"Have you two been hiding here this whole time?"
"Oh, yes," Peter said quickly. "We've been here for ages!"
Jade nodded.
"And now, after this frightfully entertaining game, I shall take my leave," Jade said, curtsying and hurrying away.
"Jade, wait!" Peter called after her.
"Oh shove off, Pete. You've obviously upset her somehow. It's better she's angry and somewhere else than angry here," Edmund said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like she'll ever like you anyway. She doesn't like anyone. Just look at her. Selfish, I say."
"Shut-up, Ed. What do you know about girls anyway?" Peter snapped, shoving is brother and following Jade.
"Well met, both of you," Susan said sourly. "Come on, Lucy, let's go find something else to do."
The girls left Edmund standing alone and angry at Peter and Jade.
Peter caught up with Jade easily.
"What do we do now?" he asked, gesturing at his marked wrist.
"What do you mean 'what do we do now?' We don't do anything," she hissed, quickening her pace.
"Don't be stupid, we have to tell someone. The Professor would know what to do about this, wouldn't he? We need to figure out what this all means."
Jade stopped suddenly, turning to Peter.
"Look. I don't know what happened. I don't know what this is. I don't want to know. I don't want to have anything to do with this. All you and your family have been is trouble ever since you got here. So do us all a favor and just leave me alone."
Peter was taken aback. One minute she was practically crying on his shoulder and the next she was telling him to get lost. It took him a few seconds to realize that she had just stormed down the hall.
"What?" he gasped, jogging to catch up with her. She refused to look at him, only moving faster and faster until they were both almost jogging. Peter grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face him.
"Excuse me for upsetting your perfect order, but this," he held up the black sun, "isn't something we can just ignore."
"Watch me," she snarled. She attempted to twist out of his grip but he just held tighter, grabbing her other hand.
"What is your problem?" he asked.
"Swallow a reality pill Pete. This can't be really happening. This can'tbe real. It's simpy impossible."
"Well why don't you take your own advice Jade?" She fought him as he tried to push back her sleeve but lost miserably. "This isn't going away. When you wake up tomorrow it will still be here.
"And so will I," he added, releasing her and stalking off down the hall.
Dinner that night was extremely awkward. Peter had not only struck up a miniature battle with Jade. He had bullied Edmund and scolded Susan and yelled at everyone in general until Lucy started to cry and he hid himself inside the room he shared with Edmund. The professor had returned and was also silent as dinner progressed. All that was heard was the rumble of an oncoming thunderstorm over the forest.
"Excuse me," Jade said after what felt like hours of silence. She dropped her napkin on her plate and exited the room silently, yet haughtily.
"I think I'll turn in early as well," Susan said. Her exit was much less dignified. She tried to be smooth and graceful as she left but tripped on Lucy's chair leg and tumbled to the ground.
"Susan!" Lucy cried. "Are you alright?"
Edmund burst into laughter.
"Shut-up, Ed," Peter said, going to help his sister up.
She took his hand and they left together.
"A lot of tension in the house, I see," the professor said quietly.
"You have no idea," Edmund rolled his eyes and shoved his chair backwards. He tossed his napkin over his shoulder as he, too, exited the room.
Lucy burst into tears. She ran to the professor and sat on his lap, telling him about her adventures in the upstairs wardrobe and how no one believed her and about all of the arguments that had arisen in the house throughout the day.
"It seems I need to have a talk with Peter and Jade," he said softly. "Now come. We'll get ourselves a cup of tea before turning in, shall we?"
Peter and Susan sat in the room that Susan shared with Lucy in an awkward silence. As the two oldest, they were responsible for Edmund and little Lucy. The day had been terrible. Peter felt ashamed at his behavior. Susan was just homesick.
Peter finally couldn't stand the lack of conversation and turned on the radio that sat in the corner. His eyes wandered out the window to the approaching storm. If this was how the whole summer was going to be he would go mad.
"Su-- do you," he started.
"Yes?"
"Never-mind."
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing."
"What happened between you and Jade today?"
"I--she--What?" he spluttered.
"Oh come off it. We all know you got into some kind of argument or something."
"On the contrary we were getting along quite well," he said matter-of-factly.
"Really? Is that why you were yelling at each other in the hallway?"
"You followed us?! Susan, you little sneak!"
"I wasn't intending on following you! I was trying to find my way around the house. It wasn't like you were conversing in whispers."
"Well, I tried to reason--"
"What did you do, Peter? We've only been here a few short days and already you're upsetting everyone!"
Peter was speechless.
"I was just... well, I guess I..."
There was a knock on the door.
"Yes?" Peter called, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat.
It was Mrs. Macready. She eyed them both as if they had been up to something malicious.
"You, boy. The professor would like a word with you. Follow me."
"Peter," Susan scolded. "What have you done now?"
He shrugged, following Mrs. Macready out into the hall.
The professor seemed tired and weary as he motioned for Peter to sit and filled his pipe. Peter bit his cheek, wondering what the old man was going to say. Had he heard about all of the trouble Peter had been causing lately?
"It seems your sister is rather upset," he began slowly. So Lucy had ratted him out. Typical little sister.
"Yes, I--"
"She tells me something miraculous happened in the upstairs wardrobe."
"Oh, don't mind her, Sir. She must have taken a little nap and--"
"Do you really think so?"
"Well, of course I--"
There was a soft knock and Jade entered the room.
"You wanted a word, professor?" she said, scowling at Peter. "What is he doing here?"
"Sit, my dear, and we shall talk. It seems it has been a rather trying day for all of us."
"Indeed," she muttered under her breath. She sat in the chair next to Peter.
The professor watched both of them closely as they observed the room around them, avoiding each other at all costs. Finally, Jade spoke.
"Peter and I just had a little dispute. It's silly really. We were playing hide-and-seek with his siblings and I bumped into him and he knocked a vase over."
The professor said nothing.
"Well that's not all, Sir," Peter began, "See Jade--" He winced. The professor couldn't see Jade stomp on Peter's foot over the desk.
"Well, we," Peter continued, eyeing Jade meaningfully. "We argued over whose fault it was."
"And it was blown out of proportion," Jade added. "We're really sorry we got everyone in the house in a fuss over our bad tempers. It won't happen again, will it Peter?"
She gave him a look of purest loathing. He grimaced.
"It won't," he mumbled.
"Now that's what I like to hear," the professor smiled. "That's it then? Just a broken vase? Anything else?"
Peter moved to show his wrist but Jade grabbed his hand and held it to the arm of his chair.
"That's it. All's resolved." She grinned at Peter but her eyes still had hate written all over them. He smiled back. "I really think Peter and I will become dear friends.
Professor Kirke raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"Goodnight, then professor." Peter stood, holding tight to the hand that Jade had given him. She tried to wriggle free but couldn't without arousing suspicion with the professor. They left the room quickly.
"What is wrong with you?" Jade hissed, tugging her hand away. Peter snatched it back.
"Didn't you listen to yourself?" Peter laughed. "All's well. We're going to be dear friends."
"Let go."
"No."
"Let go."
"No."
"I said--"
Their wrists brushed.
"Nice. Real smooth," Jade hissed.