Once Bitten, Twice Shy

2

Jane and Aragon turned to each other, mouths slightly agape as if they'd just witnessed a miracle. Anne was usually not one to converse with new people, or even acknowledge them for that matter. She would stay in her own little bubble and avoid them until she was comfortable enough to open her mouth. Of course, even then her guard was still very much up, and the others rarely got to see the Anne that lay beneath it; Kat being the only exception. They shared a small smile before turning back to the others and joining in with the conversation Anna had started about whether or not you could stab someone with a spoon.

Meanwhile in Anne's room

Kat was laying upside down on Anne's bed, her cousin beside her leaning against the headboard. They were eating the strawberries Anne had collected, or rather, Anne was eating the strawberries she had collected, and Kat was stealing them from her hands every so often when she got bored.

Kat: "so are we gonna talk about what happened down there?"

She smirked at Anne, poking her cheek with her toe. Anne begrudgingly lifted her eyes from her sketchbook to look at her cousin.

Anne: "what?"

Kat: "It's nice to meet you too Cathy" she mimicked in her cutest voice, poking Anne once again, this time in the forehead.

Anne: "shut up dumbass." she laughed, shaking her head and flicking the girl's foot away from her face.

Kat huffed and pinched another strawberry from Anne's pile, receiving a warning glare from the older girl.

Anne: "steal anymore of my strawberries and I'll throw you out that window."

Kat: "nah you wouldn't, your too weak."

Anne: "no your just too heavy." she shot back with a smirk, immediately regretting it when she was greeted with a foot to the stomach.

Anne: "oh you wanna go?" she laughed, grabbing her ankle and tickling the bottom of her foot, sending the girl into a fit of giggles.

She wriggled out of Anne's grip, and turned herself so she was facing the same way, preventing anymore foot-tickling from commencing. she peered over Anne's shoulder at her sketch as the pencil slid effortlessly across the paper.

Kat: "so what's this newest masterpiece of then?" she lay her head on Anne's shoulder, watching her work.

Anne: "It's just a doodle."

Kat: "hmm, looks an awful lot like someone we just left sitting downstairs." She smirked, once again getting a flick in response.

Anne: "my previous threat still stands. I won't hesitate, you will be stuck in a tree somewhere if your not careful."

Kat: "k but seriously, Anne you haven't spoken to someone like that since you first got here." she propped herself up on her elbow, looking Anne in the eyes.

Anne: "what do you mean 'like that'?"

Kat: "like a normal person" she laughed

Anne: "I talk to you like that don't I?" she stated obviously and Kat rolled her eyes.

Kat: "someone new, moron." she giggled, positioning her head back on her cousin's shoulder and linking her arm through hers.

"do you think your getting better?" Kat's voice held so much hope and it physically broke Anne's heart when she saw the girl's puppy dog eyes.

Anne: "I think I preferred it when you were stealing my strawberries."

Kat: "I'm trying to be serious here." she slapped Anne's arm lightly

Anne: "yeah well, I don't like serious kitty." avoiding eye contact, she went back to her drawing.

Kat: "well what can I say" she shrugged "I can't be perfect all the time." she said sleepily, nuzzling her face into Anne's shoulder and feeling her eyes become heavier.

"yeah, you can." Anne said softly, smiling and placing her head on top of her best friend's.