The sun sat high in the sky as Latter pillar wiped the sweat from his brow, nervously staring at the door to his brother’s shop.
“I’m not sure about this idea, mother. I’ve never been able to keep up with Howdy when it comes to running the store and-.”
“Nonsense, my little Shakespeare! Howdy’s your brother! Of course, he’d let you work here while you figure some things out.” Hiya says, brushing off a stray piece of lint from her son’s shoulder and smoothing out a wrinkle in his sweater. She pushed her son along, the poet dragging his feet as he nervously wound his antenna with his finger.
When they got closer to the door, muffled voices emanated from the glass door. Hiya stopped pushing and motioned for Latter to open the door. He stared at it, making no motion to put his hand even close to the knob. His mother tsked loudly and opened the door, bringing them into the middle of a shouting match.
“I DON’T GIVE A HOOT IF YOU’VE CLEANED IT! I DON’T WANT YOUR DISGUSTING BONES IN MY SHOP, YA GRAVE DIGGING DIRTBAG!”
Latter’s eyes went wide as he saw his brother standing behind the counter, yelling at a messy blonde-haired girl that the poet had never seen before.
“DIRTBAG!?!? THAT’S RICH COMING FROM A GUY THAT EATS WEEDS FROM THE GROUND LIKE A COW!!” She screamed back, meeting the shopkeeper's glare with her own.
Howdy slammed his fist on the counter.
“THAT’S IT YA, KOOK! IF YA CAN’T PAY, THEN GET ON YOUR WAY! AND IF YA WANT ME TA DUMB IT DOWN FOR YA MORE, THAT MEANS SCRAM! VAMOUS! GET OUUUUUT!!!!!!!” he bellowed, shooting a finger out towards the door, inadvertently pointing to his wide eyed mother and brother who were standing as still as statues, shock rooting them in place.
Howdy’s cheeks went red, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment. The girl growled before grabbing the handle of the wagon lying next to her and briskly making her way to the exit; the wagon rattling loudly as she roughly turned before clattering rhythmically with each stride. The two caterpillars wordlessly moved aside as she passed; their curiosity dragged their line of sight to the wagon bed. In it laid numerous bones of various shapes and sizes, rattling along the metal bottom like dice in a tin can. All of them were polished to a shine and glinted in the light of the day. Some of the smaller ones were tied with wire or cord.
Oh, my!” Hiya gasps, hands flying to her chest as she takes a step back.
Latter, on the other hand, couldn’t take his eyes off the bones. He wanted to look closer but the door closed behind the girl, blocking his curious view.
Behind him, Latter heard his brother let out a disgusted grumble.
“Freak.” the shopkeeper mumbled, massaging his temples.The artist couldn’t help but flinch at the harshness in his tone.
Hiya turned to her industrious son, concern etched on her face.
“Is everything alright, dear? I've never seen you get this upset before. Look at you, your antenna’s twitching like crazy.”
Howdy took a breath and ran a hand over his twitching antenna, fixing his face into a small smile.
“Its nothing to worry about, Ma. Just a little trouble with a customer. Nothing I can't handle. So what brings you two in?”
Hiya pulled Latter to her side and nodded her head toward Howdy.
The poet cleared his throat.
“Well, my dearest brother, I hope I’m not intruding on any important-”
The shopkeeper leaned over the counter on his arm, impatience on his face.
“Spit it out, Latter. Haven’t got all day.”
Latter paused, tugging at his sweater sleeve as dread tightened its grip around his vocal cords.
Hiya put a hand on his shoulder.
“Honey, your brother wanted to know if you needed a little help around the shop. He’s been looking for something to do this spring and figured what better job than working with his brother.”
Howdy’s frown deepened, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
“Oh no. Not this again, Ma! Latter can’t work here! He’s got no drive, no panache, not even two cents of shmooze in his pocket! He couldn't even sell hay to a broom!”
Latter felt his face heat up, his finger tingling as his antenna squeezed it.
Hiya crossed her four arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes.
“Well, then it's a good thing that he's got such a helpful big brother then. A brother that'll teach him how to be more confident, more self assured, and more than willing to give him the experience because he loves his little brother so much.” she said, giving the store owner a hard stare that all her children were familiar with.
Howdy gulped, knowing that when his mother had that look, you were in trouble if you disagreed.
“Alright, fine. You start tomorrow.” Howdy sighed, with a reluctant sigh.
“Thank you, brother.” Latter replied quietly, avoiding Howdy’s gaze and feeling like he was a bothersome kid being passed on to a loathsome relative.
Latter was aware that Howdy didn’t like him. They were never close growing up. Howdy loved chatting with people, sharing jokes, and was eager to talk about business. Latter was quiet, kept to himself, and was drawn to the art of poetry and theater. Their mother often tried to get them to share in each other’s interest which the amateur wordsmith didn’t mind but it became apparent that Howdy abhorred it. This fact used to hurt Latter at first but as the years passed, he just learned to accept it and still stay civil with him but he still had to deal with Howdy’s constant brush offs, interruptions, and general back handed comments.
The artist cast a glance towards the door, remembering the mysterious girl with a wagon full of bones.
“Um, Howdy. May I bother you with an inquiry?”.
Howdy’s smile returned; though, a little stiff at the corners and not quite reaching his eyes.
“Sure, Latter. Fire away!”
“My query is about that girl that just left. I’ve never seen her before. Is she a new resident?”
Once again, the salesman’s smile fell as he groaned and massaged his right temple.
“Ugh, that. Is the neighborhood's most recent pain in the butt, the graveyard kook. She just showed up one day, wandering the woods like some kinda sauced up vagrant. A complete vegetable. Wouldn't say a word to anyone and just walked around like some kinda zombie. Nobody wanted her around, but Eddie, with that dang bleedin’ heart of his, was the one that took her in. It was downright eerie coming into the post office and bam! She’d be right behind ya just starin’ at ya, not sayin’ a word! How Eddie put up with that I don’t know.”
Hiya furrows her brows, tapping her chin in thought.
“That’s a little strange. How long was she like that? Did you ask her why she wasn’t speaking?”
“About a week or so and devil knows why she wasn't talkin. ’”
“Did she tell you where she’s from? Any family or friends? Somebody has to be looking for her.”
“Nah, that's the biggest kicker. She doesn't remember a thing before winding up here. So finding some poor relation to deal with her is off the table. And with her attitude I’m certain whatever family member that lost her probably wants her to stay gone.” he replied with disdain.
“Oh, Howdy, that’s just rude! Have some compassion for the poor thing! Whatever happened to her must have been just awful to put her in such a state. Can't imagine having no memory of where you came from or who was important to you”
“Trust me, ma. You wouldn't be feeling so soft hearted for that kooky chick if ya hung around her. She's about as nice as a rattlesnake with a toothache. If she ain't giving you nasty looks, sass or, scarin’ the dickens out of you, she’s straight dead silent or speaking to you in a tone that would even make a penguin shiver. And if you tick her off, ho boy! Barn got onto her black list a few days ago and got the beejeezus scared outta him by some grisly dog skull puppet she made. I'm tellin’ ya ma, that girl ain't nothin’ but trouble so just stay clear.”
Hiya was quiet as she mulled the information over with a concerned expression.
Latter, his curiosity growing by the second, decided to ask another question.
“What exactly were you arguing with her about?”
The storekeep reached under the counter and placed two books on the counter.
“She was trying to buy these by exchanging them for one of her remains but I told her no and it's probably best that I didn't give them to her. Look!” he fretted, pointing to the titles.
The top book, a hefty one bound in purple, had; Osteomancy: A Comprehensive Guide to Bone Magic, embossed in gold. The second book was titled The Science and Magic of Herbs.
“She's shifting to witchcraft, Ma! Witchcraft! If I gave her this, I'd be a frog by now!” he shouted, his annoyed tone gaining a layer of fear to it.
Hiya stared at them, not entirely sure of what to make of it. While Latter, however, picked up the book and began to leaf through it.
“Love bug, you don't really believe in this stuff so you? It's all hogwash and fairy tales. It can't hurt you and she certainly can't turn you into a frog! Besides, what teen girl hasn't taken an interest in magic or some of the occult? Why, I remember when I was a young larva, reading the Wizard of Oz and wanting to be a good witch like Glinda.” Hiya tittered.
“I doubt she's aiming to be a good witch, Ma!”
“Oh, I can’t believe your gettin’ all worked up over a harmless interest, dear.”
Howdy crossed his top arms, giving his mother a stubborn look.
“Oh, really, Ma? So you think it’s perfectly normal for a girl to go to the woods everyday, dragging around a wagon full of roadkill, and buryin’ it in her own personal cemetery.”
Hiya’s antenna twitched and a disturbed grunt slipped from her closed mouth.
“Well, I’m not goin’ to pretend that isn’t an odd hobby but it probably has to do with a lack of a feminine influence. Maybe she just needs to spend some time with some of the women around here. Get some girl time! Talking about in-home nail salon, facials, and baking. Oh, I’m certain that a girl’s day will make her forget all about those gruesome things!”
Latter could barely register what his mother was saying as he flipped through the pages of incantations and symbols. What was this girl’s intentions for this book and what did it have to do with those bones she had? At this point, his interest had moved on from a sprout of curiosity to an all consuming desire for answers about this new resident.
“May I take these, brother?”
His elder sibling shoved the other one to him.
“Knock yourself out. I certainly don't want them. ‘Specially since the only one who does would only trade scraps for it.”
As Latter looked from the books to the door, Howdy and his mother continued to chat, quickly getting absorbed into Hiya’s latest back home gossip.
Sensing that his presence wouldn't be missed, Latter went to the door and stepped outside. On the left, the artist could see that the post office was only a short way from his brother's shop.
“Hmmmm. It wouldn’t hurt to see if she went back.”
Latter approached the mail office, spying the empty wagon by the door. His inquisitiveness then took on spines of anxiety. Despite his wings and dramatic flair, he was far from a social butterfly. Howdy was the one with a gift for gab and could make friends within the first few seconds of a conversation. Latter had a tendency to be overeager and his family warned him that his Shakespearean way of talking made him seem pretentious and unapproachable. As he put his hand to the door, he kept all this advice to the forefront of his mind.
“Don’t talk too much. Don’t be too wordy. Be approachable.” he whispers to himself.
With a deep breath, Latter put on his best smile and opened the door.
A bell tinkled from above as the poet stepped into the post office.
On the far left side, he spotted a heavy set red-headed man placing a few packages into the cubbie hole shelves that lined the wall. Having heard the bell, the man waved at him, a warm smile on his face.
“Well, howdy there, neighbor! Welcome to the post office! I'm Eddie Dear, yor friendly mailman and helping hand for whatever ya need. What can I do for ya?”
“Greetin-I mean, Howdy. I’m Latter Pillar. It’s nice to make- Er- meet you.” Latter stammered, hoping he was still smiling despite his nerves.
The mailman chuckled as he placed the last bundle of mail inside the shelf and made his way to his customer.
“Oh, so you’re Latter. Howdy’s mentioned ya a few times. Nice to put a face to the name.”
Latter cocked his head. “I didn't know my brother spoke about me.”
“Yeah, he always talks about how yaaaaaahhhhh,” Eddie trailed off, remembering that most of Howdy’s references to his brother were snide insults and jokes.
“How I what?” Latter asked.
“Soooooo what can I do for you? Ya need a package sent? A porch painted? A cake made?” Eddie rambled, trying to distract the poet.
“No, I don't need any of that. I just wanted to know if…. Uhhhhh. Ummm,” Latter’s own train of thought halted when he realized that his brother never said the new neighbor’s name.
“Damn it, Howdy!” he inwardly cursed.
Latter reached up to his beret and started twisting it in his hands.
“Uh, does the blonde sorceress live here?”
Eddie’s smile dropped into a confused frown.
“Sorceress? I don't know any…. Are you talking about Jade?” he asked.
“So that's her name.” He thought, relief flooding through him
“Yes, that's whom I'm referring to. Is she home? I’d like to speak with her.”
Eddie sighed heavily and rubbed at his temple.
“Oh, boy. Did she dig up your pet? Cause I swear she didn't know and will rebury the remains if you want ‘em back.”
“Oh, no, I don't have a pet. I actually just wanted to ga-uh- get a closer look at her wagon wares and in -um- ask about them in more detail.”
Then the mailman’s jaw went slack, seemingly frozen in place by the request.
“......... You want to talk with Jade? About bones?” he asked, quietly
Latter felt his nerves flare again, not expecting this stunned response.
“Yes, is that a problem?”
Eddie stood there for a minute, eyes wide and still not quite believing what he was hearing.
“No, it's fine. I just….. let me go get her.”
The mailman dashed off and through the backdoor of the office, leaving the poet twisting his hat nervously.
Eddie shut the door behind him, leaning against it.
His charge emerged from the kitchen, having just returned from watering the lavender patches in the back of the office.
Eddie numbly pointed behind him.
“Someone’s…. Askin’ for ya up front.”
“You don’t know who-who” Eddie stammered, limply moving towards the couch as he felt lightheaded.
Jade rushed to him and helped him the rest of the way.
“Hey, hey, hey! Easy, Eddie! I’ll take care of it.” she said as she hurried to the main office, steeling herself for a potential confrontation.
When she entered the office, Latter turned his gaze up.
He was greeted by a somewhat of a contradictory sight. The girl that came in wore a similar outfit to the mailman; a white button up with blue piping on the sleeves and collar and a loose navy blue knee-length skirt that replaced the pants. But that was where the neat ensemble ended. Unlike Eddie’s tidy, slicked back hair, the girl’s blonde hair screamed untamable with the way it stuck out at odd angles from under her pin studded cap like the quills of a porcupine that left a battle. Her eyes were a bright green that glinted in the light like the gleam of a dragon’s treasure horde. They zeroed in on the poet with a piercing stare. Its intensity made Latter break eye contact and his gaze fixed on the other differences to the mailman. On her skirt, a small frog skull was painted near the hem in white paint and hanging from her neck on a leather cord was a small vial.
The girl narrowed her eyes.
“You're that dude from the shop.”
Her words startled Latter out of his stupor and he nodded.
“Yes, we… we briefly met at my brother’s store”
Jade’s already suspicious expression grew darker as she crossed her arms, the glint in her eyes narrowing to a razor’s edge.
“You’re Howdy's brother?”
Latter’s grip on the hat tightened, his nerves spiking at her change in demeanor.
“Well, y-yes. He is my brother an-”.
“If you’re here to demand that I apologize to that snake-oil-seller, then you can go stick your pecker in a wasp nest!
The poet blushed, taken aback by such a viciously violent image. The palms of all four of his hands started to sweat, dampening the books he was carrying and his beret.
“N-N-No! No! I didn’t c-c-come here to ask you that! I came here of my own volition to- I mean my accord- I mean I wish to offer….,” Latter stuttered, getting more frustrated that his plan to have a normal friendly conversation was taking a nosedive. With a nervous yelp, he whipped out the books and held them in front of him much to the teen’s surprise.
“Here! You wanted these, right?”
Jade stared at them, quizzically.
“You brought these… for me?”
Latter kept his gaze low, not wanting that piercing stare to cause him to stumble.
“Yes. My brother was just going to dispose of them and it seemed like a crime to squander such beautifully illustrated papyrus.”
The teen tilted her head. “Why?”
Latter braved a look up and saw that the girl was no longer angry or suspicious but genuinely confused. This made him stand a little straighter.
“When I first saw your wagon, its contents stirred something inside of me. A writhing and burning inquisitiveness. While most submerge and wish to forget the remains of the dead, you sought to care for them like a mother bird cleans its young, to resurrect them from their ether and give them life anew. I had to know why and…. I was curious as to how these books are going to be used.”
Jade stood there in a state of disbelief similar to Eddie’s.
“You….. want to see my bones?”
“Indubitably, if I’m not intruding on anything important at the moment.”
From the living room, Eddie had opened the door a crack and had his eyes glued to the scene in front of him. In his hand, he held the phone and whispered excitedly to Frank whom he had dialed almost immediately.
“Oh, my God, Frank! It's happening! It's happening! It’s happening. No, I don’t think he’s jokin’ ! Oh, Frank, I think Jadey’s gonna make a friend!”
The teen was silent for a few seconds, staring at the books before she took them from the poet’s hands.
“Ok. We can see some of the smaller stuff I keep in my room.”
Latter’s face broke into a smile.
“Oh, thank you! Oh, joyous day!”
Jade led him to her work station and pulled the cord hanging from the ceiling. The hatch opened and the ladder unfolded onto the floor. Jade climbed up, followed closely by the artist who noticed a dry floral scent as she opened the top hatch and they entered the attic..
The boxes that once dominated the space were all stacked to the right side of the room, revealing a small circular window at the front wall that allowed sunlight into the dark space. Hanging from the wooden beams were bundles of lavender and sage; their dry scent hung heavy in the air and reminded the poet of Gam Gam’s apartment. On the left side of the window was a dresser that was placed against the wall; next to it was the head of an unmade twin bed. On the right side of the bed was a large desk; its surface was covered in dirt, small white bones, and various colorful cords. Under and around the desk were five crates that seemed to hold other craft supplies and bones. A glint caught Ladder’s eye and he looked towards it, seeing that on the right side of the window was a bookshelf that held books and some pickle jars; their contents were filled with snake skins, organs, and a half-formed rat fetus, suspended in a strange yellow liquid.
Latter followed close behind, eyes switching from one oddity to the next.
“You have quite the commodious accommodations! Very reminiscent of Gepetto’s workshop mixed in with Dr. Frankenstein’s decor taste.”
“Thaanks?.” she replied, not quite sure if his statement was a compliment.
Jade walked to her desk, opened a drawer, and picked out a small box. She opens it up to show Latter the remains of some rats and frogs.
“These are some of the bones I find in basements and storage closets sometimes. Most of them are from Howdy’s basement….. I’m banned from going down there now.”
Ladder let out a small laugh.
“I’m also banned from the cellar but it’s because I once knocked down a whole shelf of jams and pickles. He still says he can’t get the smell of vinegar and fruit out.”
“Heh. Nice.” Jade snickered.
There was a pause as the two carried on an awkward silence, neither of them expecting that this was going to be how their day would go.
They paused again, awkwardness levels increasing.
“You start.” Latter said.
The teen nodded, putting the box back on the desk.
“I just wanted to ask if you wanted to see what I do with the smaller bones. I… wasn’t sure if you’d want to cause…. I’ve never really had anyone that wanted to see them, except Frank and Julie but they’re kinda the exception.” She said, twisting the lower button of her shirt.
“Of course, I’d love to see!”
Jade set the books down on the desk before reaching for her cap and removing the bow on the side. She held it out to the caterpillar, showing him that in the center knot of the dark green ribbon was a frog’s skull with two thinner and longer bones set behind it.
“I’ve been working on other jewelry pieces too.” she said as she opened up another drawer and showed him her work; several rib bone earrings, jaw necklaces, toothy chokers, and more bows adorned with animal skulls.
The teen felt a shock in her chest, dreading the disgusted sneer that she was certain was on the horizon.
“Yes.” she replied, firmly but quietly.
Suddenly, Latter picked up a jaw bone necklace, eyes glittering with curiosity.
“How morbidly delightful! Ghoulishly inventive! I’ve never envisioned that decay and carcasses could be used to create something that blends the harshness of the grisly with the gentile feminine mundane!”
Now it was Jade’s turn to gawk back in shock as the odd artist cautiously picked up and inspected each piece, not with disgust but genuine amazement.
Then his gaze turned back to the books she had put on the table.
“Does any of this have to do with that spell book!?” he said as he started to
The mail girl quietly pondered her response, not quite expecting such enthusiasm.
“Sort of. I was reading one of Frank’s books and learned about osteomancy from a book about how people have used bones for magical purposes. Way back in medieval times to the sixteen-hundreds, magic users used bones as talismans to protect or used smaller bones like teeth to predict the future. I was really drawn to that and I…. started to make some into jewelry….. And I wanted to actually see if I….. could do magic….. That's why I wanted the books.”
Latter’s eyes glimmered with wonder as he zoomed in close to her face.
“I have to know! I must know why you have this fascination with death and remains! What draws you to it? What lurks in your soul that demands your attention be on the realm that people rather ignore and deny? I need-”
Latter’s ramble stopped as he felt the girl firmly push him back, not enough to throw him to the ground but enough to get him to back away. Jade stood stiffly, arms held out in front of her and feeling both rattled at the situation and hyper-conscious about this huge amount of positive attention she was getting.
Latter grabbed his beret, feeling his cheeks go red.
“I’msorryi’msorryIdidn’tmeantomakeyouuncomfortable.It’sjustbeensolongsinceI’vebeenabletotalkwithsomeonethatsanartistlikemeandIgot…” Latter blabbed, twisting his hat like a wet towel.
Jade closed her eyes and focused on her breathing as the poet continued to ramble on.
Latter verbally stumbled to a halt, feeling like he should leave.
“I-I- I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’ll just take my leave. Sorry for,” he started to back up to the hatch.
“No one’s…. Really asked me that before.” she replied, causing him to stop in his tracks.
She narrows her eyes, seemingly pondering heavily at her next move. After a few seconds, she removed her necklace and held it out for him. Latter took it and inspected the vial. It seemed to be filled with tiny round balls submerged in a clear liquid.
“What is this?” Ladder said, trying to identify its contents.
Latter’s eyes widened a bit but his stare begged for an explanation.
Jade took the necklace back, tightly holding it against her chest.
“This…. Was the only thing I had when I came here. Poppy found it in the pocket of my old dress. I don’t know what it's for or why I have it. But every time when I look at it I get this…. Weird feeling in my chest.”
“It’s…. Warm. Like that feeling I get when Eddie hugs me or when Julie invites me to play… It's this fuzzy feeling that spreads through my whole body…. Sometimes if I focus on it, I can…. Just barely….. somewhat recall…. Usually it’s a sweet….. Yeasty smell. Like a bakery….. whoever gave it to me….. Made me feel good. It’s not clear but…. I just know that whoever gave it to me must have cared about me.”
Jade hung it back on her neck.
“Later on, I got the same feeling from bones and thought the memory would get stronger if I collected them. It didn't, but I still ended up liking them…. I still get that feeling when I hold it or have it close to me but…. I just wish it was stronger….. I want to at least remember a voice or a face. Just something more substantial."
Latter blinked a couple of times, trying to blink away tears that threatened to spill out.
Jade squirmed, feeling the atmosphere in the room thicken.
“I… I don’t know what to say. That sounds… really hard.” the artist replied, grip loosening on his hat.
“Yeah, it’s not fun and it doesn’t get any easier when the one thing that makes me feel connected to a possible past friend is the very thing that makes me look like a freak to future friends." she replied, sitting on the bed.
She just so casually said it like it was a fact; just another personal descriptor. Ladder winced as Howdy’s disdainful face came to mind; the same face Latter would see Howdy make at him at times. When they were in front of family, Howdy would have a jolly face when he ribbed him about his poetry or told Latter to busy his mouth with Ma’s apple pie. But when they were alone, the look on Howdy’s face gave his words an edge of acid. Often the topic would be about how Latter should just get a real and respectable job; to get his head out of the clouds and man up. While Howdy never directly called him a freak, Latter couldn’t help but feel that his brother had far worse words brewing in his mind.
“Then it’s fortunate that you’re not alone.”
Jade shot him a look. Latter sat down in the desk chair in front of her.
“While I don’t quite completely share the same situation, I…. think I understand how you feel with being…. Othered. My family doesn’t quite understand why I write poetry and why I have to make a poem about everything. Even though my parents are nice enough about it, I can tell that they don’t understand and try to encourage me to acquire more practical skills. They always said I should be more like Howdy. And when I was younger I tried to emulate him more but it…. Wasn’t working. People weren’t impressed and I felt…. Like I was just wearing this mask of what everyone wanted to see in me and it just felt….. Suffocating. I felt this overwhelming unease and restlessness. Every annoyance and inconvenience would bring me to near tears. It got so bad that I lost all energy to even get myself out of bed, hoping I’d just…. disappear. That was what got me back into writing poems again. It just came out in this burst; I was just writing out poem after poem, page after page, just sticking to the bare minimum of a rhyme. When I was done, I felt…. Relieved. So I started writing more and more, feeling this warm feeling in my own chest when I was through. The world started becoming clearer and more manageable and I…. well, I’m still getting used to leaving my home and socializing, but things are getting better,”
Latter glanced up at her, meeting those green eyes that for a while burned like a hot knife, now had tapered down to a warm glow.
“It’s- I know it’s not quite like what you described but I…. I just didn’t want you to feel like those feelings that you get when you collect bones are abnormal. I think the fact that it makes you feel closer to yourself and your memories, is something that should be explored. And doing so through the art you do is…. Pretty cool.” he stammered,
Latter stopped, feeling like he spoke way too much as he usually does, twisting his beret again and keeping his head down.
Then those green eyes drop into his line of sight, startling him. Jade gives him a lopsided smirk.
“For a poet, you get tongue tied a lot.”
“My ap-Sorry, I ju- I have a tendency to talk in a way that displeases people and makes me come off as pretentious so I try not to… do that in public.”
She furrowed her brow. “Pretentious like… how?”
“Well for starters I tend to use rather complex phrases and words that make me come off as smug and unapproachable.”
Jade took a sharp breath through her nose and placed her hand on Ladder’s shoulder.
“Dude, I hate to be the one to tell you this…. But your brother is a huge chode.”
“Howdy. Your brother. Is a huge jerk. That whole thing he told you about the way you talk. Sally talks way more flowery and he doesn’t even bat an eye. Hell, he’s actually been pretty chummy with her lately so I doubt that what he told you was true. And if you ask me, I think he told you that because he personally finds you annoying.”
Ladder stared at the girl for a moment before letting loose a chortle. He tried to cover it up but he couldn’t help but smile.
“No one has ever said anything like that about my brother. And I think you're the first of them that's seen that his friendliness can be performative at times.”
“Yeah, I kinda caught onto that a few months ago. Don’t know why nobody hasn’t seen it. He’s not subtle.”
By now Ladder’s grip had loosened on his beret.
“I will have to take some consideration in how to handle things with my brother but thank you for your input.”
“I figured since you shared that you’re a freak too, then I might as well help you out. Freaks gotta have each other’s backs, right?” she replied, holding out her fist.
“It doesn't bother you to be called those nasty names?”
Jade’s smile grew, becoming cheshire like.
“That’s how I’ve been driving Howdy nuts. He wants to call me things like creepy, kooky, and a freak, why not go along with it? Once I started owning the names he gave me, it threw him for a loop and he started being more civil. Though I still get steamed with him sometimes, I’ve still been trying to do it more. It’s funny. Eddie told me to try to be nicer to people that are mean to me and at first I didn’t get how it was supposed to be a way to get them back but now I get it.”
Ladder smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest.
“You are. without a doubt, the queerest girl I have ever met.”
Without missing a beat, she flicked down her hand.
“Guilty as charged, charged.” she said in a nasally and prim voice that made Latter giggle.
From under the hatch, Eddie and Frank gazed at the sweet interaction from their spot on the ladder. Eddie carried a large plate with cookies while Frank held the hatch open a crack, keeping hidden. Eddie smiled at the two, eyes shimmering with overwhelming joy.
“Yes, Eddie?” Frank replied, eyeing Eddie with a knowing smile.
“I'm so happy I could cry.” His voice cracking at the end
“ALRIGHTY, LATTER! WHERE ARE YA!?”
The moment broken, Jade and her new friend dashed to the attic window. Through the glass, they saw Howdy standing outside his shop with his mother, scanning the area for the missing poet. Hiya’s head swiveled more quickly, worry etched on her face; Howdy’s expression, however, was one of annoyance.
“LATTER, GET YOUR KEISTER BACK HERE! YA GETTIN’ MA ALL UPSET!”
Jade unlatched the hook and opened the window. Ladder and her stuck their heads out as the poet shouted back,
“I’LL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE, BROTHER!”
Howdy looked up and his face paled.
“WHAT THE-I THOUGHT I TOLD YA TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT KOOKY WITCH! THE HECK YA DOIN’ IN HER DEN!?”
Latter frowned. Under the hatch, Eddie fought the urge to scoff indignantly.
“I WANTED TO ENGAGE IN SOME CAPRICIOUSNESS AND WENT TO CONVERSE WITH YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR! WE ACTUALLY HAD A SIMPLY RIVETING CONVERSATION ABOUT HER OSTEOMANTIC ARTWORK! SO SCINTILLATING AND TENACIOUS! HER ARTISTIC SPIRIT IS ABSOLUTELY AWE-INSPIRING!”
Jade covered her face, suddenly bashful at the praise.
From beside the shopkeeper, Hiya squealed.
“EEEEE! OH, HONEYCOMB, I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE MAKING FRIENDS!”
Howdy turned to his mother in shock.
“MA, C’MOOOON! ARE YOU REALLY GONNA ENCOURAGE THIS!?”
“THANKS FOR THE BOOKS BY THE WAY, HOWDY! IT WAS REAL SWEET OF YOU TO JUST GIVE THEM AWAY! I’LL BE SURE TO MAKE YOU SOMETHING REAL SPECIAL NEXT TIME I COME IN!”
Jade and Latter turned their heads, giggling like lunatics as the shop keep audibly fretted about finding a good witch to undo any frog spells.
“You are terrible!” the wordsmith snickered.
“Terribly fun you mean!” the teen replied.
“Indubitably. While I’d love to spend more time here, I have to be off I’m afraid. But tomorrow, I’ll be working in my brother’s shop so hopefully I’ll see you there!” Latter said as he made his way to the hatch.
“I’ll be sure to stop by! Maybe I could hear some of your poems while I have a free sundae?” Jade said, making her green eyes large and doe like.
Latter snorted through his nose.
“I doubt that Howdy would like that but we’ll see when I get there,” Latter stooped down and picked up the hatch
“Maybe I could put aside some-”
When Latter opened it, he was greeted by the mailman sticking his head up from the hole, holding up a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
“Hey there, Mr. Pillar! You want a lil' snack before ya go?” Eddie said, holding out the plate.
Jade eyed Eddie with a suspicious look.
“Eddie, were you spying on us?”
The mailman’s eyes avoided her gaze and his smile wrinkled at the corners.
“Of course not, darlin’! I just got here from makin’ ya’ll some sweets!” he squeaked.
Jade’s disbelief grew as his voice gave away his lie.
“Frank? How long were you guys there?”
From under the mailman came a muffled reply. Eddie shook his head and hissed as Frank rose from underneath him pushing aside the girthy mail carrier. His hair was a tousled mess since he had scrambled under Eddie in a panic after hearing Latter’s footsteps come to their hiding spot.
“Eddie called me and I came here fifteen minutes ago! He was already waiting at the ladder when I got here! So I would say he heard most of it and I just heard the tail end! And for the record, it was his idea!”
“Frank, Why’ja have ta throw me under the bus like that!? I coulda bluffed her!”
“No, you can’t.” Jade and Frank harmonized, both of them sharing similar frowns.
Eddie pouted, feeling a bit self conscious about how everyone was staring at him.
“I was jus’ excited. Can’t blame me for wantin’ ta know about ya new friends.” he grumbled under his breath.
Latter clears his throat.
“I don’t mean to interrupt your discussion but could you gentlemen move? I need to go.”
Eddie and Frank climbed back down the stairs to let Latter leave. When the poet reached the floor, he hurried out the door to his brother and mother. Eddie and Frank heard the hatch door shut firmly with a thud, followed by quick footsteps. Eddie and Frank gave each other a nervous glance.
“Ya think she’s sore ‘bout the eavesdroppin’?” the mailman whispered.
Before the researcher could answer, they heard a loud dragging noise coming towards the hatch before stopping on top of it, followed by Jade’s footsteps walking back.
With his signature Frank delivery, Frank glanced at Eddie.
“Does that answer your question?”
