Valentina & Vincent • on hold

Chapter Five

Lia's house was a palace. Where royalty drank wine and ate fresh fruit basking in the comfort of their homes before waking the royal garden, where there was a trampoline. Valentina eyed it from the window like a predator stalking prey, a noise like the snap of a twig or the creak of a floorboard would ruin everything. She didn't want to seem rude as Miss Lia's mom fed them.

"Juice or milk, sweetie?"

"Uh, juice?" She answered, shrugging her shoulders and curling in on herself. Cecilia didn't buy juice, said the twins could drink tap water if they didn't want milk, which they never did because it was always expired. Maybe their sink was broken? So they couldn't give water.

Valentina jumped when a hand came down on her shoulder. Lia, with a mouth full of cookies grinned. "Lets play outside!"

"Viviana! Chew and swallow, then speak."

"Yes, Mama, sorry."

Lia's full name was Lia Viviana, her Mama and Papa apparently called her that. It was the name on her door and the name their dog responded to. How odd, so many V's Valentina knew. She was happy she just had to call her Lia as her second name had the poor girl tripping over her own tongue and looking foolish. As the pretty golden dog under the table munched on the cookie crumbs in her lap, Valentina stared out, looking back at the trampoline.

"Let's go outside."

Did she notice the staring? Actually, who cares?

Valentina crept behind Lia, excitement building with every step until she was practically bouncing like a bunny over walking.

"So, are we goes on the trampoline?"

"It's going, and yes." Valentina didn't even bother taking in the correction, jumping out her shoes to get on the play thing like she saw children on TV do.

"Wow!"

Lia grinned as she began bouncing. "Fun isn't it?"

The other girl nodded furiously as she leapt in the air.

-

Vincent used to enjoy silence. Children were seen, but never heard, his mother said. That's how she was raised and she wasn't looking to change it, good thing her kids were quiet anyway. Vincent wasn't a talker, Valentina wasn't either, until school. He thought he would dread school. He was wrong.

And then he was right.

Donovan, chipper as always skipped around the playground. Vincent watched him, he felt creepy, the way he twitched and shuffled in anticipation. Would Donovan be happy to see him? Would he remember his name? Was his name worth remembering?

"Hi!"

Vincent jumped back as a head of appeared before him. Donovan was grinning, his head of curly hair was shaved off and he had a couple stains on his striped shirt and jean shorts. But it was still him, chipper Donovan who smelled like flowers and never shut up.

"How you been? been a while. Wanna play?"

So, they played. Any questions or insecurities on the tip of Vincent's tongue were swallowed down as Donovan jumped on the boy's back and demanded he take them to the swings.