2,676
So maybe I will need to make it three parts..
“You should wear the blue one.” Autumn was not even looking in the opened closet doors. “Wear your boots with it too.”
“Miss Morgan wants me to wear the evil pink one, with the matching pink shoes.” Emma pulled both dresses out and shut the door. She laid them across the bed, and then stepped back to look at them. “I do not even want to go, but Miss Morgan said it would be a good thing for me to make friends.”
“I still say the blue one. You have not worn it yet, and it was the best one you came back with.”
“Do you think I should go? Or should I tell Miss Morgan I won’t go?”
“Here let me get you the boots for it.”
“You are not listening to me.”
Autumn came out of the closet with the boots in her hands and cocked her head at Emma. “Miss Morgan is right you do need more friends. If you want I can go with you.”
“I would like that, and then I would know at least one person there.”
“You know Clair. She will be there, and you should wear the blue dress.”
“She did seem to like it the best.” Emma shook her head again. “I don’t know though, Clair was not very nice. What if the other girls are the same?”
“Oh, so you do care what people think about you?”
“No! Well, maybe, but only because Miss Morgan says they are the nicest people in town, and I don’t want to make Mr. Hopkins feel like he took me away from everything.”
“But he did, and you miss them. You try to hide it and you try to look like a lady, but your friends don’t care. They like the fact that you love sailing and boats; and the fact that you are not afraid to play in the mud; and that you can have fun even when you are working; and even that you can throw a snowball as good as any boy. You are who you are, and there are people that like you for it.” Autumn set the boots beside the bed and picked up the frilly dress. “If you are yourself, than you will have the same kind of friendships wherever you go.”
Emma flopped on the bed and picked up the dress. “Do you always have to say the right thing?”
Autumn smiled. “That is why we are friends.”
Emma dressed and walked out into the drawing room where Miss Morgan was waiting. Miss Morgan looked at the dress, and nodded. They went downstairs and began walking up the street. They had decided to walk to the tea party since it was early afternoon, and the streets were overcrowded with people. Pulling the cart out would have taken much longer and it would have taken Avery from his job. There was a new tenant looking at the sixth floor. The previous renters would be moving out in less than a week and had recommended it to an acquaintance of theirs. Avery had the pleasant task of showing the gentleman the rooms, and getting him to sign the contract for rent. They actually passed the man as they were leaving, and Emma overheard him say something about children running all over the place. She had the impression that he did not want to live near any children at all. Autumn stuck her tongue out at his back, and that made Emma laugh. Miss Morgan looked down at her questioningly, but she just shook her head still giggling. When they reached the end of the street, a paper boy called out stepping in front of them. “Buy a paper Ma’am?” Miss Morgan shook her head, sticking her nose up, and stepped around the dirty boy. He turned to Emma “How about a poem for the little lady?”
Emma stopped and he handed her the piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket. She was reading it when Miss Morgan reached out and took her hand leading her away. “We are not interested in your street corner news. Come along, Emma.”
Emma let herself be led away, but looked back over her shoulder and shrugged at him. He replied with a wink, and she crumpled the little piece of paper that she still held, pushing it up her sleeve. They turned the corner to the upper class side of town and Emma gasped. The houses were almost the same size as their building, and they were not all pushed up against each other. The ladies continued up to the big house and were ushered in before they could even knock. Emma lingered in the doorway a moment to give Autumn a chance to slip in. They were led to the great parlor where six or seven girls were already waiting. Emma was introduced and the girls as a group stood and walked up to greet her. Miss Morgan gently nudged her into the room and then closed the door behind her. Clair was at the back of the group, standing there whispering to another girl. The small gathering made Emma very uncomfortable. How was it she could be the center of a group of ten to fifteen boys with every one of them looking at her, and not care in the least, but in this small group of girls she wanted to fall through the floor? She allowed herself to be led to the table where the girls had been playing with porcelain dolls. Sitting on a chair she watched as they began picking them up and taking them into cradles in their arms while they started talking with each other again. They tried to get Emma to talk to them, but she merely nodded or shook her head in answer to questions and spoke only a few words when one of those actions was not enough. After all the other girls stopped trying to talk to her, Clair came over and sat near her, bringing the girl she had been whispering to earlier. The girl leaned around Clair and said “Hello, I’m Maude. I know you have already met Clair.” She turned and began pointing out and naming off the other girls in the gathering, but Emma soon lost track of them. Finally finished with her round of introductions Maude returned her attention to Emma and asked “Who is your friend?”
Emma was very confused, and looked to Clair for an answer, but only received the same curious look and Clair nodded at something behind Emma. Emma followed their eyes and turned to look at Autumn sitting on the back of the chaise lounge chair beside her. Autumn looked very pleased with herself, and gave a little wave. Both the girls on the other side of Emma raised their hands to wave back. Emma’s eyes grew wide “You two can see her?”
“Yes, I saw her when we met the other day, but she was only there for a minute so I didn’t think she was with you.” Clair replied, and at the same time Maude said “Of course we can see her, why would you ask that?”
Emma looked back and forth between them for a moment “This is my friend Autumn. You are the only people I know of, beside myself, who can see her.”
Autumn slid to the floor and walked around allowing her wings to show from under her hair. “Hello, nice to meet you.” The two girls face’s registered surprise, matching the look on Emma’s when she realized they could see Autumn, when they saw the wings. Autumn caught that they were staring at them, and gave them a little flick making the light dance upon the gold.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Maude said it very dazedly, and Clair just kind of nodded. Then on a sudden thought Maude looked to the other girls sitting just a few feet away. They continued talking completely unaware of the fourth member of the group sitting there. “They really can’t see her?”
“No, I guess they could see me if I wanted them to, but I do not just show myself to anyone.” Autumn answered, bringing herself into the conversation. “Emma can see me anytime I am near.” Autumn looked at Emma and cocked her head a little bit. “I think her brother would see me if I tried really hard to make myself visible to him, but then if she just pointed to me, he would trust her, and I would not have to try so hard.”
“So then why can we see you?” Clair asked.
“I let my guard down thinking that no one would even be looking. That or you are really connected to deep sorrow.”
“It must be the first reason because the second is not true.” Maude smiled to prove it.
“I saw you before I was really sad.” Emma looked at Autumn inquisitively. Autumn stared back and for several seconds no one spoke.
“I know. You are a curiosity to me; even when I try to be near you and keep myself hidden you look right at me. It seems at times like we must be connected in some way, but I cannot think how that might be.”
Emma thought back to the train station. Autumn had been standing outside the door when she was looking up at the stars. She had followed them out on the platform and onto the train, and finally when Mr. Hopkins had fallen asleep Emma had turned to her out of boredom. The way she had appeared was not unusual to Emma that was how she often turned up, like a shadow fading into color and life.
The girls continued talking for a bit more, and then Autumn bid them good bye. She faded away from view, and Maude and Clair thought she left, but Emma knew she just hid herself from their view. A maid entered carrying a tray filled with little tea cakes and other nice little snacks. A second maid followed her brining in the tea and cups. They set up the table and the girls set their dolls aside and jumped up. When the three sitting on the chair rose, Maude ran around to the other side of Emma and plucked her sleeve telling her to sit with her. The little crumpled up piece of paper dropped to the floor and one of the other girls scooped it up. Emma made a grab for it, but the other girl jumped away, unfolding it the whole time. She read it aloud once she got it open.
Hello little swimmer girl. We missed you yesterday. Thank you for the boots, the butler said they were yours. They fit really nice, and I really owe you one. I’ll see you next week.
“Ooh, what is this? Do you already have a beau?” The reader, Erin, asked teasingly still holding the paper out of reach.
Emma turned red but chose to ignore the question reaching out for the paper again. “That is mine, give it back!”
“Whoa did you see how red she got, it must be true.” Erin also chose to ignore Emma’s demand for the paper, and the other girls began stepping to the sides as she moved away from Emma. No one tried to stop her and the teasing continued. A couple of the others that Emma still hadn’t met joined in the teasing, and they passed the note pack and forth. Emma tried to stay calm, but all of her efforts just kept making her face turn redder. Finally the note found its way into Clair’s hands and she stared at it for a minute. Emma reached for it again, thinking that Clair would give it to her, but Clair passed it back to Erin. Emma gaped at her, not understanding how she could keep switching from friendly to mean.
“I don’t think you are old enough to have a boyfriend. Should I rip this up, or show it to Miss Morgan?” Erin’s question brought all the girls to life, and they began calling out what they thought should be done with it. Take it to Miss Morgan won out, and they started for the door as a group. Emma did not follow; she had turned completely white and stood rooted to the floor looking back and forth between Maude and Clair. Maude would not look at her, and Clair wore a small sneer. Finally just as they were about to reach the door Emma whispered “Autumn...”
The room filled with the sound of wind and tumbling leaves, although no windows were open and there were no leaves even ready to fall. Even the smell of the woods just after a fall rain could be felt. Autumn appeared beside Emma. She was beating her wings into a mad whirl, and rushed the girls. The shock of seeing her appear caused Erin to drop the paper, and all of the girls except for Maude and Clair screamed. Autumn came right up to the girls, who shrunk to the floor at her approach, and picked up the piece of paper. She returned to Emma with it, and then turned and faced them again. “You are no one’s friends. You cannot even be friends to each other, how can you expect to have friends outside of this room?”
Maude hung her head, and Clair just looked away. The other girls were beginning to stand up and whisper, pondering what that was, and both girls realized Autumn had only been talking to them. The sound of mothers, and maybe maids, could be heard rushing up the hallway. The girl’s screams having alerted the rest of the house. Autumn stood protectively over Emma after returning the piece of paper the newsboy had given her. Emma was still looking at it when the door burst open, tumbling the group of panicked women over the girls still standing in the way. Silvia recovered first and grabbed Maude’s shoulders. “What happened, is everyone alright?”
The sound of mothers grabbing their daughters and checking them for injuries and asking what had happened filled the room. Miss Morgan walked in the door behind the others and stood there listening and watching Emma. Emma stood in the center of the room watching as these girls began crying and pointing in her direction. It reminded her of her own mother and she looked to Miss Morgan with tears in the corner of her eyes. By this time Miss Morgan had gathered that there had been some scuffle over a piece of paper, and Emma had brought up Autumn. She still believed that it was just an imaginary friend and that somehow Emma had convinced all of the girls she was dangerous in some way, and then scared them at the height of suspense. She started shaking her head as she walked up to Emma, still not fully aware of what happened, and not noticing Emma’s look. “Emma, you were supposed to be making friends not bringing up imaginary ones.” She sounded even more disappointed than she looked. “Let me see the paper.”
Emma looked at the paper in her hand and then at Miss Morgan, and then to the group still by the door. Maude had not tried to explain what had happened, and her mother was just watching the exchange curiously. Clair didn’t seem to have told her mother either; she just stood there looking smug. Emma was still standing there looking around when the mothers near the door began coming over accusing her of various things. Emma continued to stand there listening as they drew closer to her until finally they were standing all around her. She crumpled the paper into a ball and ripped it up, throwing the pieces on the floor. “I did not ask to come here! I don’t even want to be here!” She ran out the side door of the room and down the street before anyone could stop her.
“You should wear the blue one.” Autumn was not even looking in the opened closet doors. “Wear your boots with it too.”
“Miss Morgan wants me to wear the evil pink one, with the matching pink shoes.” Emma pulled both dresses out and shut the door. She laid them across the bed, and then stepped back to look at them. “I do not even want to go, but Miss Morgan said it would be a good thing for me to make friends.”
“I still say the blue one. You have not worn it yet, and it was the best one you came back with.”
“Do you think I should go? Or should I tell Miss Morgan I won’t go?”
“Here let me get you the boots for it.”
“You are not listening to me.”
Autumn came out of the closet with the boots in her hands and cocked her head at Emma. “Miss Morgan is right you do need more friends. If you want I can go with you.”
“I would like that, and then I would know at least one person there.”
“You know Clair. She will be there, and you should wear the blue dress.”
“She did seem to like it the best.” Emma shook her head again. “I don’t know though, Clair was not very nice. What if the other girls are the same?”
“Oh, so you do care what people think about you?”
“No! Well, maybe, but only because Miss Morgan says they are the nicest people in town, and I don’t want to make Mr. Hopkins feel like he took me away from everything.”
“But he did, and you miss them. You try to hide it and you try to look like a lady, but your friends don’t care. They like the fact that you love sailing and boats; and the fact that you are not afraid to play in the mud; and that you can have fun even when you are working; and even that you can throw a snowball as good as any boy. You are who you are, and there are people that like you for it.” Autumn set the boots beside the bed and picked up the frilly dress. “If you are yourself, than you will have the same kind of friendships wherever you go.”
Emma flopped on the bed and picked up the dress. “Do you always have to say the right thing?”
Autumn smiled. “That is why we are friends.”
Emma dressed and walked out into the drawing room where Miss Morgan was waiting. Miss Morgan looked at the dress, and nodded. They went downstairs and began walking up the street. They had decided to walk to the tea party since it was early afternoon, and the streets were overcrowded with people. Pulling the cart out would have taken much longer and it would have taken Avery from his job. There was a new tenant looking at the sixth floor. The previous renters would be moving out in less than a week and had recommended it to an acquaintance of theirs. Avery had the pleasant task of showing the gentleman the rooms, and getting him to sign the contract for rent. They actually passed the man as they were leaving, and Emma overheard him say something about children running all over the place. She had the impression that he did not want to live near any children at all. Autumn stuck her tongue out at his back, and that made Emma laugh. Miss Morgan looked down at her questioningly, but she just shook her head still giggling. When they reached the end of the street, a paper boy called out stepping in front of them. “Buy a paper Ma’am?” Miss Morgan shook her head, sticking her nose up, and stepped around the dirty boy. He turned to Emma “How about a poem for the little lady?”
Emma stopped and he handed her the piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket. She was reading it when Miss Morgan reached out and took her hand leading her away. “We are not interested in your street corner news. Come along, Emma.”
Emma let herself be led away, but looked back over her shoulder and shrugged at him. He replied with a wink, and she crumpled the little piece of paper that she still held, pushing it up her sleeve. They turned the corner to the upper class side of town and Emma gasped. The houses were almost the same size as their building, and they were not all pushed up against each other. The ladies continued up to the big house and were ushered in before they could even knock. Emma lingered in the doorway a moment to give Autumn a chance to slip in. They were led to the great parlor where six or seven girls were already waiting. Emma was introduced and the girls as a group stood and walked up to greet her. Miss Morgan gently nudged her into the room and then closed the door behind her. Clair was at the back of the group, standing there whispering to another girl. The small gathering made Emma very uncomfortable. How was it she could be the center of a group of ten to fifteen boys with every one of them looking at her, and not care in the least, but in this small group of girls she wanted to fall through the floor? She allowed herself to be led to the table where the girls had been playing with porcelain dolls. Sitting on a chair she watched as they began picking them up and taking them into cradles in their arms while they started talking with each other again. They tried to get Emma to talk to them, but she merely nodded or shook her head in answer to questions and spoke only a few words when one of those actions was not enough. After all the other girls stopped trying to talk to her, Clair came over and sat near her, bringing the girl she had been whispering to earlier. The girl leaned around Clair and said “Hello, I’m Maude. I know you have already met Clair.” She turned and began pointing out and naming off the other girls in the gathering, but Emma soon lost track of them. Finally finished with her round of introductions Maude returned her attention to Emma and asked “Who is your friend?”
Emma was very confused, and looked to Clair for an answer, but only received the same curious look and Clair nodded at something behind Emma. Emma followed their eyes and turned to look at Autumn sitting on the back of the chaise lounge chair beside her. Autumn looked very pleased with herself, and gave a little wave. Both the girls on the other side of Emma raised their hands to wave back. Emma’s eyes grew wide “You two can see her?”
“Yes, I saw her when we met the other day, but she was only there for a minute so I didn’t think she was with you.” Clair replied, and at the same time Maude said “Of course we can see her, why would you ask that?”
Emma looked back and forth between them for a moment “This is my friend Autumn. You are the only people I know of, beside myself, who can see her.”
Autumn slid to the floor and walked around allowing her wings to show from under her hair. “Hello, nice to meet you.” The two girls face’s registered surprise, matching the look on Emma’s when she realized they could see Autumn, when they saw the wings. Autumn caught that they were staring at them, and gave them a little flick making the light dance upon the gold.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Maude said it very dazedly, and Clair just kind of nodded. Then on a sudden thought Maude looked to the other girls sitting just a few feet away. They continued talking completely unaware of the fourth member of the group sitting there. “They really can’t see her?”
“No, I guess they could see me if I wanted them to, but I do not just show myself to anyone.” Autumn answered, bringing herself into the conversation. “Emma can see me anytime I am near.” Autumn looked at Emma and cocked her head a little bit. “I think her brother would see me if I tried really hard to make myself visible to him, but then if she just pointed to me, he would trust her, and I would not have to try so hard.”
“So then why can we see you?” Clair asked.
“I let my guard down thinking that no one would even be looking. That or you are really connected to deep sorrow.”
“It must be the first reason because the second is not true.” Maude smiled to prove it.
“I saw you before I was really sad.” Emma looked at Autumn inquisitively. Autumn stared back and for several seconds no one spoke.
“I know. You are a curiosity to me; even when I try to be near you and keep myself hidden you look right at me. It seems at times like we must be connected in some way, but I cannot think how that might be.”
Emma thought back to the train station. Autumn had been standing outside the door when she was looking up at the stars. She had followed them out on the platform and onto the train, and finally when Mr. Hopkins had fallen asleep Emma had turned to her out of boredom. The way she had appeared was not unusual to Emma that was how she often turned up, like a shadow fading into color and life.
The girls continued talking for a bit more, and then Autumn bid them good bye. She faded away from view, and Maude and Clair thought she left, but Emma knew she just hid herself from their view. A maid entered carrying a tray filled with little tea cakes and other nice little snacks. A second maid followed her brining in the tea and cups. They set up the table and the girls set their dolls aside and jumped up. When the three sitting on the chair rose, Maude ran around to the other side of Emma and plucked her sleeve telling her to sit with her. The little crumpled up piece of paper dropped to the floor and one of the other girls scooped it up. Emma made a grab for it, but the other girl jumped away, unfolding it the whole time. She read it aloud once she got it open.
Hello little swimmer girl. We missed you yesterday. Thank you for the boots, the butler said they were yours. They fit really nice, and I really owe you one. I’ll see you next week.
“Ooh, what is this? Do you already have a beau?” The reader, Erin, asked teasingly still holding the paper out of reach.
Emma turned red but chose to ignore the question reaching out for the paper again. “That is mine, give it back!”
“Whoa did you see how red she got, it must be true.” Erin also chose to ignore Emma’s demand for the paper, and the other girls began stepping to the sides as she moved away from Emma. No one tried to stop her and the teasing continued. A couple of the others that Emma still hadn’t met joined in the teasing, and they passed the note pack and forth. Emma tried to stay calm, but all of her efforts just kept making her face turn redder. Finally the note found its way into Clair’s hands and she stared at it for a minute. Emma reached for it again, thinking that Clair would give it to her, but Clair passed it back to Erin. Emma gaped at her, not understanding how she could keep switching from friendly to mean.
“I don’t think you are old enough to have a boyfriend. Should I rip this up, or show it to Miss Morgan?” Erin’s question brought all the girls to life, and they began calling out what they thought should be done with it. Take it to Miss Morgan won out, and they started for the door as a group. Emma did not follow; she had turned completely white and stood rooted to the floor looking back and forth between Maude and Clair. Maude would not look at her, and Clair wore a small sneer. Finally just as they were about to reach the door Emma whispered “Autumn...”
The room filled with the sound of wind and tumbling leaves, although no windows were open and there were no leaves even ready to fall. Even the smell of the woods just after a fall rain could be felt. Autumn appeared beside Emma. She was beating her wings into a mad whirl, and rushed the girls. The shock of seeing her appear caused Erin to drop the paper, and all of the girls except for Maude and Clair screamed. Autumn came right up to the girls, who shrunk to the floor at her approach, and picked up the piece of paper. She returned to Emma with it, and then turned and faced them again. “You are no one’s friends. You cannot even be friends to each other, how can you expect to have friends outside of this room?”
Maude hung her head, and Clair just looked away. The other girls were beginning to stand up and whisper, pondering what that was, and both girls realized Autumn had only been talking to them. The sound of mothers, and maybe maids, could be heard rushing up the hallway. The girl’s screams having alerted the rest of the house. Autumn stood protectively over Emma after returning the piece of paper the newsboy had given her. Emma was still looking at it when the door burst open, tumbling the group of panicked women over the girls still standing in the way. Silvia recovered first and grabbed Maude’s shoulders. “What happened, is everyone alright?”
The sound of mothers grabbing their daughters and checking them for injuries and asking what had happened filled the room. Miss Morgan walked in the door behind the others and stood there listening and watching Emma. Emma stood in the center of the room watching as these girls began crying and pointing in her direction. It reminded her of her own mother and she looked to Miss Morgan with tears in the corner of her eyes. By this time Miss Morgan had gathered that there had been some scuffle over a piece of paper, and Emma had brought up Autumn. She still believed that it was just an imaginary friend and that somehow Emma had convinced all of the girls she was dangerous in some way, and then scared them at the height of suspense. She started shaking her head as she walked up to Emma, still not fully aware of what happened, and not noticing Emma’s look. “Emma, you were supposed to be making friends not bringing up imaginary ones.” She sounded even more disappointed than she looked. “Let me see the paper.”
Emma looked at the paper in her hand and then at Miss Morgan, and then to the group still by the door. Maude had not tried to explain what had happened, and her mother was just watching the exchange curiously. Clair didn’t seem to have told her mother either; she just stood there looking smug. Emma was still standing there looking around when the mothers near the door began coming over accusing her of various things. Emma continued to stand there listening as they drew closer to her until finally they were standing all around her. She crumpled the paper into a ball and ripped it up, throwing the pieces on the floor. “I did not ask to come here! I don’t even want to be here!” She ran out the side door of the room and down the street before anyone could stop her.