Very well, and I suppose I must then call you Yentihw,

Whit nodded approvingly. If a girl could catch on to the backwards name bit, she was clever enough to hold Whit's attention. But it was a negative on the dating Nic scale. Honestly, her brother was a twat, and knew next to nothing about anything. If they didn't look so much alike, she would believe that perhaps one of them was really an alien baby. Of course one of them could be a Changeling left by the pixies. Her real brother could be hidden away somewhere in a city with the pixies living like a wild prince. Was an interesting story, but even Whitney didn't really believe it. Despite their obvious difference in intelligence Nic was her brother. And Whitney would never, never deny it.

He rolled his eyes, chuckling at Alice. It was strange how she played with the small child. Not that Whitney was a particularly small child. But it made him rather happy to see them getting along right from the start. Knowing the way things went for Nic, Alice was bound to say something to set Whitney off. And his younger sister was a bad person to set off. Particularly since if Whit didnt like her Mum wouldnt either

However, as to my height: it would be foolish in the extreme of me to pretend to be taller than I am. You would have doubtless quickly caught me out in the lie, as clever a girl as you must be."


"Talking condescendingly to Nic is one thing; you have to for him to understand you. But," Whitney said straightening her shoulders back. "I'm thirteen and then some, and am by no means a child, nor am I stupid. Eccentric yes. Stupid not so much." It wasn't so much that Alice had called her stupid but it was the way she said "as clevera girl as you must be," that seemed to suggest that Whitney was a very small child. She didn't know if Alice had meant it that way, but so many people in the school beloved that third years were stupid little kids.

"Oh, and by the bye, your own boots are delightful and a wonderful choice of color."


Both Nic and Whitney grinned lopsidedly, an almost perfect replica of each other. If Nic had long hair, the could have been twins. Maybe you shouldnt be around her, Nic. Shes ah starting to sound like you. She said with a firm nod. Nic twisted a loop of Alices hair around his fingers. He was looking at her quite hungrily. And Whitney noticed. It wasnt like the look he usually gave girls, it was different. It wasnt just lust, nice change really. Of course the lust was there, just mixed with something she couldnt place. But it was a look that someone important use to give someone else, but she couldnt remember who. Bad thing about having short-term memory.

I hope you will notice, however, that as well as being short of stature, I am likewise somewhat slight of frame; in fine: I am proportionally quite within the bounds of normal womanhood, if somewhat larger around the hips than I might like, and something more that average around the bust to match."


Nic wet his lips, glancing at said bust that had first, and was still attracting him to Alice. She was very proportionally with in Nic's standards. "I like your hips." He said, in an almost pouting voice. And as much as he hated it when she did, he loved watching her walk away. His hand was roaming her thigh. He very much wanted to get Whit to say she liked Alice and to skip off to go play with Sioni or one of her other little friends, so he and Alice could get to somewhere alone. He was thinking about outright kissing her, here and now and in front of Whit, but he knew his sister would be slightly upset by it. Not that she didn't know all about Nic's previous encounters with Alice, including the library. But seeing and know were to totally different things.

"I am just small, Whitney, and there is nothing I can do about it, even to please you. It s my great good fortune, however, that your Darling of a brother seems to like me just this size.


"I didn't say it was bad to be small." Whit said. "I have no shape what so ever, and am quite simply a pole with very nice hair. I rather envy your shapeliness." Nic's sister gave a slight nod. Besides, he very much likes it too. Cant seem to keep his hands off you now can he? she raised an eyebrow. Nic didnt care he wasnt really listening to Whit or Alice, he was looking at Alice and her pretty hair, and her eyes, and her lips and her neck. He was thinking about touching her, and kissing her, and he almost didnt care that Whit was there.

Whitney, I love him with every fiber of my being. I think that should answer any other questions you might have on that score.

The young girl was bouncing up and down. "Thats really sappy. I think sappy is over rated. Let me guess, your one of those girls who draws hearts on your papers that has a large loopy AM and a lovingly written NS. Or perhaps writes, Mrs. Alice Spain across the tops of your parchments for class? Do you have your wedding colors picked out? The Names of your Kids? I think Wendy Spain is a good name. Or Robin, maybe Peter." The small girl looked at her brother with a bit of a side-glance, asking him a question. It was rather odd for most people that Whit and Nic knew what the other was thinking with just a glance, but since their father's death they had spent so much time together that she hardly had to do that for the older boy to know what she was thinking.

Nic couldn't help but laugh. Not that he didn't try to hold it in. It came out as a pathetic half snort. That was what he thought of Alice, and Whit was very correct. Alice had written on a cake, their initials. But he felt very good about Alice hoping to know him forever. But for Nic forever was about tomorrow morning. He couldnt quite grasp the concept

"So shall we order tea? Or would you prefer a lemonade, or perhaps some cocoa?


Two out of three for Alice. He was pretty impressed. Of course what made Alice think that giving Whitney sugar was a good idea, Nic couldn't guess. And kissing him in front of his sister was bound to be a bad choice, as Whitney would undoubtedly make a very large deal out of it. He made a face at Alice, but the damage was done. Not that any of these things should make Whit angry.

"For heavens sake." Whit said with a slight sake of her head, you two should get a closet. It wasnt like she needed to see them kissing all over the place. She knew what happened when a girl kissed Nic. It always went the same way. Usually in a public place were everyone could see where his hands were going, until she blushed, and drug him off to a closet. She didnt want to see him and Alice, she liked Alice to much. But to her offer of a drink, And Lemons are yellow, tea is disgusting, and I love cocoa. But if you let me have it. Nic won't forgive you for giving me the extra sugar. I'll just have water thank you."