In Spite of the Arrow Book #9

Chapter 7 Give Her a Chance

Susan sighed as she opened the door to Verity's room. What she saw was unexpected, her sister was writing at her desk.
"What are you doing?" Susan asked shocked.
"I'm feeling better, but don't tell Peter I'm writing. I was sent to rest, but how can I?" She placed her pen down.
"You were so sick only an hour ago, now you're writing. I agree with Peter get some rest," Susan told her sister.
"I'm fully restored, Susan, Aslan healed me. That means I'm fully healed. I have my energy back," She explained.
"Aslan, where is he?" Susan asked.
"Slipped out the back door," she replied, "Isn't that what he always does?"
"Why doesn't he just stay sometimes?" Susan asked, "I need some advice."
"About what?" Her sister inquired.
"You won't understand, well, maybe you will," she sighed, "It's Caspian."
"What about Caspian?" Verity sat down on her bed.
"Thornea, you might have heard of her already sort of hinted to Caspian that I love him. And I said I didn't love him. And now he won't talk to me."
"It's foolish to get involved in someone's romantic entanglements," Verity retorted."Like I told Vervan so many years ago."
"Oh, don't remind me, Verity," Susan groaned."He's the man I want to forget."
"Just as I want to remember Ammon," she replied.
"Have you ever thought of moving on?" Susan inquired.
"No, I don't think marriage would have been the right thing for me. Well, I'm 14 now so I'm too young to think about it. Isn't childhood wonderful," Verity told her rather dreamily.
"No, it isn't," Susan replied upset."And I now know why you will never get married. I don't know what Ammon even saw in you."
"I agree," Verity answered, "And one of the other reasons I'll never marry is because of Ammon."
Susan stormed out of the room, "Thanks for nothing, Verity." She scowled.
"What I'd do is tell him you like him," she called out, "If you're that desperate."
"Really, Verity!" Susan told her annoyed.

Susan complained that she had a headache the next day. Probably from stressing about her love affair.
I had gone for a walk with Ruth; we talked about nothing serious. We had just returned to the castle when we found a girl whose blonde hair was cut short; she was dressed in a tunic and breeches.
"Thornea!" Cried Ruth, shrinking back in fear.
"Whose that?" Thornea asked, pointing to me.
"My sister, Verity, you know the one you..." Ruth trembled.
"I know; I'm sorry, Verity, I hadn't meant to do it," Thorne replied.
I felt a stab of anger, but I found myself saying, "I forgive you." Releasing the bitterness.
"You two look like twins," Ruth exclaimed."Except for your hair, Thornea."
"Then let's look in the mirror," I said, "There's one in my room."
I led the two girls to my room, and we both looked in the mirror. It seemed there were two of me.
"You're right, Ruth," I grinned.
Thornea headed to my wardrobe, "What do you have in here?"
"Clothes," I answered.
Thornea swung open my wardrobe and looked through my dresses. She pulled out a blue one.
"I want this one," Thornea said abruptly.
"Sure," I nodded, leading to the changing curtain."You can change in there."
In a few moments, Thornea came from behind the changing curtain. The dress fit her perfectly.
"What are you two doing?" Lucy asked as Leona and she came into my room.
"Which one of you is Verity?" Leona inquired.
"I am," I answered, "Thornea wanted to try on one of my dresses."
"No, I want to keep it," Thornea insisted.
"Well, of course you can," I agreed, "I have too many dresses anyways."
We then heard a knock on the door.
"Verity, I just need some help to get me out of this pickle." It was Susan.
"Not again," I groaned.
"I know what we should do," Ruth suggested, "Thornea, you go out and pretend you're Verity."
"Ruth, it won't work," I shook my head. It wasn't like Ruth to come up with such a wild idea.
"But it could, she fooled me and Lucy," Leona said.
"I'm sure I can do it," Thornea crossed her arms, "If you give me something."
"But I already gave you the dress," I replied.
"That ring," she pointed, "I want it."
"But that's the ring... I got it for my fourteenth birthday," I protested."And it won't work, your hair is different from mine."
Thornea walked over to my bed, where one of my hats lay. She put it on her head, "Your hair's up, now my hair will look like it's up. And I can do your accent."
"Verity!" Shouted Susan, "If you don't open that door...I'll!"
"Alright," I relented, "To the door, I'll hide."
I hid behind the curtain.
"I'm coming you brat," Thornea said.
"Verity, don't talk like that!" Susan was shocked."I'm your older sister!"
"Well, you whining like a wet hen," Thornea retorted, "It's your fault; you know I shouldn't help you fix your problems, you ugly stupid idiot!" She slammed the door in Susan's face.
"Verity Pevensie, I would just love to wash your mouth out with soap!" Susan yelled.
We all laughed after Susan left, but I stopped, "You shouldn't have called her that."
"What she is stupid," Thornea answered.
"But Susan isn't..." Lucy began.
"I want the ring," Thornea ignored her.
"Fine," I sighed, "We made a deal." I took off my ring giving it to her.
"Thank you," Thornea grinned, before stalking off.
"How can you like her?" Ruth asked, "She's cruel."
"It was your idea, Ruth," I replied nonchalantly.
"But I wasn't expecting her to say that," Ruth told me upset.
"And you're in big trouble, Verity, Susan is sure to tell Peter," Lucy added.
"Well, at least she won't ask me those annoying questions again," I replied, "She should sort out her love affair with Caspian."
"So she does love Caspian," Leona said, "My brother took it really hard what she said at the table."
"Well, don't tell him," I admonished her, "Like Aunt Eleanor said,' It's foolish to stick one's nose in someone's love affair'."
"Which Thornea did," Lucy stated, "She ruined dinner because of it."
"She doesn't know any better, Lu," I said to my youngest sister."We should give her a chance."