He likes me

He likes me

He really, really likes me.

Yarooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Maybe not a chart-topper.

I was exhausted when I got back to the cottage and frozen. Dibdobs gave me tea in front of the blazing fire. She’s made me some fir-cone earrings and sprayed them gold. I had to try them on for her while the twins stared at me as if I were a very early Father Christmas. In earrings. Dibdobs thought they looked a treat and started her spontaneous hugging.

“Oh, oh, Lullah, you look so beautiful, like a princess. With your black hair and those green eyes, oh, oh.”

And she actually started crying. And hugging.

This was new. And sweet. Until the twins joined in with Micky and Dicky.

Later, when I was tucked up in my bed, the twins came in with “the shoe.” “For seepin,’” as Max told me.

Dibdobs came in to collect it because it has to go in its box. She said, “I’m so sorry, Lullah, the boys are treating it like a pet. I must find a real shrew to show them.”

Thinking about shrews made me think of the owlets. It’s so windy and wild outside. I hope they’ve got better at hunting. I wonder if Cain still looks out for them like he used to when they were tiny.

It was one of the only good things about him.

Ooooh, I’m so tired, what a day. But now I’ve done this thing for Vaisey I can put my horsey legs behind me for good.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought, Charlie likes me.

Even though he knows all about the Cain thing.

The Dark Black Crow of Heckmondwhite

WHEN I WENT INTO Dother Hall on Monday morning, there was an enormous owl waiting on the doorstep. Wearing glasses.

Is it my imagination or are Dr. Lightowler’s glasses getting bigger?

She said, “I’ve been thinking about you all weekend.”

I smiled and said, “Oh, that’s nice, I—”

“Tallulah Casey, yet again you choose to drag the reputation of Dother Hall through the mud.”

What? She couldn’t have heard about the Cain thing surely. Could she?

She went on. “At a PUBLIC event with the eyes of the world upon us, when we need our neighbors to support us, you deliberately do your silly, childish antics in front of invited guests. Everything is SOOOOOO funny to you, isn’t it? Anything for a cheap laugh.”

Oh, she meant the lunchtime performance thing.

I tried to tell her, “But it was all Vaisey’s idea, she . . .”

Dr. Lightowler shook her feathers, I mean, cloak.

“Don’t try to blame others. I’ve always known what you are. You’re a selfish girl.” I blinked in amazement. What was she talking about? “And worst of all, untalented. Don’t think I didn’t understand your so-called rap about ‘owls.’ Well, you’ve bitten off more than you can chew this time, my girl.”

She swished off, turning her head round every now and then to look at me. Before she swept into her eyrie.