After they made bets with Jimmy and John on when ‘George’ would be found, Luke and Ellie said goodnight to the brothers and then went to his house.
“Mom?! Ellie’s here.”
“Ok,” Luke’s mom yelled back. “What happened to kick the can?”
“It’s too cold.”
“Alright, don’t keep her here too late. Her mom will be worried.”
“I’ll call her, Mrs. Harrison,” Ellie yelled.
Luke’s mom came to the door of the kitchen and looked them both over. “Ok, Honey. That would probably be good. Are you doing ok? We haven’t seen you here in a while. So sorry about Bentley.”
“Thank you, ma’am. And yes I’m doing better.” She looked at Luke and smiled.
“That’s good. You guys gonna watch some TV? I could bring you some cookies and milk.”
“Thanks, Mom. That would be great. Come on, Ellie.” Luke led her down into the basement where the Harrison’s had a game room of sorts. Luke found the TV remote while Ellie called her mom. He grabbed a blanket, since it was a little chilly in the basement, and waited until she finished with her mom.
“I have to be home at 9:00,” Ellie said.
“Ok, that’s cool.” He turned the TV on and found an old movie to watch. Luke’s mom came down with the cookies and two glasses of milk on a tray and set it on the coffee table in front of them.
“It’s freezing,” she said. “Are you sure you guys want to stay down here? You can watch upstairs in the living room.”
“We’ll be fine, Mom. We have a blanket. Thanks for the cookies.”
“Thank you Mrs. Harrison,” Ellie said, grabbing a cookie and taking a big bite.
“You’re welcome, Sweetheart. Ok. If you guys change your mind…” and she turned and went back upstairs.
They ate a few cookies in silence and then she snuggled up next to him, pulling the blanket over them both. Her head was resting on his shoulder with his arm around her and he could smell the shampoo she used. He put his hand on her head and gently stroked her blonde hair, feeling the fine softness of it as his fingers ran through it.
She hummed softly and said, “That feels so good. Is that weird?”
“Not to me,” he said. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time now. Is that weird?”
“You should have done it sooner.”
“I told you, I was too scared.”
“You don’t seem scared now.”
“You promised not to hate me.”
She looked up at him. “I did, didn’t I?” She kissed him shyly and then more confidently. He felt he could get lost in those lips.
She broke the kiss and touched his face. “So, are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
He hadn’t thought about it. “Well, I’m a boy and you’re a girl, so…”
“Really?” and she punched him playfully. “I suppose you’re going to say ‘And we’re friends…so…’”
“We are, aren’t we?”
“The best.”
“Ok then. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend.” He smiled at her and she kissed him again.
As he got lost in the softness of her lips, a faint ‘tap, tap, tap’ invaded his senses. She pulled away and looked toward the back sliding glass door a few feet away.
It came again. Three quick, light taps, as if someone was using their fingernail against the glass. Luke tensed and he felt her shrink into him.
“What is it?” she said.
“Wait,” he said softly, and she waited.
Tap, tap, tap.
“Shit,” he said and got up. She followed him to the door and he tried peering through the glass into the darkness. He could see nothing. He flipped on the outside light and brightness flared into the backyard illuminating the white snow.
He could see nothing out there.
She held onto his arm, leaning into him, as he took another step closer to the glass. Suddenly an object crashed into the door and she screamed as they both jumped back.
It was small, black, and fluttered around on the ground for a second outside the door, then grew still. Luke knew what it was.
“A bird,” he said. He stepped up to the glass and looked closer. “A crow. That’s weird.” And that’s when they heard the sirens.