Chapter 6
The group chatted amongst themselves as they waited for the orders to arrive. Sara and Catherine gossiping while the guys talked of frogs, snails and bugs.
"Hey Nicky," Sara voiced and waited till she had Nick's full attention. "Would you rather," she paused, winking at Catherine, "solve a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle of a doll, or a 50 piece of an ant?" Nick grimaced at the thought of bending over a hundred pieces of carton which ultimately spelled "Doll." But, then again, to even consider working on a mere, childish, 50 piece puzzle was so ultimately embarrassing that he had no choice but to choose the doll. If he chose the masculine, manly ant, he'll never live down the fact that he picked a 50 piece over a 100 piece puzzle.
"Umm," he hesitated, squirming under the gazes of both girls. "I'd rather...do the 100 piece puzzle." Immediately snickers burst through the air, and the gang received a few reproachful looks from other customers. Indignantly, Nick puffed out his cheeks, "Well, what would you rather choose Sara," he countered, "Would you rather kiss Warrick or..." he paused, dramatically stretching out the moment, "Grissom." Nick maliciously whispered the boy's name. Sara's face turned a bright shade of pink, and she covered her widely gaping mouth with the palm of her hand.
Everybody in their right mind would pick Warrick. Those beautiful chocolate brown eyes that seemed to yell out at you the most romantic things, 'You're pretty,', 'I like your bow.', 'Can I push your swing?' And the wild hair that caught every girl's attention, sending their eyes sparkling with the might of a hundred diamonds. No one, no one at all, would have ever picked Grissom. Well, no one at all but Sara The shy, sometimes quiet kid who solved genius puzzles and could spell and pronounce correctly words like 'Bioluminescence.' Quietly, but confidently Sara voiced her opinion. Nick frowned, "What was that?" Catherine narrowed her eyes at Nick, although she herself could not distinguish Sara's choice in her soft murmur.
"Sara, what did you say?" Warrick piped up, interested in the answer. Everybody seemed to start whispering to her:
"What was that?"
"Hmm? I didn't hear."
"Sara? You picked Warrick right?"
"Sara? Well, you have to answer. It's not fair! I answered. Now you answer. Answer!" The room started spinning around her and slowly but surely closing in. The customers seemed to be sneering at her with evil grins. Her friends' faces were twirling around her head, first Cath, then Nick and Warrick, and then finally Grissoms's. Why was she feeling all sweaty and hot? What was happening to her? Catherine put a soft hand on Sara's shoulder causing her to startle.
"Grissom, ok!? Grissom!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs. She jumped up, emphasizing her words, and stared wildly at her friends. Sara finally realized what she had done and the room stopped closing in, as if it was disappointed with the events. Slowly her dizziness went away as her friends' heads came down from the air and reattached themselves to the designated bodies. But, the snares didn't leave. The customers looked at her, astonished at what she had just done.
"I," she whimpered, "You, you," she pointed an accusing finger in Nick's direction. "You're just a big bully!" She burst out and taking the complimentary glass of water that was set on the table she swished it out in Nick's direction. "Just a big...bully," she repeated quietly at Nick's dripping form. Her face screwed up in a pitying countenance and she rushed out of the store, darting past the big window. Catherine stood up, hands on her hips.
"Look what you did Nick!" she exclaimed, "You made a girl cry. You made Sara cry."