." Isis mutters at I sit down on the curb, watching the cars ride by. "Neither do I, but what does that have to do with it?" I kick a stone with my foot. "He's going to get us somewhere to stay, and-" "And what about his payment?" Isis hisses at me sharply. "Even you noticed how he looked at you when he mentioned your payment. It does not take much imagination to realize what payment he has in mind." "So," I reply curtly, "are you telling me NOT to go to the squat at midnight. Where will we stay then? Eh?" She can't give me an answer and I know it.
A/n part 2: most of the summer will be from Ariadne's POV. Just adding that bit of knowledge into your brains.
_____Chapter_six______________________l
Ariadne Chant::
"Look at me I'm Sandra Dee Lousy with virginity Won't go to bed til my legally wed."
I sit on the bed, watching Lily singing along to her magically record player on the floor. I can't help but laugh at her choice of song.
"I can't I'm Sandra Dee! Watch it! Hey, I'm Doris Day. I was not brought up that way Won't come across Even Rock Hudson lost his heart to Doris Day!"
She jumps off her bed and begins to dance strangely to the music, singing with her eyes closed. Her ripped stockings and sideways ponytail swinging side to side made her look twice as bizarre. But, Lily, being Lily, cared little. And just being with her sometimes makes me feel the same.
"I don't drink or swear I won't rat my hair,
I get ill from one cigarette."
With that, she pops a fag out of her cloak pocket and shakes at me threateningly, her eyes shining with laughter.
"Keep your filthy paws off my silky drawers.
Would you pull that crap with Annette?
As for you, Troy Donahue, I know what you wanna do
You got your crust, I'm no object of lust,
I'm just plain Sandra Dee!"
Her vulgar motions are cut short as she pulls me up from my comfortable spot on the bed. She begins singing again and soon I am on the floor, laughing at her acting. But even through her hiccupping laughs, she keeps singing loudly.
"Elvis, Elvis, let me be! Keep that pelvis far from me!
Just keep your cool Now you're starting to drool
Hey, fungu, I'm Sandra Dee!"
At the end of the last note, she drops down next to me, her face red and mascara running down her face as she sweats from her exertions. She stares at her fag longingly. "I just wish they let us smoke in here." She gently places the fag back in her pockets and just sits there, panting slightly.
Then she turns suddenly, so look under her bed for another record. I caught enough of a glimpse to see it's another Grease song. I cringe. "Don't you ever get sick of that?"
She looks up just a second to grin at me as she puts in the record. Then, as the song begins to play, she kicks me slightly with her feet. "Sing."
"What?" I cry in surprise and confusion. "Why?"
"Because you're making me do all the work!" She whines gently. Her foot nudges me again. "Please? I know you know the words. There's not a soul in the castle who doesn't!"
And the tune catches me ears and I sigh in the defeat.
"Summer loving, had me a blast Summer loving, happened so fast. I met a girl, crazy for me. Met a boy, cute as can be. Summer days, driftin' away But, uh oh, those summer nights!"
I grin at her gently and she laughs back, singing the next part.
"Tell me more, tell me more! Did you get very far? Tell me more, tell me more, Like does he have a car?"
"She swam by me, she got a cramp He went by me, got my suit damp Saved her life, she nearly drowned! He showed up, splashing around! Summer sun, somethin's begun But- uh oh, those summer nights!"
"Tell me more, tell me more Was it love at first sight? Tell me more, tell me more, Did she put a fight?"
"Took her bowling, in the Arcade We went strolling, drank lemonade We made out, under the dock We stayed up, til ten o'clock! Summer fling, don't mean a thing But uh oh, those summer nights-"
"Shut that shit up!" screams a voice from outside the doors, obviously slamming on the door with both hands. Both Lily and I let the song finish in silence, but we are both grinning like crazy. When the song's over we don't speak for a long while. "I had a dream with one of those songs, last night." I say slowly, thinking about that odd dream. "What about?" she asks slowly, leaning back against the frame of her bed, closing her eyes. "Well, actually . . .don't laugh . . .but Sirius." I pause to hear her response and Lily does not disappoint me. She giggles loudly and opens her eyes to stare at me with amusement. "No shit? Sirius Black? As what, a greaser?" She shows signs of thinking for a moment before finishing. "I can actually see him in those tight-ass jeans and those leather jackets. Totally your style." She winks at me. I roll my eyes gently. "Very funny, and, no, he was not a bloody greaser. He was singing one of those songs that annoy Elizandria so much." "Which one?" She pulls out a couple of records from under her bed and tosses them to me. "One of these?" I shrug. "How the hell should I know? I only heard the song, not the title." "Fine, fine." She begins placing a record on the record player. After playing a short bit of it, I shake my head. We repeat this several times, before I finally nod my head frantically. "This one?" she asks, slightly surprised. I don't understand the source of her confusion, but I nod anyway, humming along to the tune. "Do you think that your dream might be . . .uh, you know. . .prophetic?" She takes the record out before the song finishes and pushes all her records back under her bed, along with her record player. "Prophetic?" I frown into my hands, not really wanting to look her in the face. "How so?" "Er, the song is about how some girl thinks this other guy should shape up because she wants to be with him." She gives me an award-winning grin and slaps me on the back. "You better shape up for your lover, then." "Sod off."
Sirius Black::
It's Sunday and I have no doubts that I can avoid Eli the whole day. Its Monday that I know will be a problem.
I lay in my bed, long after Wormtail has awaken and gotten out of the bed. My stomach growls, but I ignore the rumbling and just lay there, hour after hour. Eventually someone comes.
Prongs shoves his face up in front of mine. "Man, get your ass up!" He pushes the blankets off me and I groan in discomfort as the cold air bites my exposed skin.
"Get up!" he screams in my ear. I shoot him a glare as I sit up, rubbing my cold arms. "This is all your fault, anyway. If you hadn't brought Eli on me like a plague, I wouldn't still be in bed." I narrow my eyes at him when I catch a guilty look cross his face. "You didn't do it, PURPOSELY, did you?" When he still doesn't answer, I'm convinced. "You git. You are a bastard. You set me up! You knew Eli would hear me because you bloody told her I would be there!" I get off the bed and growl at him angrily. "Get before I pop you one." Prongs always has been a smart person. He knows when it's smart to run, and when it's smart to stay. This definitely was a run moment. I manage to drag my groggy carcass out of my sleepy stupor. I get dressed and quickly go on another search for Ariadne. The dare had definitely been invalidated, but she had probably heard me and I didn't want her to think I was back with Eli. I find her sitting with Lily, both talking casually and laughing. I approach unhurriedly, unsure if I want to interrupt their conversation. I mean, a conversation where Ariadne looks happy is rare. But Lily sees me before I can make a decision for myself and calls me over. I can't refuse, so I amble over to Ariadne and Lily as informally as I possibly can. I sit myself down between them and the hairs on my legs bristle as Ariadne's leg brushes against mine.
"Eh, hey Ariadne, did you hear anything weird yesterday?" I try to add this into the conversation casually, trying not to see to forward.
I watch nervously as Lily tries to catch Ariadne's eye, but she keeps staring at me, smiling her side-ways smile. "Maybe," she answers slowly, the words slipping out of her mouth slowly. "Why do you ask?" Flirtatiously?!
I shrug, enjoying the fact that my arm brushes by hers as I do. "Um, I heard something happened. How's Eli?" The questions seems reasonable when I say it in my head, but as soon as I say it out loud and I can see Ariadne's expression fall, I know I messed up.
I put my hands up in my defense. "I didn't mean it like that, Ariadne. Honest. I just. . ." But how can I explain it to her that I want to know if she was talking about us getting back together. If I do say that she'll think I AM going out with Eli, again. And, I don't want her to.
"Fine, I guess. As you can tell, I wouldn't know." Her voice has an edge I hadn't detected before and I bit my lip in my anxiety.
"I think I have to. . .do stuff now. We'll talk later, okay, Lily. " She gives Lily a little wave and nods me a goodbye as picks herself up from the sofa, her thin limbs untangling themselves and rearranging to fit back together.
But when she's walking away I decide that I can't just leave things like that, broken and shattered on the ground like a thousand pieces of glass. So I get up and I run after her. I don't even think about saying anything to Lily. For some reason, I think she might understand.
"Ariadne!" When I reached her, she's turning around, her hair falling straight on her shoulders, and her face paler than usual, possible because of its lack of makeup.
"Yeah?" Her eyes beg me to let her go, but I refuse to let her eyes persuade me into letting go this chance to not ruin a friendship.
"Look, Ariadne," I scramble my words up in the bowl which is my mind and they all slide out of the slot of my mouth. "I don't like her, really and I don't want to ruin whatever the bloody hell we have it might we might be friends you know and its not like I don't have but I don't want us not to be friends because well, it's just not something I wouldn't miss and can I just say I don't want her, and if you heard it, don't believe her because it was a dare and they told me to do it to you, but Prongs tricked me so she came out and I didn't want her and she kept going at it but none of it is true I'd totally not go out with her I'm not." I take a deep breath after my lack of intake a second before.
Her eyes are wide, staring at me with a peculiar expression. At last the words her eyes want to speak reach her tongue. "Er. Can I just interrupt and say I didn't really get it?"
I can't help but grin at her expression. "You know I wouldn't go back out with Eli, right?"
She bits her bottom lip and looks down. "I don't know. You won't?" Her voice rises with a bit of maybe hope? I hope I didn't just imagine it.
"I won't. She was a bitch." Her eyes rise to meet mine, and she smiles.
"Good. I wouldn't want to see you hurt again." Her hand flits towards mine for a second, as if she's considering holding it, but she changes her mind and walks upstairs towards her dorm hastily.
Ariande Chant::
The rest of the school year flew by when I was friends with Sirius. We hung out every so often and began feeling more and more comfortable with each other. Of coarse, sometimes I would let myself fantasize an actual relationship with him. But all this bliss made summer seem more like hell than usual.
I dreaded the ride home, but what other choice did I have?
"I'm having some ice-cream as soon as I get home!" Lily cries getting into the compartment. Her red hair shone in the moonlight that slipped into the room from the window, and James, sitting next to her, caressed it carelessly.
My envy must have shown in my eyes, because Lily flicked her head in Sirius's direction. I frown and shake my head frantically. She rolls her eyes at me and turns her head to kiss James's hand.
I have to hold back a hiss of anger that almost passes my lips. I know Lily just did that to make me even more jealous. I excuse myself softly and get up from my seat.
But being in the passage, feeling the train shaking under my feet and people talking barely audible all around me makes me feel isolated. I walk along the empty passage for a while before I feel someone beside me.
Her white paws make no noise, but I can feel her there nonetheless. "'Allo, Isis."
"The word is 'Hello'. Please, I am a cat and I can speak better than you." Her dignified words and her cocky attitude are by now something I am used to and I dismiss her words totally, as she knows I will.
"What should I do, Isis?" my voice holds a weakness that few people but Isis have as of yet heard. And Isis understands completely, dropping her act and instead padding along the passage beside me silently, deep in her thoughts, apparently unsure how to answer my question.
"You know how I feel about that boy," she replies at long last, "but even I can not see how this boy will affect your d-life. I am afraid for you, child."
I stop walking and look down at the white cat beside me. The only spots of color on her are the brown patches on her legs and her red eyes, brilliantly shining of all her intelligence and personality. "Ever since I've met you, ever since I was five, you've been there. You're not even a pet. You take more care of me than I take care of you. Why is that, Isis?"
I don't expect an answer, really. But I get one. "Maybe it is time." The cat murmurs. Her red eyes look up at me, and I cringe under their stare. "Ask me that question at the end of this summer and perhaps you shall receive your answer." With that she turns tail and retreats back to our compartment.
I remain there in the passage but a little while, waiting for something it seems. But nothing comes to my rescue. I finally turn back myself toward the compartment.
_______________________--------------------___________________
And I stand in front of the building, my eyes widening in the sight I saw. What had happened to this place while I had been gone? I let my trunk fall to the ground as I gaze more deeply at the building.
I look around at last, my eyes catching the eye of a store nearby untouched by the fire that had caught the orphanage.
I fly in, trunk and all. I no doubt am a fright for the poor man at the counter, but he stays strong and stares me in eyes questionably.
"What happened to the orphanage?" I ask in a out of breath voice.
"Where have you been?" he asks in disdain, but I ignore it. There are more important things at hand.
"What happened to it?" I ask again, my voice firmer.
He rolls his eyes, but continues. "Some kid inside. Thought it might be fun to play with matches. Burnt down the whole building at midnight some day in November. Most people didn't get out in time. There went all those buggers." He laughs bitterly. "Ruined my business some, it did."
I would have turned away from him if the impact of what he had said didn't smack me in the face. I had had friends there. Gabriel, a small child for whom I was like a mother for. Jane, a girl who had been like a mother to me. Hilda, the girl who had been orphaned in a horrible fire, and whose own face had been burned away in the incident. And so many others. Even those I had hated I wept for. I stood there in plain view of the man at the counter, holding my face in hands, sobbing loudly.
The man, like the bastard he obviously is, stands there, stareing, thinking about who he should tell about this girl who appeared half a year after the fire to mourn. And I can't stand in there anymore where the building, or what is left of it, is in my plain view. I have to leave.
So I clutch my trunk and run out of there, running until I'm out of breath, and far away from the building. Then I realize that I have nowhere to stay. The little bit of money I do have, I know I have to save for later.
I decide my best chance of find a place to stay is to find a squat. If I can find a decent place, I'll be fine. I convince myself and walk on path towards the home of a man that everyone knows controls many of those sorts of things.
I gather my courage and knock on the door, expecting to see a tall man, known as Homer. But instead a woman, whose hair is pulled into a tight bun, answers the door.
"Homer!" she calls to the house as soon as she looks me over. "There's another one here!" She motions for me to come in, and orders me towards the couch. The couch is lumpy and smells of vomit, but my legs welcome the rest.
I sit there, trying not to look at the woman to closely. I hadn't heard of the Homer being married. It was a revelation. I had met him once or twice, usually with older friends who got somewhere to stay with his helping hand. He did not do things for free, but I am sure I can follow up with whatever he requests of me.
He comes down the stairs; his large boots making the dust on the house rise up and fly around, making me sneeze. "So, let me guess, you are a runaway that needs a new home?" His fat lips smack and I try not to wince. I nod carefully and Isis sits on lap, watching Homer very attentively. "Hmm, now let me think. I believe there is a place with a place for a girl like you," he winks at me and I manage to smile back at him. Any sign of insult could ruin my chance of making it. "What is you name by the way?" "Minnie." I answer back in a small voice. He motions for me to follow him. "Nice name. Now, the door will be open at midnight," he leans over the table to write me an address. "Go here and open the door. Tell Orlando I sent you. I shall contact you when it comes time for . . .payment." His eyes twinkle and I move away a step, smiling all the time. "Thank you. Thank you." I hear some mention of serving me something to drink, but I shake my head and rush out, grabbing my trunk on the way. Isis is right beside me. I run a block, just to make sure they don't follow me. "I don't like that man." Isis mutters at I sit down on the curb, watching the cars ride by. "Neither do I, but what does that have to do with it?" I kick a stone with my foot. "He's going to get us somewhere to stay, and-" "And what about his payment?" Isis hisses at me sharply. "Even you noticed how he looked at you when he mentioned your payment. It does not take much imagination to realize what payment he has in mind." "So," I reply curtly, "are you telling me NOT to go to the squat at midnight. Where will we stay then? Eh?" She can't give me an answer and I know it.