"Billy is asking a lot of questions about Stormy," I whispered to Alexander as I took his hand and hurried to the car.
"Like what?"
Billy caught up to me. "Hey, Alexander, Stormy."
The Sterling siblings greeted my brother.
"Thanks for the portrait of me and Stormy," Billy said to Alexander. "That was awesome!"
"What portrait?" Stormy asked.
"Alexander made a picture of you and me at the dance. The same one that Raven took of us. It didn't turn out, so I was really lucky you made this." He pulled out his phone. "I'd like to take another picture of us," Billy said. "And this time I'd like Alexander to take it. I bet he'll do a better job than you." We all froze. None of us knew what to do. Take the picture and have it not turn out again?
"We'll do that when we get home," I said, pushing my brother out the door. "We need to get to Shirley's before there's a line." I tried to talk as much as I could on the way to Shirley's Bakery. I didn't want my brother bringing up to Stormy that she was missing from his photo.
"So are you and Valentine good friends?" Billy asked after we got to Shirley's and ordered. We were walking along the downtown square and taking in the evening air.
"Yes, I've known him most of my life."
"Do you hang out a lot?"
"I don't have many friends at home. So I'd say yes, he's one. But since I came to this town, I have even more friends," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Maybe we could get together tomorrow," Billy said suddenly.
"Tomorrow?" she asked. "Maybe later... How about after sunset?"
"I was thinking before. We could hang outside. Henry has a tree house. It will be better to see it during the daylight hours."
"I think I have something planned with Alexander."
"Then how about the next afternoon?" he pressed.
"Don't you have school?" she asked.
"We could meet right afterward."
"I get tutored by Jameson."
"I could come and watch," he said.
"Don'tpanI you understand? I can't see you then. I want to, but I can't."
"Don'tpanI you understand? I can't see you then. I want to, but I can't."
"Why not?" he urged.
"I have something planned every day!" she shouted.
"What's going on?" Alexander asked.
"Nothing." Stormy took a bite of her ice cream.
"I was just seeing if Stormy could hang out with me and Henry during the day," Billy said. "We always go out at night. I'd like us to hang out in the day sometime, instead."
"That's not possible," she said.
"Why?"