This month, I’d like to pay homage to Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. I love his wit and wordplay more than is healthy.
The Line: “If
you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you.”
Notes: Chez and Lasca are foster
brother and sister. They star in my
novel, Without Wings. Here is a moment
from their past. Enjoy!
We'd both known this day was coming. Hell, it’s been written on the kitchen calendar in big, fat, red letters for months. Somehow, I still knew she’d cry.
“Oh, c’mon! Stop with the waterworks already,” I
practically beg as I pat her shoulder awkwardly. “This is supposed to be a happy day for me.”
“I know. I’m doing my best to ruin it for you,” she
explains, wiping at her eyes with her shirt sleeve. Hey, wait a minute. I recognize this particular plaid…
“Great. Now you’re abusing my clothes and I’m not
even gone yet!”
That wins me a wobbly smile.
“You’re gonna be OK,” I counsel. “I’ve taught you everything I know about
self-defense. If anyone gives you a hard
time—”
“I’ll take it out on the freshmen.”
“Now that you’re officially a sophomore,
you have that right,” I allow.
“You should cancel this army thing.”
“Can’t,” I tell her. “They
don’t cancel inductions. And it’s the
Marines, not the Army.”
“Whatever,” she grouches.
I grin. “Tell you
what, Lasca,” I say, bracing my hands on her shoulders and leaning down so I
can look her in her reddened eyes. “If
you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you.”
Ugh, how corny. I can’t believe I
just said that.
She gives me a suspicious look. Yeah, that had been pretty out of character
for me. She demands, “Is that the best
deal I’m gonna get?”
“Sure is.”
“It’s crappy.”
“Take it or leave it, pop tart.”
She takes it. I knew
she would. She’s my little sister, after
all, and big brother always knows best.
She doesn’t even squirm when I give her my biggest bear hug.
“Chez?”
“Yeah, squirt?”
She speaks into my collar, “If you get hurt, I’ll
hunt you down and kill you. Slowly. With toothpicks.”
I chuckle. I wouldn’t
put it past her.
SOURCE: Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
