“Stella? What are you doing here?” it was him, my brother. He was dressed in a black and white striped shirt like the gondola drivers wear. He sported black jeans and a black coat, unbuttoned and untied, on his face was a black venetian mask with a bird beak nose.
“Ah! Scipio! You have finally arrived! It took you long enough! I must have a short cut that you don’t know about!” I said.
“I can’t imagine the things that you were going to tell them. You don’t know what you might have done!” he yelled. He ran across the mostly empty theater and grabbed my wrist “you’re going back! You can’t stay here.”
“And why not? I think I have made some new friends here already!” I said as I pulled my hand away and retreated to the group of gang members standing nearby.
“I think she’s fine Scipio!” said Leona pushing me behind her. “I like her. Why can’t she stay?”
“Because… well because… “stammered my brother slipping the mask he wore up on his forehead.
“Because she obviously is doing just fine wherever she came from! Right Prop?’ said the hornet girl. Her eyes flashing as she pushed one of her braids over her shoulder and onto her back.
“I don’t see why she can’t stay for a little while. She seems pretty harmless to me” he said sheepishly, a tint of red coming to his cheeks. Oh gosh! Now I can feel my face heating up! For peats sake you just met the guy! Pull yourself together Stella!
“We’ll take a vote” pronounced the Thief Lord “We will go around and everyone can give their opinion. Majority rules. For the record I don’t believe that Stella should be here at all. Hornet?”
“I’m with you Scipio. She didn’t have permission to come in here. She waltzes in and gives us all a heart attack. Then we reward her by letting her stay? I don’t think so!”
“Ok. Riccio?”
“I kind of like her spunk! I mean coming in here knowing full well what the consequences might be. Obviously you knew each other before. She said she was your sister. Is that true Scipio?”
“Yes… Mosca what do you think?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I think she could maybe be allowed to stay here till you leave…”
“Alright! Bo! What about you buddy?”
“I like her!” he said simply, smiling and holding his older brothers hand. That hand looked so protective, and strong. I wonder what it would feel like wrapped around my own… Stop it Stella! You’re going to drive yourself batty with all this boy nonsense.
“Ok Prop! You have the last vote. Who knows? You might even be able to sway some of the others to our side right?”
“Well…” he said, glancing back and forth between my brother and I uncertainly. His eyes rested firmly on my brother and I knew… I was sunk. “I think maybe she can stay? At least until you leave Scipio…” I couldn’t believe it! They all wanted me to stay! Except for my brother (who never was my biggest fan) and that hornet chick…
