look of fear.
"Yes. I told you, the spirits of the people who
first lived in it. They made me do it." she said, and
then laughed.
Ice, relieved, laughed, too, and we all relaxed
even more. Rose leaned her shoulder against me. and
Cinnamon suddenly dropped herself lower, her head
practically on Ice's lap.
We spent the rest of the time talking about our
various love experiences, and what we each searched
for in a boyfriend. Ice told us about a time her mother
had arranged a blind date for her.
"You own mother arranged a date for you?"
Rose asked her. "How come?"
"She thought I was being stuck-up because I
wasn't going out much."
"How was the date?" Cinnamon asked. "A disaster. Even though I was smart to end it
quickly, my mother was upset about it."
"Why did you have to end it quickly?" I asked. "He was a soldier on leave and he was moving
too fast for me. A friend of mine at school who played
piano was there and knew the band. He ended up
taking me home. When my mother found out, she was
upset."
"Why did that bother her? Wasn't she proud
you made the right choices?" Rose asked quickly. "No. I told you. She thought I was being stuckup. but I'm not going to be anyone's good-time
trophy," she declared with hot pride. "If that makes
me stuck-up. good."
"I don't blame you for that." I said.
"Stop worrying about it," Cinnamon declared.
"Madame Senetsky wouldn't permit it, anyway." "I don't need Madame Senetsky to watch over