LEO'S POV

Well that was a boldfaced lie.

I sure as hell was thinking about her - way more than I should have been and way more than was probably the recommended daily dose of Peri. And not to mention the fact that she was changing right around the corner. Like, whoa.

I couldn't fight the dirty smirk that crossed my face when I thought about what she was doing. What if she just popped back up wearing practically nothing?! Gods, that'd be a dream come true-

"Alright, I'm kinda tired, so can we take a break?"

I looked up to see Peri, and I have to admit that my face fell in disappointment.

The only difference was that she had done away with the tights, and she had stripped herself of the black button down shirt. Instead she wore a tank top, the discarded clothes folded in her hands.

"Leo?" Peri repeated, jarring me. "So can we take a break or what?"

"Hm? O-oh. Yeah." I took off my work gloves, tossing them aside. "I'm pretty pooped, too. Let's take a breather."

"Awesome," Peri breathed out in relief before promptly splaying herself out onto the nearest worktable. She lied on her back, staring up at the ceiling - er, more like as high as she could see through the fog-like steam hanging around us. I chuckled and moved to sit next to her.

"It's so hot in here," Peri muttered softly, her eyes closing.

I smirked. "Or is it just me?"

She groaned exaggeratedly despite the smile on her face. "Oi,"

The simple monosyllabic response got me thinking, and I questioned her. "Why do you always say that?"

She cracked one eye open to peer at me. "I say that a lot?" I nodded, and she appeared slightly surprised with herself. "Wow, I didn't even know I. . . Oi is Japanese for hey. I know other countries and languages say the word for basically the same reason, but I didn't even know I said it that often."

I blinked. "Wow, that's actually pretty cool."

Peri shrugged her shoulders lightheartedly, but the gears in my mind had been set in motion. There was no telling when they'd stop.

"Where'd you learn Japanese?" I wondered. "Did they teach it to you at - what'd you call it? - Charm School? Or wait, was it your first language? Did your Gram teach it to you? She seems like such a cool person! Maybe if - I mean when all of this is over, then maybe you could introduce me to her. I bet she'd be so proud to hear all the things you've done."

Peri laughed dryly, and I couldn't find a hint of humor in her tone. "Leo, I don't think that would work out very well."

I furrowed my brows, thoroughly confused. "Why not? Where'd you say you were from? It was Chicago, ri-?"

"Gram is dead, Leo. She has been for 5 years."

I felt like I'd just been punched in the gut. I choked on the air I was breathing in.

"Oh gods, Peri, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know. Shit, I'm so stupid-"

But Peri only shook her head. "Hey, it's okay, don't feel bad. Of course you didn't know; I didn't tell you."

To my surprise, a light smile grazed her face. It was distant, almost as if she was remembering a pleasant memory.

"You're right, though," she said, staring up at the ceiling. "Gram would've loved you, and I bet you would've loved her cooking. She was the best. I learned so much from her."

The look on her face was nothing I'd ever seen. Her butterscotch eyes glazed over as she spoke, the words flowing from deep within her. And I realized that she'd probably never told anyone what she was telling me now.

Peri let out a broken chuckle. "You know, she had a pawn shop back in Chicago, and I swear she had anything and everything you could ever imagine in that store. Every instrument from tiny harmonicas to grand organs - and she could play all of them like nobody's business. I remember how in the summers she would play the piano, and the block would be full of people trying to get a listen."

Her hand traced an unidentifiable pattern onto the wooden worktable as the words poured out of her.

"I think - I think that's how I found out I loved music," she said. "The way she played. . it was amazing. Like. . like she was one with the instrument. And playing came so easy to her. The way the music hit you. . it took your breath away. And I loved every second of it - everyone did. When you heard her music, you couldn't help but move. There was no way you could sit still. And so I didn't sit still. I had to dance."

I was unable to say a word, unable to interrupt her. I couldn't. Not when she was giving me everything. Not when she was letting me in like this.

Peri laughed softly at herself. "And then I realized it. They say that everyone has one thing that they're good at. Well, my thing was dance. I felt it in me. Like something stirring. I just moved, and it was magic. the way it made me so happy and excited and complete and-"

And then she cut herself off, shaking her head with sudden embarrassment. "Wow, I sound so stupid. I'm sorry-"

"No," I said quickly, turning to look her right in the eyes. "No, you don't sound stupid. You sound really smart and wise and deep and. . . and real."

She smiled warmly. "Th-thanks, Leo."

I stared at her for a moment, my brain still trying to process all that she'd told me. There was definitely more than meets the eye with her, and I wanted to discover all there was to know about her.

"No problem. No problem at all."