Part 15 (1/2)
”Liar! Jimmy told me you had to tell the truth in here,” she says.
”All right, maybe a little,” I admit.
She laughs softly, taunting me. She spits on her fingers, runs them through her hair, pushes a loose strand not held in her ponytail, hooks it behind her ear.
”Don't sit there,” I tell her. ”Here's better.” I pat the dirt next to me. ”Not so many ants.”
She crawls to where I'm sitting and settles comfortably by me.
”What are you doing in here?” I ask.
”What are you you doing in here?” She throws the question back at me. doing in here?” She throws the question back at me.
”Just thinking.”
”About what?”
”About you,” I say.
”You shouldn't think about me. I like Scout now in case you haven't noticed.”
”I've noticed,” I mutter. ”I just don't understand why everyone is mad at me.”
”I'm the one who should have taken Rocky,” she says, our legs barely grazing each other.
”Piper, that was two weeks ago and it wasn't even my fault,” I tell her.
”It's only because I'm a girl.”
”No, it's because the Mattamans don't trust you.”
Piper ignores this. ”You guys have it made. You get handed everything on a silver platter. It's disgusting.”
”You're one to talk.” one to talk.”
She snorts. ”I wish I was a boy,” she admits.
”I don't wish you were a boy. And n.o.body fawns over me,” I tell her.
”Oh yes they do. Mrs. Bomini, Mrs. Mattaman, Theresa, Annie . . .”
”Annie certainly doesn't.”
”Are you kidding me? You're all she ever talks about,” Piper insists.
”Oh come on.” This makes no sense, but I'm not thinking of Annie right now. Piper is sitting so close to me. Her face is perfectly still. I smell her warm root beer breath.
”How come you're not jealous of Scout?” she asks.
”I am jealous of Scout.”
This perks her up. ”You are?”
Our legs are stretched out in front of us. My calf and hers are barely touching each other, but it feels like a live wire between us. Can she feel it? Or is it just me? It's getting warmer down here. My ears are hot. I'm breathing like I just walked up the switchback. My mind is scrambling.
She likes me. She just said she doesn't. But Scout said she did. She just said she doesn't. But Scout said she did.
I like sitting so close to her. What should I do now? What was it Scout said about going in sideways? I can't just up and kiss her . . . can I? You're not allowed to just kiss a girl, are you? Should I ask her? What if she says no? Why didn't I ask Scout if you're supposed to ask a girl before you kiss her?
Her hand reaches up to my face. She gently brushes my lips, barely touching them.
My head moves toward hers. How do you avoid nose crashes again? What did Scout say? I can hardly even see her lips it's so dark down here.
Her hair brushes against my arm. The smell of her baby oil and warm root beer fill my nose. Are you supposed to have your mouth open or closed? My teeth nick her lip.
”Ouch!” someone yells.
I jerk my head back.
It takes a second for me to understand that it isn't Piper yelling. It's Theresa looming in the sudden flood of light from the crawls.p.a.ce doorway. ”Moose Flanagan!” Theresa cries. ”You stop that right now!”
”You little sneak!” Piper shouts.
Theresa pushes inside. ”Am not a sneak. I am supposed supposed to find Moose!” to find Moose!”
”Get out!” Piper scurries toward Theresa, and Theresa jumps back out of the doorway and grabs the door to keep from falling.
”Moose!” Theresa pleads, hopping around like her leg hurts.
”Go play with someone your own age. Janet Trixle, for goodness' sake. Why do you snoop on me?” Piper shouts.
”I'm not snooping. I had to get Moose.” Theresa turns back to me. ”Moose, c'mon. Annie needs you.”
Piper snorts. ”What did I tell you?” she whispers.
”Annie, Moose!” Theresa tells me as if this explains everything. Moose!” Theresa tells me as if this explains everything.
”Hey, look . . .” I'm crawling as fast as I can to the entrance. ”Don't do this, okay?” I tell Theresa. ”I don't want to be in the middle of this.”
”There's nothing to be in the middle of,” Piper shouts. She shoves me back and hops out the door. ”Just leave me alone.”
”Moose!” Theresa peers in at me. ”What's the matter with you? You were going to kiss her! I saw!”
”I was not going to kiss her.”
”You were! It's sickening! Kissing Piper is like kissing a squid. A dead squid!”