Darkest Hour (Cutler 5)

Miss Walker finally heard the commotion and came rushing out of the schoolhouse. It took only her scream and a command to part the two of them. All the other children stepped back obediently. She had her hands on her hips, but as soon as Niles and Robert parted, she seized both of them by their hair and marched them grimacing in pain into the school-house. There was some subdued laughter, but no one dared attract Miss Walker's anger now. Billy Simpson fetched my bonnet for me. I thanked him, but it was impossible to put it on again. It was full of dust and the brim had been snapped in front. No longer caring about covering my head anyway, I walked into the schoolhouse with the others and took my seat.

Robert and Niles were punished by being forced to sit in the corner, even through lunch recess, and then made to stay an hour after school. It didn't matter who was at fault, Miss Walker declared. Fighting was prohibited and anyone caught doing so would be punished. When I looked at Niles, I thanked him with my eyes. His face had a scratch from the chin up the left cheek and his forehead was bruised, but he returned my glance with a happy smile.

As it turned out, Miss Walker asked me if I wanted to remain after school too so I could catch up with the work I had missed. While Niles and Robert had to sit quietly in the rear of the classroom with their hands tightly clasped on the desk, their backs straight and their heads up, I worked with Miss Walker in the front of the room. She tried to cheer me up by telling me my hair would grow back in no time and by telling me that short hair was in style in some places. Just before we were finished, she excused Niles and Robert, but not before she gave them a firm warning and told them that if she caught either of them fighting or heard about either of them fighting, their parents would have to come to the school before they could return. It was obvious from Robert's expression that he was more afraid of that than anything. The moment he could go home, he charged out of the building and ran off. Niles waited for me at the bottom of the hill. Fortunately, Emily had already left.

"You shouldn't have done that, Niles," I told him. "You got yourself in trouble for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing. Robert's a . . . a donkey. I'm sorry your bonnet got broken," Niles said. I carried it over my books.

"Mamma will be upset, I suppose. It was one of her favorites, but I don't think I'm going to try to cover up my head anymore. Besides, Louella says I should let the air get to it and it will grow faster."

"That sounds right," Niles said. "And I have one other idea," he added, his eyes twinkling.

"What?" I asked quickly. He answered me with a grin. "Niles Thompson, you tell me what you're talking about this instant or . . ."

He laughed and leaned toward me to whisper. "The magic pond."

"What? How can that help?"

"You just come along with me right now," he said, taking my hand. I had never walked along a public ro

ad holding hands with a boy before. He gripped mine tightly in his and walked as quickly as he could. I practically had to run to keep up with him. When we reached the path, we charged over the grass as we had that first time and arrived at the pond quickly.

"Now first," Niles said, kneeling down at the edge of the water. He dipped his hands into the pond and stood up. "We sprinkle the magic water over your hair. Close your eyes and wish while I do it," he said. The afternoon sunlight streaking in between the trees made his thick dark hair shine. His eyes turned even softer, meeting and locking with mine. I did feel we were standing in a mystical and wonderful place.

"Go on, close your eyes," he urged. I did so and smiled at the same time. I hadn't smiled for days. I felt the drops sink through my shortened strands and touch my scalp and then, quite unexpectedly, I felt Niles's lips touch mine. My eyes snapped open with surprise.

"That's one of the rules," he said quickly. "Whoever puts the water on you, has to seal the wish with a kiss."

"Niles Thompson, you're making this up as you go along and you know it."

He shrugged, holding his soft smile.

"I guess I couldn't help myself," he confessed. "You wanted to kiss me even though I look like this?"

"Very much. I want to kiss you again, too," he admitted.

My heart thumped happily. I took a deep breath and said, "Then do it."

Was I terrible for inviting him to kiss me again? Did this mean Emily was right . . . I was full of sin? I didn't care; I couldn't care and I couldn't believe she was right. Niles's lips on mine felt too good to be wrong. I closed my eyes, but I felt him move closer, fraction by fraction. I could sense him in every pore. My skin seemed to wake up and turn into a zillion antennae, each almost invisible hair quivering.

He put his arms around me and we kissed harder and longer than ever. He didn't let go, either. When he stopped kissing my lips, he kissed my cheek and then he kissed my lips again and then he put his lips to my neck and I released a soft moan.

My whole body was exploding with delight. There were tingles in places I had never felt tingles. A wave of warmth rushed through my veins and I leaned forward and demanded his lips on mine one more time.

"Lillian," he whispered. "I was so upset when you and Eugenia didn't show up and I heard what had happened to you. I knew how terrible you were feeling and I felt terrible for you. Then, when you didn't come to school, I was going to come to your house again and try to see you. I even thought about climbing up the roof to your bedroom window at night."

"Niles, you didn't? You wouldn't, would you?" I asked, both frightened and titillated by the possibility. What if I were undressed or in my nightgown?

"One more day without you and I might have," he said bravely.

"I thought you would find me so ugly you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. I was afraid that—"

He put his finger on my lips.

"Don't say such silly things." He lifted his finger away and replaced it with his lips. As he pressed them to mine again, I let myself grow limp in his arms. My legs trembled and slowly, gracefully, we sank to the grass. There, we explored each other's faces with our fingers, our lips, our eyes.

"Emily says I'm wicked, Niles. I might be," I warned him. He started to laugh. "No, really. She says I'm a Jonah and that I only bring sadness and tragedy to people who are near me, people who . . . love me."