The breeze felt just right. Not too cool, not too strong, it ran through the fringe of her hair and teased along her jaw but didn't actually dare to disturb anything. She sat demurely on the grass under the spreading branches of one of the nicer trees near the boys' dorms, her things spread out just so. She felt very pretty in her new white sundress. Its lacy edges played peek-a-boo against her lightly tanned skin, a little bracelet flashed coyly gold at her ankle. She rearranged her skirt one more time.
Satisfied, Picayune picked up her latest novel, its garish cover emblazoned with the insightful title Devil's Cub and settled down to read.
It was as Dominic Vidal was advancing angrily towards the frightened but determined Mary that the music started. Hesitant, halting, it drifted down to settle on Pica's hair. She turned the page. Oh Dominic, il est tres terrible! What would he do with this betrayal? Did he know that Mary had a pistol?
The music stopped. Started. Stopped again. Miss Challoner attempted to staunch the wound she had caused and Pica wiggled with delight. So brave, was Mary! And so debonair, the Marquis even with a bullet in his shoulder. The unknown musician must have felt the same for the melody started up from the beginning.
Pica turned the page, anxious to find out what was to happen next. Sure and confident for a few minutes the music flowed down in counterpoint to the rough crossing of the Channel. Then it stopped yet again, the notes ending in a shower of frustration. Merde, but it was distracting! How could she concentrate on looking both pretty and aloof with this silly person who could not manage to play even a single song all the way through? She resettled herself and determinedly turned yet another page.
When Juliana came to collect her cousin at the hostel she had fled to, she had almost forgotten her annoyance. Then the music jolted back onto track again, forcefully this time as if the player wished very much to make a more determined attempt to impose his will. It poured out of the window in a bright tide and she found herself losing track of the story, already shrinking inside. Sure enough it slammed into a wall. A few more bars struggled to climb over the hurdle before being defeated. Really, was it so very difficult a piece to play?
Start. Stop. Start. Each time it grated more and more on her nerves, the falling noise hitting her between the shoulder blades. Finally Pica closed her book with a snap and flounced to her feet. She put her hands to her hips, scanning upwards. The song chose that moment to stutter apart in brief sparks. It was Frankenstein with all this pretence of life! Vraiment, c'est unacceptable. How could she pay attention to le bonne homme Dominic with all these interruptions?
The double doors to the boys' wing were wide open in deference to the summer air. She bounced in as if she owned the place, a trio of boys gaping at her sudden, magical appearance. She smiled brightly but had regretfully had no time to do more than that. It was not as if she knew them anyways. Her sandals made scuffing sounds on the floor.
She picked her way up the stairs,listening. The music drifted along the hallway like a puppy and she crept after it. One finger marked the page in her neglected book.
On the second floor, the door to the room was ajar. She pushed it open with one triumphant hand.
The boy sat with his back to her, hunched over a synthesizer. He was in a tight black tshirt and a pair of faded jeans, his dirty blonde hair rumpled as if he had been dragging his hands through it. Even as she watched he scribbled something on a piece of paper and stuck the pencil in his mouth. The silly music started one more time.
"Alors, cher! Assez, s'il vous plait - enough!"
He spun around on the bench, obviously surprised. She advanced like an avenging angel in the room, hesitating for a moment to wrinkle her nose. Really, did boys not clean anything? Pah, but it smelled terrible in here.
"Alors, monsieur, if you wish to play something while I read, could you not choose something zhat you know better?" She got close enough to snap her fingers nearly under his nose. She had a moment to admire his beautiful green eyes as they blinked. " Vous commencez, vous arrêtez; cher, I have been listening to you for an hour and I beg you to put yourself out of zhis misery!"
She put small fists to her hips and leaned forward to scold. "Zut, put me out of mine. Play something you know so I do not have to hold my hands to my ears."
Contretemps
Moderator: Student Council
Jason blinked sharply at the fingers snapping in his face and started to say something, but stopped, open mouthed as the French girl admonished him at high speed and only half in a language he understood.
“Zut, you will catch flies." Jason blinked again, his mouth closing with a slightly audible snap. He’d seen her around school a few times, but he really didn't think he knew her well enough that she’d come bursting into his room like this. He looked down at the keyboard, and cocked his head to look back up. She stood defiantly, small hands on hips with a finger holding a marked page in a book. She seemed utterly serious.
Jason took the pencil out of his mouth and offered a small smile, which was all he dared without chuckling. He didn’t want to be rude, after all. He didn't get a chance to say anything though, pre-empted once more.
"Cher, you will play zhe entire song now, s'il vous plait. I will wait right here until you finish and zhen I can go back to my reading.” It was definitely more demand than question.
“The entire…?” The smile curled wryly on his lips as he thought about what she was scolding him for, and then he did laugh. “I’ll play the entire thing, once I finish it. I’ve got this part done.” Jason played a piece of the melody and the girl sighed loudly; she’d heard this over and over already. “I just can’t find the right bridge to get to this part.” He then played another bit which she hadn’t heard. Jason scribbled a few marks on the paper which looked like fishhooks with small blobs on the end of them to her.
The French girl’s eyes opened wide, her mouth making an 'oh'. “Quoi? You are writing zhis music then?” Her expression changed in a heartbeat, scolding forgotten with this new revelation. “Oh, c'est mervellieux! Tu est un musician, une artiste? Oh, how wonderful! I did not know; I thought you were merely being very bad at playing. You will show me how you write music.” The petite teen swirled around the keyboard to stand vibrating at his shoulder, her book discarded onto the nearest windowsill. Jason watched bemused, realising he was staring. Without waiting for an invitation she sat down next to him on the bench seat and put her fingers to the keys, looking up as if she was suddenly expecting to become Mozart.
For the second time in less than three minutes, Jason found himself dumbfounded but amused. He grinned which was always a good reaction when he didn't quite know what to do. “Well, why don’t you come around and have a seat, and I’ll show you?” His sally was greeted by a small giggle.
He showed her the sheet music and she tried to pretend like she understood completely, but it was clearly evident that she didn’t. Still Jason showed her the notes on the paper as he played them on the keyboard.
“Think of it as a language for both hands.” He pointed to the treble clef, “This tells the right hand what to do,” and demonstrated what he’d written, then pointed to the bass clef, “and this tells the left hand what to do.” He demonstrated by playing only the bass portion, and was rewarded by a smile and a somewhat less confused look on her face. He played the bass notes again, and furrowed his brow a bit, and played the small phrase over again, then smiled broadly as he erased a few notes yet again, and placed others on the smudged and abraded paper. “That’s got to be it.”
He played the phrase again as she put a finger to the music and followed the notes, obviously attempting to understand where he was on the page. When he got to a section of the sheet where there were obvious erasure marks and many overlaid notes, he stopped and marked a few new ¼ notes down, playing them on the keyboard, then erasing and starting again. It was interesting having an audience.
He grinned down and started to play the music from the beginning.
"Monsieur, arret! I have said that is enough!" She laughed though even as she put her hands to her ears. Yet when he got to the section he'd been working on and played it seamlessly into the transition that he'd just written, she clapped. Was she always this excited about everything? He'd just been trying to write something to distract himself.
He looked over to his guest and smiled, trying not to notice the smell of sun warmed hair nearly under his nose. “Well that works! Guess all I needed was a stern talking to and a little inspiration. One stanza down, and few more to go, and it’ll be a complete song.”
Jason recognized the look of concentration on her face, one that still held a little bit of pout. “Tell you what,” he said, leaning over to grab a practice book from his stack of music books and opened it to something easy. “I’ll show you the left hand part and you play it, I’ll play the right.” He opened the book to a page and showed her the notes. “This note here?” He pointed to the note on the bass clef, and reached for her hand. "May I?” She nodded a bit skittishly, flipping her hair for a moment before letting him take her fingers. Jason took her forefinger, hitting the bass note. “Then, see how the next note is one line up on the staff?” He saw her look and corrected himself hastily, not really sure he wanted to know what mischief glinted in her eyes. “The staff is just a fancy musician term for the five lines on the sheet. One line up, one note to the right.” He guided her finger to the next note.
She smiled with delight and peered at the sheet of music. She hit the next note herself and then the next which was three notes lower. “Like zhis!" she exclaimed with authority.
“Exactement, now start again from the beginning. I shall play too!”
As she did, Jason wrapped his hand around the melody that matched the harmony she was providing, and the whole became recognized as a child’s lullaby. After a number of mangled attempts as the pixie tried to follow the music and her hands at the same time, they managed to make it to the end. She bounced with obvious excitement and clapped her hands once again with triumph. “Magnifique! I am a musician too now. Alors, ma fille will be very proud of me.”
Jason laughed in return, an easy sound that eased something inside and turned to the girl with curiosity. “Now, I have a few questions of my own.” He looked at her with a grin. “What’s your name and do you still want me to stop playing?”
“Zut, you will catch flies." Jason blinked again, his mouth closing with a slightly audible snap. He’d seen her around school a few times, but he really didn't think he knew her well enough that she’d come bursting into his room like this. He looked down at the keyboard, and cocked his head to look back up. She stood defiantly, small hands on hips with a finger holding a marked page in a book. She seemed utterly serious.
Jason took the pencil out of his mouth and offered a small smile, which was all he dared without chuckling. He didn’t want to be rude, after all. He didn't get a chance to say anything though, pre-empted once more.
"Cher, you will play zhe entire song now, s'il vous plait. I will wait right here until you finish and zhen I can go back to my reading.” It was definitely more demand than question.
“The entire…?” The smile curled wryly on his lips as he thought about what she was scolding him for, and then he did laugh. “I’ll play the entire thing, once I finish it. I’ve got this part done.” Jason played a piece of the melody and the girl sighed loudly; she’d heard this over and over already. “I just can’t find the right bridge to get to this part.” He then played another bit which she hadn’t heard. Jason scribbled a few marks on the paper which looked like fishhooks with small blobs on the end of them to her.
The French girl’s eyes opened wide, her mouth making an 'oh'. “Quoi? You are writing zhis music then?” Her expression changed in a heartbeat, scolding forgotten with this new revelation. “Oh, c'est mervellieux! Tu est un musician, une artiste? Oh, how wonderful! I did not know; I thought you were merely being very bad at playing. You will show me how you write music.” The petite teen swirled around the keyboard to stand vibrating at his shoulder, her book discarded onto the nearest windowsill. Jason watched bemused, realising he was staring. Without waiting for an invitation she sat down next to him on the bench seat and put her fingers to the keys, looking up as if she was suddenly expecting to become Mozart.
For the second time in less than three minutes, Jason found himself dumbfounded but amused. He grinned which was always a good reaction when he didn't quite know what to do. “Well, why don’t you come around and have a seat, and I’ll show you?” His sally was greeted by a small giggle.
He showed her the sheet music and she tried to pretend like she understood completely, but it was clearly evident that she didn’t. Still Jason showed her the notes on the paper as he played them on the keyboard.
“Think of it as a language for both hands.” He pointed to the treble clef, “This tells the right hand what to do,” and demonstrated what he’d written, then pointed to the bass clef, “and this tells the left hand what to do.” He demonstrated by playing only the bass portion, and was rewarded by a smile and a somewhat less confused look on her face. He played the bass notes again, and furrowed his brow a bit, and played the small phrase over again, then smiled broadly as he erased a few notes yet again, and placed others on the smudged and abraded paper. “That’s got to be it.”
He played the phrase again as she put a finger to the music and followed the notes, obviously attempting to understand where he was on the page. When he got to a section of the sheet where there were obvious erasure marks and many overlaid notes, he stopped and marked a few new ¼ notes down, playing them on the keyboard, then erasing and starting again. It was interesting having an audience.
He grinned down and started to play the music from the beginning.
"Monsieur, arret! I have said that is enough!" She laughed though even as she put her hands to her ears. Yet when he got to the section he'd been working on and played it seamlessly into the transition that he'd just written, she clapped. Was she always this excited about everything? He'd just been trying to write something to distract himself.
He looked over to his guest and smiled, trying not to notice the smell of sun warmed hair nearly under his nose. “Well that works! Guess all I needed was a stern talking to and a little inspiration. One stanza down, and few more to go, and it’ll be a complete song.”
Jason recognized the look of concentration on her face, one that still held a little bit of pout. “Tell you what,” he said, leaning over to grab a practice book from his stack of music books and opened it to something easy. “I’ll show you the left hand part and you play it, I’ll play the right.” He opened the book to a page and showed her the notes. “This note here?” He pointed to the note on the bass clef, and reached for her hand. "May I?” She nodded a bit skittishly, flipping her hair for a moment before letting him take her fingers. Jason took her forefinger, hitting the bass note. “Then, see how the next note is one line up on the staff?” He saw her look and corrected himself hastily, not really sure he wanted to know what mischief glinted in her eyes. “The staff is just a fancy musician term for the five lines on the sheet. One line up, one note to the right.” He guided her finger to the next note.
She smiled with delight and peered at the sheet of music. She hit the next note herself and then the next which was three notes lower. “Like zhis!" she exclaimed with authority.
“Exactement, now start again from the beginning. I shall play too!”
As she did, Jason wrapped his hand around the melody that matched the harmony she was providing, and the whole became recognized as a child’s lullaby. After a number of mangled attempts as the pixie tried to follow the music and her hands at the same time, they managed to make it to the end. She bounced with obvious excitement and clapped her hands once again with triumph. “Magnifique! I am a musician too now. Alors, ma fille will be very proud of me.”
Jason laughed in return, an easy sound that eased something inside and turned to the girl with curiosity. “Now, I have a few questions of my own.” He looked at her with a grin. “What’s your name and do you still want me to stop playing?”
"Ah, non, non! I zhink you should play many things, cher! Mais, perhaps you could practice more quietly?" The girl waved her hands in the air. "At least the songs that are not so fully written." She cocked a single finger at him. "It sounds like you are a hopping rabbit, moving from this to that and going nowhere! It is very distracting."
Jase gave her a wry look. A hopping rabbit? He put a hand to his chest. "I'll do my best. Headphones next time, maybe?"
"Bonne!" She stood then in a swirl of skirt and curtsied. "I am Marie, cher, Marie Tovere. Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer. What is your name?"
Jase gave her a wry look. A hopping rabbit? He put a hand to his chest. "I'll do my best. Headphones next time, maybe?"
"Bonne!" She stood then in a swirl of skirt and curtsied. "I am Marie, cher, Marie Tovere. Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer. What is your name?"
Jason looked a bit confused at the language she was firing at him a mile a second, until she asked his name. That at least he understood. "Oh!" he started, "I'm sorry, I'm Jason." He paused just a moment, reluctant to add in his last name. He told himself there was no reason to hide it, he was who he was. Wasn't he? "Jason Berenzhin."
For a moment there was no reaction, but then; "Jason..? Ah, Jason *Berenzhin*!?" The girl fairly squeaked, her hands rising to her expressive mouth. "Zhe Jason Berenzhin? J'ai adoré votre dernier album! Absolutely adored it, mon cher!" He winced internally but kept the smile on his face. Maybe he could brush her off with an autograph? "Oh, I feel so silly now. I did not know it was you being such a bad player or I should not have said anything."
Bad player? What? Jason started to inhale to protest, when without warning, Marie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Jason found himself with a face full of golden shoulder and a lace tie nearly up his nose. Her short hair, cut in a bob, brushed against his cheek, the scent of flowers and sun tickling his senses as he recovered the breath she'd knocked out of him. "I am so very happy to meet you, Jason! Nobody will believe me! And I even played a song with you, vraiment. Ma fille will say I am just making it up."
Just as he was wondering if he should object about this sudden invasion of personal space or give in to the inevitable and put his arms around her waist, she let him go. He wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or disappointed. "She is most objectionable on things she says I have not done. You will have to come with and tell her that we met, cher! Oh, and that you taught me to play something with you, otherwise I shall have no peace, none at all."
His reaction to her fan worship abated a bit and he had to laugh. She actually looked ready to grab his hand and haul him off to meet this 'ma fille' person. How did this girl get through her classes with a butterfly attention span? Maybe a better question would be why he hadn't met this hurricane before.
He smiled up at her, thinking rapidly about how to head off his incipent kidnap. "Well, I'm happy we met too," he temporised. "Maybe I could play something else for you? As an apology for disturbing ... whatever you were doing?" He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I promise, something I know all the way through.”
It worked. Marie laughed back, clapping her own hands with excitement. Rings flashed on her fingers. “Ah, bonne! I shall adore you even more."
"Any requests?" Jason turned back to the synthesizer, letting his fingers ghost over the keys. Marie spun on her toes and then sat herself happily on the corner of the nearest bed, ankles crossed, hands folded demurely in her lap. The sudden cessation of motion was a little startling. She suddenly gained a dignity she hadn't had three seconds ago.
"I will leave it to you, mon cher, to choose. Play for me?”
Jason grinned back at her, at the glow of expectation in her eyes. “Well, what could zhe artiste do but comply?” He chuckled as she wrinkled her nose at the horrible French accent he used. “This is something I sang on stage the last show I did.” He shrugged affably. “It somehow fits the mood I suddenly find myself in. I can only sing my part of it though because normally I have a girl sing her part.”
~the trouble with schools is
they always try to teach the wrong
lesson
believe me, i've been kicked out
of enough of them to know
they want you to become less callow
less shallow
but i say: "why invite stress in?"
stop studying strife
and learn to life "the unexamined life"
Dancing through life
skimming the surface
gliding where turf is smooth
life's more painless
for the brainless
why think too hard?
when it's so soothing
dancing through life
no need to tough it
when you can sluff it off as i do
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
it's just life
so keep dancing through...
dancing through life
swaying and sweeping
and always keeping cool
life is fraughtless
when you're thoughtless
those who don't try
never look foolish
dancing through life
mindless and careless
make sure your where less
trouble is rife
woes are fleeting
blows are glancing
when you're dancing
through life...
Let's go down to the Ozdust Ballroom
we'll meet there later tonight
we can dance till it lights
find the prettiest girl...
give her a whirl
right on down to the Ozdust Ballroom
come on, follow me
you'll be happy to be there...
dancing through life
down at the Ozdust...
if only because dust is what we come to...
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
It's just..
life
so keep dancing through...
~~
Jason played the song up, embellishing the lines with bits of performance from the show. It’d been too long since he performed for the fun of it, and was really enjoying Marie’s responses. At the end of the song he laughed with her at her expression then leaned back a bit, feeling at ease for the first time in…well, a long time.
“You know, it would go a lot easier if I had someone to sing the rest of the song with.” His grin broadened to a full, bright, smile. “You did so well with the piano, want to give the voice a try?” He slid over on the bench a bit, inviting her to join him once again.
For a moment there was no reaction, but then; "Jason..? Ah, Jason *Berenzhin*!?" The girl fairly squeaked, her hands rising to her expressive mouth. "Zhe Jason Berenzhin? J'ai adoré votre dernier album! Absolutely adored it, mon cher!" He winced internally but kept the smile on his face. Maybe he could brush her off with an autograph? "Oh, I feel so silly now. I did not know it was you being such a bad player or I should not have said anything."
Bad player? What? Jason started to inhale to protest, when without warning, Marie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Jason found himself with a face full of golden shoulder and a lace tie nearly up his nose. Her short hair, cut in a bob, brushed against his cheek, the scent of flowers and sun tickling his senses as he recovered the breath she'd knocked out of him. "I am so very happy to meet you, Jason! Nobody will believe me! And I even played a song with you, vraiment. Ma fille will say I am just making it up."
Just as he was wondering if he should object about this sudden invasion of personal space or give in to the inevitable and put his arms around her waist, she let him go. He wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or disappointed. "She is most objectionable on things she says I have not done. You will have to come with and tell her that we met, cher! Oh, and that you taught me to play something with you, otherwise I shall have no peace, none at all."
His reaction to her fan worship abated a bit and he had to laugh. She actually looked ready to grab his hand and haul him off to meet this 'ma fille' person. How did this girl get through her classes with a butterfly attention span? Maybe a better question would be why he hadn't met this hurricane before.
He smiled up at her, thinking rapidly about how to head off his incipent kidnap. "Well, I'm happy we met too," he temporised. "Maybe I could play something else for you? As an apology for disturbing ... whatever you were doing?" He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I promise, something I know all the way through.”
It worked. Marie laughed back, clapping her own hands with excitement. Rings flashed on her fingers. “Ah, bonne! I shall adore you even more."
"Any requests?" Jason turned back to the synthesizer, letting his fingers ghost over the keys. Marie spun on her toes and then sat herself happily on the corner of the nearest bed, ankles crossed, hands folded demurely in her lap. The sudden cessation of motion was a little startling. She suddenly gained a dignity she hadn't had three seconds ago.
"I will leave it to you, mon cher, to choose. Play for me?”
Jason grinned back at her, at the glow of expectation in her eyes. “Well, what could zhe artiste do but comply?” He chuckled as she wrinkled her nose at the horrible French accent he used. “This is something I sang on stage the last show I did.” He shrugged affably. “It somehow fits the mood I suddenly find myself in. I can only sing my part of it though because normally I have a girl sing her part.”
~the trouble with schools is
they always try to teach the wrong
lesson
believe me, i've been kicked out
of enough of them to know
they want you to become less callow
less shallow
but i say: "why invite stress in?"
stop studying strife
and learn to life "the unexamined life"
Dancing through life
skimming the surface
gliding where turf is smooth
life's more painless
for the brainless
why think too hard?
when it's so soothing
dancing through life
no need to tough it
when you can sluff it off as i do
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
it's just life
so keep dancing through...
dancing through life
swaying and sweeping
and always keeping cool
life is fraughtless
when you're thoughtless
those who don't try
never look foolish
dancing through life
mindless and careless
make sure your where less
trouble is rife
woes are fleeting
blows are glancing
when you're dancing
through life...
Let's go down to the Ozdust Ballroom
we'll meet there later tonight
we can dance till it lights
find the prettiest girl...
give her a whirl
right on down to the Ozdust Ballroom
come on, follow me
you'll be happy to be there...
dancing through life
down at the Ozdust...
if only because dust is what we come to...
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
It's just..
life
so keep dancing through...
~~
Jason played the song up, embellishing the lines with bits of performance from the show. It’d been too long since he performed for the fun of it, and was really enjoying Marie’s responses. At the end of the song he laughed with her at her expression then leaned back a bit, feeling at ease for the first time in…well, a long time.
“You know, it would go a lot easier if I had someone to sing the rest of the song with.” His grin broadened to a full, bright, smile. “You did so well with the piano, want to give the voice a try?” He slid over on the bench a bit, inviting her to join him once again.
Marie blinked, blue eyes widening with surprise and perhaps even a little trepidation.
"Oh, non ch... Jason. I could not!" She laughed and then leaned forward, bouncing a little as if sharing a good secret. "Vraiment, I sing like a pretty bird or at least that is what my papa says but I should not wish to sing with you. Alors, you are famous! Tu es Jason Berenzin, not some silly boy without a spec of talent in his brain. I should be most embarrassed."
There was a heartbeat of pause and then the girl winked one eye, not appreciably daunted by her admission. "Je sais! I will practice first and zhen.. zhen I shall sing!" She laughed then and stood, swirling her skirt. "You should then fall down in amazement with me and I will have to kiss you to wake you up, non?"
Whatever Jason felt it wasn't on his face or at least he sure hoped it wasn't.
"Vrai. It is a wonderful day outside, cher, and you look like your face is hurting you. Are you done with your silly song now?"
So much for not showing anything.
"Oh, non ch... Jason. I could not!" She laughed and then leaned forward, bouncing a little as if sharing a good secret. "Vraiment, I sing like a pretty bird or at least that is what my papa says but I should not wish to sing with you. Alors, you are famous! Tu es Jason Berenzin, not some silly boy without a spec of talent in his brain. I should be most embarrassed."
There was a heartbeat of pause and then the girl winked one eye, not appreciably daunted by her admission. "Je sais! I will practice first and zhen.. zhen I shall sing!" She laughed then and stood, swirling her skirt. "You should then fall down in amazement with me and I will have to kiss you to wake you up, non?"
Whatever Jason felt it wasn't on his face or at least he sure hoped it wasn't.
"Vrai. It is a wonderful day outside, cher, and you look like your face is hurting you. Are you done with your silly song now?"
So much for not showing anything.
Jason laughed lightly at yet another sudden turn in direction from Marie, and started to realize that he'd better be on his toes around her, if he was going to keep up, much less a step ahead.
He grinned a grin that spoke of merriement, "I don't think I'm done with the song." The grin never left his face as he paused a beat, waiting till he saw the slightly deflated look on Marie's face, "But would you settle for done for now?"
Marie clapped her hands, pleased with the answer, "Zhen you will take me to ze Boardwalk, yes?" Jason started to respond, but Marie made up his mind for him before he could, "Of course, yes, and we will have taffy, and eat lunch on ze beach."
Jason laughed, and held out an arm, "Marie, how would you like to join me on a trip to the Boardwalk, where we can get taffy, and eat lunch on the beach?"
He grinned a grin that spoke of merriement, "I don't think I'm done with the song." The grin never left his face as he paused a beat, waiting till he saw the slightly deflated look on Marie's face, "But would you settle for done for now?"
Marie clapped her hands, pleased with the answer, "Zhen you will take me to ze Boardwalk, yes?" Jason started to respond, but Marie made up his mind for him before he could, "Of course, yes, and we will have taffy, and eat lunch on ze beach."
Jason laughed, and held out an arm, "Marie, how would you like to join me on a trip to the Boardwalk, where we can get taffy, and eat lunch on the beach?"
She laughed and tucked her small fingers into the crook of his elbow with a flourish. Really, that is what all the ladies did in the books and it was always so romantic to be escorted by a handsome man. Well, boy. But still, Jason Berenzhin. La, maybe she would even meet somebody she knew! And she would say something like oh, I am just out for a walk avec mon beau, Jason. Oh, have you met Jason, cher? Jason Berenzhin? and the other person would look at them both and she would press herself just that little bit closer to his side and smile, and oh, it would be tres fantastique! The other girls should turn green with jealousy.
She realised after a moment though that her rapt daydream of social conquest hadn't translated into an actual answer for her new paramour. Jason was still looking down with that smile that said he was utterly sure of her answer - which of course was only to be expected. She already knew what she would say because she had told them what they were going to do, non? The boardwalk and taffy and people, with the sound of the seagulls and hot sand between her toes and then a nice lunch at a bistro and perhaps then they might walk somewhere, holding hands. So wonderful. A dream.
She smiled up. "Un bon idee, cher! I should very much like to go with you. It is so stuffy in here, even with zhe windows open." She looked down quickly and decided that what she was wearing would do just fine for a trip to the beach. It was light and pretty and the little gold anklet charm would flash nicely in the sun. She tugged on his arm, anxious to start. "Cher, what kind of taffy do you like best? I should not like to choose something that you hate because zhen you will not help me eat it."
To her surprise, they did not take the train although one ran right across the water, not fifteen minutes away. A murmured cel conversation and a car met them at the school gates. She tried not to be impressed but she was; she did her best to appear nonchalant about it but could not resist bouncing on the cool dark seats. It was like being inside a bubble. Cars did not magically appear simply because one wished to go somewhere. But for Jason they apparently did.
The ride flew by with her talking and Jason smiling as if he actually liked to hear her chatter and with each passing moment she grew happier and happier, until she was like to burst.
It was just like something out of a book. And it was happening to her, Mary Tovere, who's papa's single extravagence was the trailer that carried his entire family from town to town and from show to show. Where a simple a thing as shoes were traded from hand to hand, patched and worn and patched again until service could not longer be pulled from the scraps. She was so tired of being told that she had to wait. That she had to be more careful with her belongings, that she could not have the pretty things that she saw all the time in the store windows.
Today, she would walk on the boardwalk with her head in the clouds and it would be be perfect. Nothing would spoil this afternoon.
When the car stopped, smooth as coated sunshine, she scrambled out and reached for Jason's hands. She laughed into his eyes.
"Alors! Cher, what shall we do first?"
She realised after a moment though that her rapt daydream of social conquest hadn't translated into an actual answer for her new paramour. Jason was still looking down with that smile that said he was utterly sure of her answer - which of course was only to be expected. She already knew what she would say because she had told them what they were going to do, non? The boardwalk and taffy and people, with the sound of the seagulls and hot sand between her toes and then a nice lunch at a bistro and perhaps then they might walk somewhere, holding hands. So wonderful. A dream.
She smiled up. "Un bon idee, cher! I should very much like to go with you. It is so stuffy in here, even with zhe windows open." She looked down quickly and decided that what she was wearing would do just fine for a trip to the beach. It was light and pretty and the little gold anklet charm would flash nicely in the sun. She tugged on his arm, anxious to start. "Cher, what kind of taffy do you like best? I should not like to choose something that you hate because zhen you will not help me eat it."
To her surprise, they did not take the train although one ran right across the water, not fifteen minutes away. A murmured cel conversation and a car met them at the school gates. She tried not to be impressed but she was; she did her best to appear nonchalant about it but could not resist bouncing on the cool dark seats. It was like being inside a bubble. Cars did not magically appear simply because one wished to go somewhere. But for Jason they apparently did.
The ride flew by with her talking and Jason smiling as if he actually liked to hear her chatter and with each passing moment she grew happier and happier, until she was like to burst.
It was just like something out of a book. And it was happening to her, Mary Tovere, who's papa's single extravagence was the trailer that carried his entire family from town to town and from show to show. Where a simple a thing as shoes were traded from hand to hand, patched and worn and patched again until service could not longer be pulled from the scraps. She was so tired of being told that she had to wait. That she had to be more careful with her belongings, that she could not have the pretty things that she saw all the time in the store windows.
Today, she would walk on the boardwalk with her head in the clouds and it would be be perfect. Nothing would spoil this afternoon.
When the car stopped, smooth as coated sunshine, she scrambled out and reached for Jason's hands. She laughed into his eyes.
"Alors! Cher, what shall we do first?"