The Villager

12

THE VILLAGER
ʚɞ Ruth ʚɞ

My sister sits with Mr Clementine as he helps her with her homework from school. He is explaining the answer to her as she bites onto her pencil, looking to be bored already at what he is teaching her.

"Child, do you understand anything I am saying?"

She eyes the paper, eyeing Mr Clementine back. "If I say yes, could I possibly get an A?"

"No, child." He sighs, scratching his head. I can tell he is stressed teaching her because she does not wish to comply, but he wishes to do it anyway because he cares for her. "Think of it like shooting your bow..."

And that gains her attention. I chuckle at the two, finishing the cake Tiffany had ordered for a sample. Placing it into a box, I tie a ribbon over the sample, setting it in the back for the time being until her arrival.

I walk over to my sister, hovering over their shoulders. "How is it going?"

They both look up at me, shooing me away with their hands. "Move lady, you are ruining my learning time."

"What? Like you will remember this tomorrow."

"I could..." Tilley holds a swift smirk, hiding it behind her book when Mr Clementine looks up at her with a bored expression, knowing she was lying straight through her teeth.

"Child...." He sighs again, standing tall and walking to the back for a quick break. He quickly mumbles. "You Myers will have me to my death with all this worrying."

"Thank you, Mr Clementine!" I shout behind him and he waves me off. I turn to face a giggling Tilley.

"I did understand it, I knew it all along, I just love to taunt him."

Bumping my waist with hers, I reply. "That is mean. He was actually trying, you know?"

"I know, that is what is so funny about it."

"How is archery class?" Taking a bite from her snack plate, I chew her food and she seems to not mind.

"My teacher tells me that I am in over my head if I think I can get into Velmont. She says it is the toughest school to get into."

"They do not know your true talent," I retort. "Have they mentioned any scholars showing up?"

She shakes her head sadly. "Not at the moment, but I am keeping my fingers crossed."

Running my hand through her hair, I smile at her. "That is my girl."

The bell rings above the door, and I turn to face the customer who has arrived. A pin could be heard dropping when my mouth closes and my smile drops. Timothy has entered the bakery, his eyes finding me first. It was like he was looking for me all along.

"Timothy." I wipe my hands across my apron.

He steps further into the shop, eyeing my little sister behind me and she looks up tensing. "Evening, the two of you."

"Well, look at that time..." Tilley eyes her pocket watch, folding her things up, shoving her snacks into her mouth, finishing it off before rounding the counter. "Hello, Timothy," she greets with food in her mouth.

He nods his head in greeting. "Tilley."

She does not press further, trudging forward and exiting the bakery without a single goodbye. Timothy turns back to me with a soft chuckle.

"Well, that was quite a scene..."

"Sorry, she comes after school sometimes. She does not wish to head home just yet, you know... our mother and all."