SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY

I was on a mission trip in Kentucky!!!

Chapter Six: His Legs

Father almost cried when I told him. My mom did.

So did I.

The next morning we went to visit her. She looked so pitiful in the stocks. And yet, so righteous and beautiful, serving her time boldly without a regret. I envied her, yet again. She deserved to wear the color red.

And I should wear yellow.

And Clopin purple.

Michel royal blue, Gilbert orange and Mary teal.

Somehow, not only did it give me something to focus on other then my sister being humiliated, but it comforted me to give everyone colors. Paul was brown, Andrew was white and Brian...what was his color?

I tried different ones, but nothing really worked. Brown fit him physically but not mentally, and white was unpredictable like him, but too sweet and caring.

All of a sudden, my face was buried into a rough yellow shirt.

"I'm sorry!" I squealed, backing up to see what innocent person I'd run into on my way back from visiting Vanessa.

"Meg!"

I was wrapped into a firm hug, and my nose was filled with the faint smell of smoke and tree bark.

"Brian!?" I squealed again, recognizing the soft hands that patted my back during the hug. I returned his hug with a bigger one, relishing in the comfort he always brought.

He drew away to look at me. "Amazing what time can do in a year!"

"I know!" I smiled, fingering the stubble on his square chin, "You've finally started that beard you've wanted for the past ten years!"

He scoffed at me. "I know, it grows so slow! Too bad I'm not you! I'd have a beard in three days!"

I gave him an icy glare, but ended up smiling again, noticing the untamed brown curls on his head. I'd missed those curls.

"What happened to Vanessa?" he asked, looking at me with his pale blue eyes.

I sighed, "A long story."

He gave me another slight hug, "We should find Mom, I want to say hi."

"So they put her in the stocks?" Brian exclaimed.

"I told you they don't have brains here," I remarked dryly.

He sighed the same sigh he always did, "At least she's not in jail."

"Really! Only lunatics go to jail! And I'd hate it if she got that bad of a reputation!" I only half-joked.

He laughed. "I know. I'm stupid."

"No, you do stupid things."

"I know."

It was silent for a moment.

"But I love you anyways," I told him, hugging him again.

"I love you too!" my brother promised, hugging me back. I wanted to hug him forever, so he'd never leave me again. Never break my heart again. "I hope you don't turn out stupid."

"I won't."

"Or ignorant."

"You're not ignorant," I argued. He shook his head.

"No, I mean, I hope you don't turn out like me or Vanessa," he explained.

"Vanessa has been very brave!"

"And ignorant. And selfish! From what you told me, she could've gotten a lot of people in trouble," Brian said.

He was right.

"Let's go for a walk!" I ordered, leaving the inn, Brian in tow.

We talked about everything. Brian told me about his time in jail and I told him about everything that had happened since the last time I saw him.

It was a lot, considering it had been a whole year.

"Meg!" I heard someone call.

Clopin came into view, his skinny legs walking briskly towards me.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his intense voice sending white hot chills up my spine. He wrapped me into a hug.

"I'm hanging in there," I told him. He eyed Brian, black eyes dancing.

"Who's this?"

"Oh! Umm, this is Brian," I introduced, Clopin frowning immediately, " and Brian this is Clopin Trouillefou."

"Nice to meet you," Clopin whistled through his teeth, rocking on his heels.

"Same here!" my brother gave one of his dashing smiles, holding out a hand.

Clopin shook it firmly and smiled back.

"You a friend of Meg's?"

"Yeah."

"Well I have to give it to you then! Anyone who can handle her must be one hell of a person!" Brian looked at me, his face twinkling with challenge.

"Watch it, Brian, if you smile any wider you'll face will split. Not that it could get any uglier," I sneered, but made sure my voice had enough tease in it he knew I was just fighting back. He should have known by then that I take on his challenges no matter what.

"Watch it, Meg, or your face might freeze in that sneer. Not that it could get any uglier, though..." he shot back.

Clopin chuckled as I struggled to think of a witty come back.

"Well, you have big ears."

He laughed, rolling his eyes at me. "I told you, you'll never beat me."

"Cheese bag."

Clopin put a hand between us, "No need to fight, now!"

I smiled at him, who smiled back at me, popping the knee on one of his chicken legs by bending down a little.

"Do that to much and you'll end up with bone pains," my brother pointed out.

"Already have them," Clopin sighed, leaning against a stone wall. He turned to me. "Michel was looking for you."

"Michel?"

He smiled at me. "You don't look too happy!"

"Well..."

"Meg!"

I grunted and turned to see Mary bounce over, dressed in bright pink.

"I need to talk to you!" she said, nearly knocking Brian over. "Sorry!"

"Oh, Mary, that's my brother Brian, " I told her, fighting a laugh.

Brian dusted himself off and leaned his head down to hers, and I saw lust gleam in his eyes. Not to mention that flirty look on his face.

"Where am I? Because I must have died and gone to heaven!" he whispered to her, sarcasm slightly dressing up the line.

"Where am I? Because I must have died and gone to hell!" Mary hissed, but I saw interest in those bright eyes.

"Well then!" Brian laughed it off, "Would one like me to show you around hell?"

"How about I show you around and you shut up with the crappy sarcasm."

Brian shrugged and off they went.

I gaped at Clopin.

"So much for whatever she was going to tell you."

I grumbled gibberish under my breath. "I hate how he does that. I mean, when he was ugly it didn't work, but now that he's grown into his nose all he has to do is wink an eye."

"Its hard being a beautiful man."

I shot a look at Clopin, leaning beside him, my leg slightly touching his. Mine felt so fat around his, not to mention flabby.

I was glad my skirt hid them.

"He's not what I expected."

I stared at the people passing by.

"How?"

"Well, I expected some dirty, ugly man. But he seems so nice and so hard not to like," Clopin whispered.

"That's why he hurts so much," I confided, spotting Michel walking by. He spotted us.

I grumbled again, and Clopin gave me his questioning look.

"Meg! I was looking for you. How are you holding up?" he grabbed my hands affectionately. My insides squirmed a little.

"I'm good, really. No need to worry!" I tugged my hands away.

And as horrible as it sounds, I scooted a little closer to Clopin, though Michel seemed oblivious.

"I should set up my puppet stand," Clopin said, looking opposite of me. My eyes widened, and I fought against screaming for him to stay. He waved, still avoiding eye contact with me, and then trudged away.

That's not necessary, I screamed in my mind, come back Clopin! Clopin...

"Clopin..." I whispered.

"Have you seen Mary today?" Michel asked, ignoring my whisper like the other clues.

"Yeah."

"So you talked to her?" Michel was standing in front of me, close, and I couldn't back up with the wall being behind me. My stomach dropped and curled nervously.

"Not really..." I whispered.

"Oh, well, umm, I..." Michel stared at me intensely with his black eyes and his muscular arms setting his hands on my shoulders softly. "Well, you know what I'm going to say."

I choked, but managed to half-squeak, half-grunt, "No, I don't."

Well, ok, I lied. I knew what he was about to say. I just didn't want to believe it. He shouldn't be doing this, I thought, why didn't he understand I was in love with Clopin?

I was avoiding looking at him like Clopin had me, but he stared so deeply my head was almost forced to his with some super natural power.

He kissed me hard and hot. I tried to move back, but my head bounced on the wall and sent me forward, plunging into the kiss.

Michel brought his lips away and stared at me. I could have killed him then.

Because he stole it. He stole my first kiss. I was saving it, you know. For someone special. Like Clopin. I would've been glad to share it with Clopin, even though he had most likely had his fair share of girls in the bed. As I said, I loved him.

Michel had stolen it.

And I glared at him, my quick temper boiling.

He didn't ignore it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass..." he started backwards and I just glared at him harder. He turned on his heel, his face red and his eyes blurring. He practically ran away.

I tucked my anger away, like I would a hand mirror into my purse, and let sadness fill me.

Thank goodness Brian was there. I needed him. He was my favorite family member.

My favorite sibling.