Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Twenty-Three - Train to California

After the night of the Autumn Barn Dance, it seemed the next week passed in a blink of an eye, and soon, the day arrived for Jo's journey back to California.

Jo's small bedroom was towards the back of the second floor. The walls were painted a light yellow, with two stain glass tulip windows covered by lace curtains. There was a small wooden bench beneath one of the windows, where a crowd of quilted pillows and blankets sat in the sunlight. The girl's bed was a small, yet intricate wrought iron bed frame, which housed a large feathered mattress with daisy sheets covered by an old quilt. A small stuffed black and white cat waited patiently at the head of the bed.

As Holly and Robin helped Jo pack her belongings, Jo eagerly sung her aunt's praises to Robin. Telling him about all the places her aunt had taken her, or had promised to take her one day when she was older. The young girl seemed to look up to her aunt very much, and Robin thought he caught a glint of jealousy in Holly's eyes as Jo monologued about her beloved aunt Kathrine.

"Aunt Kathrine specializes in transportation magic. Which I used to think was kinda lame, but now that I've learned a transportation spell, I think I might specialize in it too. I think I've gotten really good at it" Jo explained, skipping over to her bed, and throwing the cat stuffed animal into her leather bag. As soon as it bounced out of the overflowing bag, Jo let out a huff as she attempted to aggressively cram the toy into the bag, and clasp it shut.

"Oh?" Holly mused, smirking at the small girl as she helped fold some of her clothes on the bedroom's wooden floors. "Maybe you should try to transport to California then?"

"Yeah, Jo. Save your aunt the trouble of coming all the way here." Robin chimed in, re-wrapping the baked goods he had made for the girls journey as to better fit in her crammed bags.

"Well, she works for the Great Plain's Railroad Company, and has to take the train from New York to California for the annual re-examination of her spells anyway. So it's best for her that I take it with her to keep her company." Jo said defensively.

"That's very considerate of you, Jo." Robin said, shooting a smirk to Holly.

"Yeah well, My Aunt Kathrine is all alone. Not married and no boyfriend. Very unlucky in love. Kinda like you guys, and she-"

"I'm gonna stop you there Joe. We get it. Not all of us can have a flourishing love life like you, huh?" Holly said, exasperated,  an evil grin creeping onto her face as she waved a small note that was in Jo's pants pocket. "Deariest Jo, I will miss you when you are in Califourinia-he misspelled California, but thats okay- Your beautifulest black hair, and-"

"Miss Holly!" Jo shouted, tumbling off of her bed and running over to snag the note out of Holly's hand.

Holly held her ground from her seat on the floor, holding the note above her head defiantly, but it did very little to keep it out of the small girls reach, and Jo pushed a laughing Holly over onto the hardwood floor to rip it out of her hands.

"Oh? You have a boyfriend, do you now, Jo?" Robin inquired teasingly.

"Well, of course I do." Jo said with an irritated sniff, stuffing the note in her gingham skirt pocket. "I'm the coolest girl in town. Obviously. Couldn't you tell at the barn dance, Mr. Robin?"

"Oh, I definitely had my suspicions," Robin chuckled in amusement at the confident young girl. "I am just surprised any of the boys in town are worth your time, Jo. That's all."

"What does that mean?" Jo sneered. Despite not knowing what the phrase meant, she still seemed annoyed at the connotation.

"Robin means, that he thinks they aren't good enough for you, Jo," Holly chimed in. "He is surprised you would waste your time on them."