The voice was so soft, Laila almost didn’t turn around. But she did turn around, if only because the thick paper caught a gust of wind and flew just out of her grasp. A tan hand reached out and grabbed it, slightly crinkling the page as it did so. Surprisingly green eyes met hazel ones and Laila stared. Arne Reinhardt never spoke in class and he certainly never spoke to her, so when she heard the rusty-sounding voice she’d assumed it was just her ears playing tricks on her with the wind. And she’d never seen his eyes before—they were usually hidden behind a brown fringe which annoyed their teachers to no end.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she responded, her voice wavering at first and then growing stronger as she completed the lie. Lying wasn’t something she was used to nor was it something her parents condoned, but the nature of things made it so that lying was now a necessary part of her life.
Arne raised his right eyebrow. Laila had never really thought of him as a smart kind of person, but she had to give him credit for not believing her. She for one had a difficult time reading people. His next words, however, caused her to scowl. “You can’t out lie a liar, Kennedy,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Laila wrinkled her nose in response but didn’t respond. Beyond wondering what Arne Reinhardt’s voice sounded like, she had never really wanted to have a conversation with him. He was so abrasive and rough at school and nothing at all like his older brother who had been soft-spoken in a gentle sort of way before he’d “disappeared to some family school in Germany”, Arne had said it was when the boys had asked him why Tobi wasn’t around town anymore.
“Say, Kennedy,” he said, taking another step forward, and Laila instinctively pulled back, feet dipping dangerously close to the edge of the water. “Isn’t this like against your religion or something?” He grinned toothily and leaned in a little.
She didn’t think he knew about that part of her life, but then again, she supposed they lived in a town where everybody knew everything about everyone including their religious habits, it was just that sort of place. She just didn’t think Arne was the type to pay attention to that kind of stuff. Laila’s eyes narrowed as she backed further away from him, suddenly losing her footing and stumbled backwards. She braced herself for the feel of the water which, though it was the middle of summer, was likely to still be ice cold since it wasn’t a still body. Laila had learned all about still and moving bodies of water in Ms. Ellis’ third grade class. However, instead of an icy feeling, a firm grip wrapped itself around her left arm and righted her. “Don’t you have your brother’s thing to get to?” she asked Arne once he let go, glaring at him while simultaneously praying that the Lord would understand this outburst of anger since Arne Reinhardt was so infuriating.
Arne rolled his eyes and leaned back against a tree. “I doubt they're missin’ me right now. It’s Tobi’s special day after all.” Laila could detect the undertones of envy in Arne’s voice and she prayed that he would be forgiven for exhibiting this particular vice.
“Doesn’t matter,” she insisted. “Your mom could probably use the help.” Everyone in town knew that the Reinhardts liked to throw large family get togethers in the summer though most people couldn’t really remember if they were particularly noisy or rambunctious the next morning, and Kaili Reinhardt had personally gone door to door that summer apologizing in advanced for the noise but that Tobi’s thirteenth birthday was that summer and they had relatives in town for the event so the party was likely to get out of hand.
Arne waved his hand lazily. “I’ll make my way back around dinner time, don’t mind me.” He peeped one eye towards her. “You should come,” he offered. “Now that you’re a witch (-Laila involuntarily flinched at the word and Arne smirked-) and all that you should get used to the magic.” He started to lean forward but must have remembered how that resulted last time because to his credit he stayed himself, returning his back to the tree. “There’s going to be loads of magic, you know. There always is and since you’re no longer a Muggle, you’re probably allowed to “happen” across us and we won’t obliviate you.”
“I wasn’t invited,” she frowned. “I’m not going to be a burden on your poor mother. And I need to be home for dinner anyway. In fact, I should probably go—my mother probably needs help starting dinner.” Laila brushed past him, ignoring the tongue that he had playfully poked out at her.
“Don’t forget your letter,” Arne said, waving the parchment that he had been holding the whole time. She snatched it from him rather rudely and stomped off. “Have it your way, Kennedy,” he called after her. “It’s going to be loads of fun.”