Part 13 (2/2)
Some of the prank gifts were awful, and others were awfully funny. Silly trinkets. Broken oddments. Unwanted clutter. Ransom whooped with laughter when Marcus opened a box that contained a pink mug with Daddy's Little Princess printed on the side. The whole cla.s.s yowled when Ransom turned around and opened a lumpy package containing a battered fedora. He donned the hat, tilting it at a rakish angle and defying anyone to try to take it from him.
Prissie was honestly enjoying herself until one of her cla.s.smates opened the gaudy little attention-getting package and lifted out a turquoise blue diamond of gla.s.s, framed by translucent marbles in shades of blue and green.
Koji's hand reached out, but she s.n.a.t.c.hed hers away before he made contact. There was no way she was letting Elise see her clinging to him for comfort. Head high, she did her best to tune out her cla.s.smates' comments as the noisy game continued, for many were vying for the pretty sun-catcher. No one wanted the ricer she cradled in her lap, so it was safe. But the gift Prissie had given Margery for her birthday at the end of summer was quickly pa.s.sed from one pair of hands to the next.
Prissie stole a peek at her former best friend, but Margery was whispering with Elise. Jennifer looked as if Christmas had come early, but April's face was pinched with concern. She met Prissie's gaze squarely and whispered, ”There must be some mistake.”
Koji and Marcus traded a long look, and then the Protector leaned close to Ransom and said something that lifted his eyebrows. Prissie doubted she could take any further embarra.s.sment, so she slipped from her chair, quietly excusing herself to the refreshment table. She caught her teacher's eye, pointed at the door, and mouthed a request for the bathroom. The last thing she saw before making her escape was Elise's smug smile.
Maybe she was selfish. Maybe she'd been naive. Either way, Prissie had hoped that Elise was just another of her old friend's many fads. Margery was supposed to come around, see the error of her ways, and apologize so that everything could go back to the way it had been. But for the first time in her life, Prissie realized that wanting something wasn't going to change anything.
Somehow, she pulled herself together enough to return to the cla.s.sroom and endure the time that remained before they were bussed home. On her way out, Marcus called, ”Prissie, wait!”
She couldn't disobey the Protector, especially since Koji grabbed her hand and dug in his heels, preventing her from bolting. With a weary sigh, she faced Marcus. ”What?”
He held out a clumsy bundle of tissue. ”This is important to you.”
Just enough colored gla.s.s stuck out at the edges for her to know what his offering contained. ”Who says?” she demanded, keeping her hands at her sides.
”April explained.” Marcus lowered his voice. ”She wanted you to know that Margery doesn't know how this ended up in the exchange.”
Prissie felt sick. She hadn't even rated an apology, just a third-hand excuse. ”You're a Messenger now?” she asked sarcastically.
”Seems like,” he replied with a shrug. ”Take it.”
With an injured look, she whispered, ”I don't want it either. You keep it.”
Marcus hesitated, then nodded. ”I'll keep it safe for you,” he promised as he tucked it into his pocket.
”Funny how the weather down here isn't half so bad as ours,” Beau remarked.
”How much snow didja get?” asked one of his youth group buddies.
”Our place is drifted under.”
”Whoa, lucky!”
Beau protested, ”Not when you're the one trying to keep the walkways clear!”
Prissie hid her smile under her scarf. Poor Beau. Unlike the rest of her brothers, he really didn't care for the out-of-doors. He dragged his feet whenever ch.o.r.es took him away from his books or computer.
The latest storm seemed to have stalled right over West Edinton, and the boys had been shoveling since sunup. A little ways away, Tad yawned hugely. Prissie had half-expected him to beg off of the Wednesday night service, but he'd insisted that he wanted to take part in the caroling beforehand. She wondered if he really wanted to be here, or if he just hadn't wanted to disappoint Koji. Tad could be thoughtful like that.
”I wish to greet Kester,” Koji whispered, giving her a hopeful look.
”Go ahead. I'll be right here when you get back.”
”Indeed. I will return shortly.”
He darted toward the tall Wors.h.i.+per, who was stationed off to one side of the group, and she automatically searched for Kester's mentor. Baird might be a little flighty, but he turned out to be pretty good at herding cats. Prissie supposed that part of it was that this was the third caroling go-around, so most of the youth already knew the routine, but there was no denying that the Wors.h.i.+per could hold a crowd's attention. This evening, the redhead wore a ridiculous, rainbow-striped hat with a huge yellow pom-pom on top, so even though he was shorter than more than half the crew, he was easy to spot. ”Just follow the bouncing ball,” she murmured wryly.
”Yeah ... bouncy,” agreed a voice just behind her shoulder.
Glancing back, she did a double-take. ”What are you doing here?”
”I'm not even sure, to be honest,” Ransom replied in an undertone. ”Your brother invited me.”
”Which one?” she asked, mystified.
”Neil.”
”And you're humoring him because ...?”
”Curiosity, mostly,” he admitted. ”Your dad talks this place up, and that band was pretty good when they played in your barn.”
”Oh,” she replied. ”So ... do you sing?”
”Not very well,” he admitted with a shrug. ”You?”
”Not very well,” she grudgingly confessed.
”Then what are you doing here?” Ransom asked, turning the question around on her.
Prissie frowned thoughtfully; there were a lot of possible reasons. Practically speaking, her older brothers had wanted to go caroling, and they were her ride. Also, while Koji hadn't said anything specifically, she knew he was eager to take part, and he would never have come without her. But mostly, she'd wanted to hear her angelic friends sing. Baird, Kester, Milo, and Koji were all present and accounted for, and their harmonies lifted her heart like nothing else. Giving her braids a toss, she declared, ”I guess because it sounded fun.”
”Go figure,” Ransom replied with a smirk. Glancing around, he said, ”If this turns out to be any kind of fun, I might try to drag Marcus along next week. Maybe some of the other guys.”
”Really?”
”Why not? I don't think Joey sings, but I know Brock is pretty good. He'd probably come just for the cocoa.”
Fleetingly, Prissie wondered what had happened to Koji. He could have rescued her from carrying on a conversation with Ransom ... not that it was so bad. With a jolt, she remembered that Ransom probably didn't know anyone except her and her family. A small smile crept onto her face as she remembered one of her father's favorite sayings: ”Knowing the Pomeroys is like knowing half the crowd.”
Just then, an exuberant redhead sidled up to them, cheerfully greeting, ”Miss Pomeroy! Mr. Pavlos! Glad you could make it!”
”h.e.l.lo, Baird,” Prissie replied, shaking her head at his whimsical formality.
”How would you like to join our rhythm section tonight?” Looking both ways, he leaned closer. ”Kester totally refused these, but it'd be a shame if they went to waste!”
”Jingle bells?” she asked, picking up a set and giving it a gentle shake.
”Yup!” he exulted, pus.h.i.+ng the second set onto Ransom. ”You can ring-ting-tingle all over the place! It'll be all seasonal!”
”Now I remember!” Ransom blurted, shaking a finger at the redhead. ”I remember you!”
”From that day in the barn?” Baird ventured. ”Beau Pomeroy's birthday gig?”
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