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“What is it you’re making now anyway? I’m sorry, but I can’t see the end product in this one.” She pointed to the wall where the plans were. Piper hadn’t been one for plans before. But with the help of Joel and him engineering what she wanted the end product to look like, she didn’t have so many failed attempts as she had before. Actually, she’d not had a single one fail. Joel seemed to understand her babbling about what she needed him to work out for her. “This is beautiful, Piper. And the fact that it’s your design that makes it all the more special. What are you going to do with it once you have it finished?”
The castle. She had laid in her bed with her eyes closed as the entire thing came together in her mind one night. Not only what she was making, but also the colors that would be put into it. She would use their feathers. For each of the birds that would be atop the castle, a single feather would be used to make them true to life in color, as well as to show off their size. There was no doubt in her mind that she’d never get enough money for it to want to sell it. It was for her and her alone.
It occurred to her sometime later that she was alone in her studio. There were still the little people that lived in the building with her. They would come down after everyone was gone for the evening and clean up her mess. Not that there was ever much to do, but it would be like she’d never blown flames over metal where shavings of it would fall. Nor would her empty bottles of water and empty bags of seeds be lying about either.
In favor of working on the castle, she worked on the falcon, Mercy’s bird of prey. The feather she’d asked for a week ago from each of them had done just what she’d hoped. It looked like the big bird had simply landed on her table and had hardened. Piper only hoped the others would go so well.
“Aunt Piper?” She looked up from the piece she was working on. Piper was her big bird, the only way she could get the heat she needed. However, it didn’t seem to bother the child in front of her. It took her befuddled mind a few seconds to realize who it was. “It’s Abe Dante. I wanted to talk to you if you’d not mind. But I can come back if this isn’t a good time.”
She shifted back from her bird and sat down. It had startled her, she thought. So involved in her work, she’d completely forgotten where she was, as well as that there might be others in the room with her.
“I’m sorry.” He turned away from her. “No. Don’t go, Abe. I’m sorry I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that— Well, you must have said my name more than once, I’m thinking.”
“Yes. But I was watching you work too. I’ve never seen you working before.” He smiled at her, and she knew right then that this kid was going to be a heartbreaker. “You’re all sweaty. I’ll get you a bottle of water.”
“What time is it?” He told her as he moved to the fridge that was magically filled with water just for her. “My goodness. Six o’clock? Sheesh. I never realized—obviously. How about I take my favorite guy out to dinner for keeping me from working through the night?”
“You mean me?” She nodded at him as he brought her a drink. “Sure. That would be fantastic. Then I can ask you something. I have to ask my mom and dad first. They’re working late tonight. I told them I was going to come here and see you.”
“Good. Never take off from anywhere without telling someone. Being the prince of a castle might make people stupid enough to try and hurt you. Then they’d be dead.” All the kids had been talked to over the last few weeks. “Where would you like to go?”
“I can pay if we go someplace like burgers. I have money now, but I’m learning to make sure I don’t spend it willy nilly. Grandpa told me it’s good to have money, but if you’re stupid with it, you’ll be as broke as you were rich. I love that guy.” She nearly told him she’d pay but saw the look on his face. “I can pay, Aunt Piper. Besides, this will make me feel better about asking a favor of you.”
She drove them to the hamburger place, driving like she was an old woman most of the way. Piper had great skills at driving fast. Being a racecar driver for a while had shown her moves that she had fun with. But the first time she took a curve today going well over the speed limit, she glanced over at Abe and realized she was scaring the shit out of him. Slowing down had him also stop white knuckling the door handle.
After they ordered and Abe paid, they sat at one of the many empty tables. Piper watched him as he meticulously set his hamburger on the open wrapper, smack dab in the middle. After getting that set up, he dumped his fries onto the wrapper and made sure they were arranged by size, largest to smallest. Opening just one ketchup tube, he picked up the largest fry, and after dipping it in the perfect red circle of the sauce, he ate it in small bites. He looked at her when she laughed.
“Has anyone pointed out to you that you’re OCD? Not that it’s a bad thing, but you really should try to lighten up a little, kid. People will think you’re odd.” He told her that most already did. “I love you, anyway. And I’m glad you asked me out.”
“Me too. I have to retake my tests for school tomorrow. Mom probably told you I didn’t do what I should have on the first one.” Piper told him Jude had told her. “Not that I failed, but I didn’t want anyone to think I was smart. Tracy was a little upset with me for thinking she of all people would care.”
“She’s right, you know.” He nodded as he ate all his fries before starting on the burger. “Do you ever just mix up what you’re eating? I mean, do you eat a fry then a bite of burger?”
“No. That would be wrong.” He grinned at her. “I’m just funning with you. I do like order, but not in my food. It’s just me trying to be funny.”
“You had me hooked. That’s a good one.” She finished off her burger and decided she’d get more food when she got home. She didn’t want to break the bank for him and him not coming to see her anymore. “All right. What is this favor you need from me?”
“I took the school test last week. I tested out of everything they gave me. Now I have to go to the college to see how much I can test out of there. Mom seems to think I should just take my time in college classes. Not to take a lot so I can ease into this. Dad said I should go for it.” Piper didn’t know where this was going, but she was extremely proud of this kid. “Anyway, I was wondering if you’d help me with an art project I have to put together so I can test out of the art classes they’re giving me.”
“Okay. I have no idea what you’re talking about. You sort of went around the bush about forty times. Just tell me what you’re kind of not telling me.” He told her he was nervous. “Of me? I’m not going to harm you, kid. I love you.”
“I love you too. All right. Let me think.” She went to get herself three more burgers and a malt. While she was there, keeping an eye on Abe, she ordered him another burger, as well as a malt. When she sat back down with him, he said he thought he had it. “I’m having trouble fitting in with people my own age. I think that’s why I was so excited to get tested out of high school and being with kids that are more on my level. But that’s not working out so well. The older kids treat me worse than the others do. Not that they’re hurting me, but I guess no matter where I go, I’m going to have people making fun of me. Anyway. There is a college for gifted people. I’m not saying I’m gifted, but I like to read. They want to see some work I can do. I’ve not told Mom and Dad about this school yet. I know it’s really expensive, but I think I’ll like it there better than any other place I’ve been.”
“What’s the name of the college?” He told her. “Okay. Just so you know, your mom and Aunt Mercy have a lot to do with that college. They donate every year to their fundraisers. So that might be an in for you. What else do you have to do for them to be accepted?”
“An outstanding art project. Know two languages. I have to show them I’m able to read on a higher level than twice my age. Then I have to be able to be on some of the teams. I’m not sure what that might be, but I think it’s like debate teams or something.” She told him they had competitions yearly for scholarships. Debates were only a small part of it. “I didn’t know that, but I think I can hold my own so long as I don’t have to be in any sports. I love to watch football and other contact sports, but I’m too little for much more than watching.”
“You’ll grow into it. So, you need me to help you with the outstanding art project. What did you have in mind? And so you know, I’m not going to do it for you.” He said he’d hoped she wouldn’t. “What did you have in mind?”
He told her how he was thinking of making a map of the United States in relief format. “I know you worked with all kinds of media before you came to blowing heat. I was wondering if you’d show me how to make clay work for what I have in mind. I don’t want you to do it for me, but to show me how to work with the clay so I can figure out what I’m doing.”
“I can do that. On one condition.” He nodded and said he had to tell his parents. “That’s right. I won’t mind helping you, kid, but I’m not going behind their backs to do that. We’re very close, and I’d hate for any one of them to be upset with either of us.”
“I understand. The reason I went to you first was to make sure I could get some help with the projects. The others are easy enough for me. I’ve been looking around in the books Grandma Dante left for you guys, and Latin isn’t easy, but I’m learning it. Also, I have a program on my computer that is teaching me Spanish. It’s fun.”
“Most people wouldn
’t think learning Latin is fun, buddy. It’s a difficult language for most people.” He grinned at her. “Everything else you have on this list you told me about, you have it down pat too, I’m assuming.”
