"If you ask me, I think Hornet has a crush on you," Riccio teased Prosper as they walked away from the hotel where Bo was being held. Prosper blushed, trying to cover it with a laugh.
"Come on, Riccio," He gave an attempt at a snort. "Hornet is the only girl in a gang of five boys, and if she was going to fancy one of them, it wouldn't be me."
Riccio looked like he was considering the thought. "Alright then, O Great God of Fanciable people, who do you think she would have a crush on out of all of us?" He challenged.
"Well, she spends an awful lot of time with Bo…" Prop laughed. "No, I'm joking, um…She probably fancies Scipio."
"Why?" Riccio asked, baring his teeth in an amused grin. He was obviously enjoying this.
"Well, he's the oldest and the tallest and the best looking." Prosper explained. "Oh…But then, he lied…She wasn't too happy about that, was she?"
Riccio shook his head. "I reckon Mosca." He announced as they passed through a maze of alleyways.
"Mosca?" Prop wrinkled his nose. "Why him?"
"Well, he's big and strong, isn't he?" Riccio kicked a stone. It bounced off the walls of the alley they were walking down, echoing through the darkness. "Girls like boys who are big and strong."
"Not necessarily," Prosper argued. "My dad wasn't…" He trailed off as he remembered his father, small and slim, but so much fun. "Anyway, Hornet isn't like other girls. And I still reckon she likes Scip."
"She'll kill you if you say that to her face!" Riccio laughed.
Prop frowned. "What? That I think she has a crush on Scip?"
"No, stupid, that she's not like other girls." Riccio replied, the expression on his face reading 'duh!' in the dim light cast by the stars.
"She wants to be like other girls?" Prosper frowned. "Why? She's great as she is!"
"You know, I think I know someone who has a crush on Hornet…" Riccio grinned, showing his disgusting teeth.
"Who?" Prosper asked, trying to sound mildly interested although his heart was racing.
"You!" Riccio laughed, running off down the alley. Prop chased after him, calling, "I do not!" while furiously blushing.
The two boys stopped, panting.
"I was joking, Prop," Riccio gasped. "Unless, you actually do…?"
"No." Prop answered shortly.
"Whatever." Riccio shrugged and the boys set off at a normal pace, continuing to weave through the tunnels and backstreets. "Even if you did, she would be too busy with Mosca."
"You mean Scip."
"No I mean Mosca."
"Scip."
"Mosca."
"Scip!"
"Mosca!"
"Why are we even having this conversation?" Prosper pointed out suddenly. Riccio shrugged.
"Kills time, I guess."
Prop laughed as they reached Ida's house. Hornet was hovering anxiously in the doorway, as though she was waiting. When she saw Prosper and Hornet arriving through the gates, she ran towards them.
Hornet threw her arms around Prop. "Oh my goodness, you're ok!" She gasped into his shoulder. Baffled, he put his arms around her.
"Yup," Riccio nodded. "Definitely Scipio…"