Wild One

Chapter 53

Tallulah's POV

Flashback:

"Topher, there's cinnamon rolls in here!" I exclaim delightedly.

"Well, grab em, then, and if they're any good we'll have our own snack," comes Topher's muffled reply.

I'm absolutely giddy with excitement- I can tell that they were just tossed into the dumpster last night because they're in the top and the icing hasn't even melted. That means that they're still good. It takes a couple of days after the expiration date for old bread to mold but grocery stores can't keep it on the shelf after that. So they throw it in the dumpster and Topher and I get it on Sunday morning.

I love cinnamon rolls!

I obediently grab them along with two loaves of store brand bread, tucking the ends of the bag under my thumbs before grabbing onto the edge of the dumpster and pushing my legs against it to climb out. Just like always, Topher is on the other side, waiting to grab me around the waist and bring me gently to the ground.

One time he let me jump on my own when I asked him to but I got a piece of broken glass stuck in my hand and Neil scolded him so he doesn't let me any more.

It really wasn't his fault. I wanted to show him that I could do it and he believed me, but everyone always says that Topher should watch us closely since he's the biggest. I think that's why he kind of doesn't like us- he always gets in trouble when he plays with us.

But he never skips a Sunday. He makes sure to get me up with him every week and takes me to get bread for the birds at the park. He says that it's good for us to give. Even if it's just for the birds. He says that they'll always remember us being nice to them and they'll love us because of it.

And he's right. I've seen it.

Every Sunday when we go to the park with our bread, the birds come right over to us and wait. Lots of them, and all kinds. Red and blue and tawny brown- they come in crowds to wait for our generosity. They come so close that I could touch them if I tried. They know that we're not like the kids who try to sneak up and catch them or throw rocks at them. They know that we just want to be nice to them. They know that we love them.

"Topher, I wanna tell you a secret but you can't tell Ricky," I say as I skip along beside him to keep up with his long stride while he carries the bread and I tightly clench the the cinnamon rolls in one fist.

"Okay, I won't," he says as he smiles down at me, his newly discovered facial hair showing up in patches on his upper lip and glittering in the sunrise.

"My favorite color is purple," I say, a little bit out of breath as I hop a bit.

"Why is that a secret, Lu?" He asks, slowing down so I can catch my breath.

"Because it's a girl color," I say exasperatedly. "The boys won't want ta play with me if I act too girly! Whenever I play dress up at Nana's they run away from me!"

"Oh, well they won't be like that for much longer," Topher says before stopping on the sidewalk and kneeling down so I can crawl onto his back and piggy back the rest of the way. "Soon they'll like it when you dress up pretty."

"I don't think so," I murmur. "Jesse says that too much girly stuff gives you calamine."

"...Calamine?"

"Yeah. He says it makes you hot and itchy."

"Wait," Topher halts in his steps and thinks for a moment before turning his head and looking at me sideways. "Do you mean chlamydia?"