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Post by Princess Katie on Sept 1, 2008 4:35:54 GMT -5
“Yes, Peter, I’m fine,” She yelled back, though crackles in her voice revealed that she was on the brink of tears. She was definitely not fine. Her care-free world had suddenly become filled with drama. The more she hung out with Alexander, the less happy she was when she wasn’t around him. Cat’s Cradle, the tinwhistle, even shepherding didn’t amuse her like they used to. “I’ll be back in…in a second, Peter.”
Nellie turned her attention back to Alexander, resuming a whisper. “True. I do love it ‘ere. The Woodland Pastures, the farm…it’s all I’ve ever known, it is. But not one bit of this is wurf it if I can’t be wiff you,” Nellie paused to bury her face deeper into her skirts to hide her embarrassment, “wot I mean is, if I can’t be able to see you,” she amended, muffled through the layers of powder-blue calico.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 1, 2008 4:52:23 GMT -5
He was considering burning Peter's skin off (freckle by freckle) just for the fun of it. He cooled his irritation, literally, and focused again on Nellie, though it wasn't a much happier view. Though she said it softly, even covering her face after, she may as well have shouted it. The stupid part was, he kind of felt the same way.
He briefly wondered how they'd even found each other, and then without much pre-planned thinking, reached up and gently pulled the layers of skirts from her hands. He took her face in his hands and leaned forward and kissed her.
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Post by Princess Katie on Sept 1, 2008 5:07:10 GMT -5
Nellie’s eyes widened in shock. Was this really happening? Her shock wasn’t so great that it overrode the fact that she was kissing the boy she had unknowingly fallen for ages ago, however.
She closed her eyes and slipped her arms under Alexander’s, pulling him in closer to her. Kissing wasn’t exactly Nellie’s forte, but she could learn, she assured herself. She could make a habit of this.
“That’s it,” she whispered, pulling away from Alexander suddenly, her cheeks burning and her heart racing, “I’m runnin’ away.”
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 1, 2008 5:16:03 GMT -5
His eyes had turned to liquid fire by the time she pulled away, though they cooled with a hint of disappointment. He'd been enjoying that. Nellie kissed perfect. For him. Not perfect for everyone, but just right against his lips.
"Okay," he said quietly, a bit dazed. "Or I'll dye my hair blonde and convert to candy farming."
Oh dear lord, he was serious.
"And I may have to kill Peter." He brushed his lips over hers again, lightly and brief, because he had to make sure they still felt the same.
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Post by Princess Katie on Sept 1, 2008 22:22:07 GMT -5
She was clearly touched by his offer. “You’d do that fer me?” she asked, sliding off of the barrel and smoothing off her skirts. She was still fighting not to cry. She had been rather emotional lately. She tried to regain her mental footing in the only way she really knew how, “But you’d never make it as a farmer. Y ‘ave t’ wake up early, y ‘ave t’ know agricultural fings that we ‘as all known since we was kids, you actually ‘ave to work. Work. Wiff yer ‘ands.”
Nellie paused just at the edge of the door of the barn, “A’sides. You’d look terrible as a blonde. ‘Old on, I need to ‘ave a word with Peter. And you can’t kill ‘im. ‘e didn’t do nuffin wrong, y’ know.” Nellie sighed, shuffling over to where Peter sat, obediently eating his lunch.
“Are you okay, Nell?” He asked, through a mouthful of bread. He may be horribly redheaded, but he wasn’t completely unobservant.
“I’m still fine,” she answered. She felt kind of bad for Peter. Shown up by a Nightmare boy? An especially Nightmarey Nightmare boy? She decided to spare his feelings, he didn’t have to know that she was running off with Alexander. She was running off with Alexander. It sounded crazy, even in her own head. “I’m goin’ ‘ome. I ‘ave a bushel of butterscotches t’ shell before supper, okay? I’m awful sorry me friend came in ‘ere and bullied ya.”
“You want me to take you ‘ome? I’m almost done wiff the stalls anyhow, they can wait ‘til I getcha ‘ome,” Peter offered, standing and brushing the dirt off his pants. Nellie smiled and shook her head vigorously. He looked shocked, he had expected her to do the ladylike thing and accept his chivalrous offer. “…You…sure?”
“I’m positive. You should finish muckin’ out them stalls, I fink I saw yer dad comin’ down the ‘ill earlier. I don’t want you t’ get in trouble on account of li’le ol’ me.” Nellie fluttered her lashes in a display of feminine wiles she didn’t know she had. “I’m sure we’ll be seein’ lots of each other soon enough,” she hinted coyly, twisting her slippered foot around in the earthen floor.
Peter admired her cutesy antics for a second but quickly went to work on the stalls. Like Nellie, he was obviously fearful of his father’s authority. “Bye, Nell. Be careful, y’ ear?”
“I always am,” She said as she slipped out of the barn, “Careful’s my middle name.”
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 1, 2008 23:33:15 GMT -5
He listened, still halfway out of himself, eyes widening in horror at the thought of waking up every morning to work all day long. With candy and neon sheep. After she left, he realized he was grateful she hadn't taken him up on his offer.
His head spun. He had that odd feeling in the pit of his stomach he usually got after he'd pushed things too far. He was used to living somewhat on the edge, but he couldn't recall ever enjoying the times when he'd slipped all the way off.
But he also felt.... fluttery, maybe? It was nice. But what were they doing? This was madness! And.... he'd apparently turned into Armand? He never cared about madness usually.
Nellie came back out and Alexander was at her side instantly. "Are you okay?" he asked. "And... are you sure?" He hoped she was, because the alternative was that she married Pumpkin boy, but it was a lot to ask.
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Post by Princess Katie on Sept 2, 2008 0:45:17 GMT -5
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m…great.” Geez, she had never been asked if she was okay so many times in a half hour. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and clasped the hook of her bright red riding cloak over her collar bone.
“I’m absolutely positive, Alexander. I can’t imagine me ever bein’ ‘appy ‘ere no more, d’you know wot I mean?” Nellie sounded resolute, but her eyes stung. She’d miss the sheep, and the gratuitous amounts of candy, and Dream holidays, and the sun, and flowers, and her sheepy babies, and her cousins, and even her mother and father.
Her horse was waiting patiently by the trough, just where she’d left her. “D’you think you could give me a boost, please?” she asked Alexander, indicating to the saddle. If she was running away, she was going home first. She needed clothes, and her Alice in Wonderland book, and to leave her parents a note.
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Post by Miss Jack on Sept 2, 2008 16:48:16 GMT -5
"Yes," he said softly. He knew what she meant. He'd be ruined, now, if she ever got married. Except, maybe (if he warmed up to the idea) to him.
He grabbed her waist and hoisted her up into the saddle. "Tonight," he said, "Around midnight. I'll come back. I have to take care of a few things first."
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