Chapter Two

The girls came around six. They carried sleeping bags and pillows and fashion magazines. They collected in the upper floor of the library sitting in a circle on their sleeping bags. A bag of chips was passed around.

"Alright," Ann said, crunching on her chips. "Let's get down to business."

Elli nodded, leaning forward.

Claire looked at Mary, who dusted her hands off from the chip crumbs.

"Mary," Claire said, "You're in love. I know it."

"With who?" Mary looked at her innocently.

"GRAY!" Popuri blurted. "You are in love with Gray! I'm sorry, you're just so cute together…"

Mary blushed. "Not true."

"Yes, true!" Elli squealed. "Look, you're blushing!"

"C'mon, Mary, we're your friends. You can tell us!" Karen waved her hands about excitedly.

"…Okay. Fine. I love Gray. Are you happy?" Mary looked down, her face red.

The girls all babbled at once. When they calmed down, they started talking seriously.

"Who wants to tell her?" Karen asked.

"I don't," Elli stated. "I want to watch."

"Me neither. I'm smiling too much, it'd be difficult." Popuri grinned, fluffing her hair.

"I will."

The girls all looked at Claire expectantly. Mary was sitting, braiding her hair. "I'm confused." She said. "What are we talking about?"

"Okay." Claire leaned forward, and as she did, the other girls watched Mary. "So yesterday, Jack told me that Trent told him that Rick told him that Cliff told him that Gray has a crush on you!"

All the girls waited, their eyes glued to Mary as she slowly lowered her hands onto her lap.

"Really?" she asked, "Are you sure?"

"You can ask Jack, Trent, Rick, or Cliff." Claire answered. "It's true."

Mary sat cross legged, considering this. Then she stood, brushing her navy blue nightgown. Then she slipped her feet into her slippers and walked down the stairs. Her friends watched, slightly confused and smiling at the same time.

None of them followed her as she walked down the silent streets into the inn.

None of them were there when she knocked on the door of the second room upstairs.

None of them saw the look Gray had on his face when he opened the door, his hat missing and his hair ruffled and his face tired from a hard day of work.

They all wished they could see Mary pull him close and kiss him on his cheek.

Or when Gray pulled her face up to kiss her mouth.