The Owl's Secret -- part 06

The mature, self-contained girl wearing an embroidered denim jacket, tossed her dark brown hair and lit a Pal Mal cigarette. Nobody who cared could see this brazen act of insubordination occurring right on the steps of the red-brick girls' dormitory, just west of the commons. Sue coughed, sighed, then looked up to see little Sammy striding purposefully toward her. "Heh," she laughed, and prepared to ignore him.

He saw her as well. To him ,she was the guardian of the forbidden gate, as boys were not allowed near the girls' residence. But tonight was different. He went right up to her, a young knight facing yet another of his many fears--the tough, scary older girl.

Sue continued to ignore him, so he had to make the first move. But how to play it? How to make the scene? If he did it wrong, she wouldn't help him. Time was of the essence, so Sammy finished his inner struggle and stepped forward into the porchligh.

"Hey, Sue."

"Hey."

"Nice night."

"Yeh."

Good!, he thought. She was engaging him at least. Recognizing that he existed was a positive step. He decided to strike.

"Sue?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you seen Colleen?"

"Who?"

"Colleen."

"Oh....yeh."

"Sue! This is important! Something is wrong! I-I need to know if you will help me."

"Wrong? Heh! Something is always wrong...uh...Sammy is it? Little Sammy..."

"Sue! This is..."

"...Important...yeh..I heard you. look, little Sammy, you aren't suppose to be here, ok? Go play or go to bed or something."

"Sue--do you like Colleen?"

The older girl coughed and crushed the filterless cigarette out in the bannister. Then she glanced accross the commons toward the Great Hall. It was strange, and she would deny it later, but in the fading light of the day she was sure she saw an owl--a big owl--looking out he window at her.

"Yeh..I like Colleen. So what? Hey--you like her too, don't you! Ha! So that is what this is about!"

Sammy opened his mouth but Sue was too quick for him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.

"Come on then, Little Sammy! You're in luck! I feel generous tonight. Let's go find your precious Colleen."

And with that. this unlikely pair vanished behind the forbidden door.