I spent an enjoyable few hours with Hazel and Ingrid, my two girlfriends. As all three of us are somewhat shy, studious girls with close-knit families, we are naturally drawn to one another. None of us had siblings, and all of us are known as readers and dreamers more than anything. I had missed them, not having been able to attend school with Mama's illness, and after a morning of walking around Prospect Park talking about the fashions, news, and gossip of the neighborhood, the conversation turned to boys. We giggled innocently at the thought of spending time alone with a boy. Ingrid teased Hazel mercilessly about Joseph, a boy at our school, and hinted that Joseph would be coming to claim a kiss in the near future. Hazel blushed furiously, and I couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment. Ingrid turned an eye to me at that.
"Katja, I must know—are you sweet on any boys?" she asked, her eyes wide in feigned innocence.
"You know I have hardly left my house for a month! How could I possibly have time for any boys?" I shot back. I love being with trusted friends, able to tease and confide and laugh. I may be shy, but when I am comfortable with someone I dearly love to tease and be teased. Ingrid just smiled.
"Well, then," she said, "we shall just have to find you someone good looking." Hazel laughed, glad to be out of the limelight, and joined in the fun.
"Yeah," she added, "how about we find someone cute and bring him over?"
Ingrid looked around the park and grinned. "I have just the guy," she giggled. "Wait here." Hazel laughed as Ingrid, by far the most outgoing of our trio, headed over to a newsboy on the corner and dragged him over. My eyes widened as I recognized the boy.
"Not him," I whispered furiously to Hazel, who looked confused at the panic on my face.
"Why not? He is good looking, even if he is a bit older," she said, concern filling her face.
I was about to whisper a reply when we heard a drawling voice say, "And just who is it I'm supposed ta sweep off her feet?" I spun around and faced the large frame and mop of ginger curls that was Red.
"This is Katja," Ingrid's voice cut across my rising panic, and I forced myself to look into the face of the huge boy who had intimidated the two bullies so effortlessly. "Katja, this is . . . " she trailed off, realizing she didn't know the boy's name.
"Red," he supplied helpfully, giving me a cheeky grin.
"We'll just leave you go get to know each other," Ingrid finished, dragging Hazel away wither her. They giggled as I looked around in desperation. Some friends!
"Easy, Katja, I ain't gonna hurt you," Red drawled, and I blushed and looked down. "Your friend there just said you didn't have the opportunity to get out much and would enjoy some company. I think it was a set up, but I figured playing along could be fun. You know, we could really turn the tables on your friends if you want! Whaddaya say? Wanna give them a show?" His playful words and easygoing manner gave me the courage to look up at him and give a small smile. He looked far less menacing than when he had smiled at those two bullies.
"There ya go. Now, I'm just gonna reach out and stroke your arm if that's okay. Let 'em think I'm really makin' a move on ya." He waited until he saw acceptance from me before putting his hand on her upper arm, stroking it. I looked down again in embarrassment. "Now you just giggle as if I have said something really funny. If ya can manage it, pretend yer lookin' at me. Ya can just look at my chin."
I was beginning to see where this was going and played along. While I'm no actress, I certainly could pull this off at such a distance from my friends. I giggled, glancing over at my friends, and looked up at Red's chin, even daring a glance up into his face briefly. He nodded and smirked. "Now, I'm going to take you by the hand and move us behind that tree right there. Don't worry, I ain't gonna do anything but move us out of their line of sight," he added when he saw my flash of apprehension. His hand drifted down my arm to my hand, and he pulled me toward a big oak tree. It was at that moment that a cold, steely voice from behind me interrupted us.
"Just what are you doing with the lady, Red?" it said. The icy tone was serious, and Red tensed and turned slowly.
"Spot," he said, his nervousness evident. "It was just a joke on the lady's friends, I wasn't gonna—"
I turned at the name. I hadn't recognized the voice as that of my friend, but my eyes told me what my ears did not—this was Spot Conlon. Only he looked like I had never seen him before. His face was set, and his eyes glinted dangerously. I never realized how big he was before, but suddenly he seemed even bigger than Red. The danger he radiated caused me to step back. In typical Katja fashion, I stumbled over a tree root and crashed backwards into Red, whose hands moved involuntarily to catch me and keep me on my feet.
"Katja!" Spot said in surprise, his face softening for an instant before his eyes snapped back up to Red. Red righted me and leaped back as if touching me had burned him.
"Spot, I swear, I didn't—" he looked around frantically, taking another pace back.
"Spot," I breathed, almost afraid to look at him. "Is this a friend of yours?"
"Not if I saw what I think I did," Spot's strange, steely voice said. I missed his old voice.
"No, no, he didn't do anything," I mumbled. "It was a joke." I couldn't look up. I did not know this Spot. It was frightening.
"You—over there," he growled at Red, gesturing with his head to a lamppost several yards away. Red backed to it, never taking his eyes off Spot. I turned to watch him back away.
"Katja." Spot's normal voice was back. I dared to look up at him. "What did he do?" he asked gently, his eyes searching mine. I hadn't noticed how intensely blue those eyes were. He had never looked at me like that.
"Nothing, honest! My friend dragged him over as a prank on me, and he suggested turning tables on her. He was actually really sweet about it. He did nothing wrong!" Spot's normal voice gave me the courage to speak to the friend I knew rather than the steely-eyed menace I had seen moments before, and I met his gaze firmly.
"Cat, you sure you ain't coverin' for him?" he asked, using the nickname he occasionally gave me.
"No, I'm not. See, my friends are over there, and he asked my permission before touching me at all," I assured him, nodding my head towards Ingrid and Hazel, whose eyes were wide as they watched but could not hear the scene play out. I realized suddenly that this must look wild to them. "Call Red over," I said, suddenly overcome with a fit of madness. "We can really give them a show." Spot chuckled as he saw my amusement and realized what I was thinking.
"If you're having fun, let's give them a show," he said, putting his hand on my arm before motioning subtly for Red to rejoin us. "We'se givin' the lady's friends a bit of a show," he murmured to Red as his hands wandered possessively up my arm. "Play along and I might let you live through the night. Now, give me a dirty look and pull my arm off of her."
Red's eyes widened, but he did as he was told. Spot, glaring at Red but speaking to me, said, "Good. Now Cat, you just shove each of us in da chest, stomp off to your friends, and have a good laugh, eh? I'll catch up with you later." I did exactly that—shoved both boys in the chest and stomped off. I have to say, that was fun. I turned toward Hazel and Ingrid, both of whom were staring at me in disbelief, and I just laughed.