Christina woke just as the first rays of sun hit the mountain. Rolling over, she pulled the blankets over her eyes to block the light. She savored the warm, comfortable feeling of being cocooned in her luxurious bed, remembering that her bed at home wasn't remotely this comfortable. Eventually she pulled the blanket off of her head and looked around, realizing that everything that happened yesterday was real. She didn't want to get up, not only because the bed was so inviting, but also she knew that if she looked in the mirror, she would see a girl looking back.

        She decided It didn't matter. She had to get out of bed; she had an agenda. If she was going to navigate through this crisis, she had to stick it out until Friday. Pulling the covers back, she stepped onto the cold, hardwood floors. Boris looked up at her; he'd stayed in her room all night. Christina walked to her closet, purposefully ignoring both the German shepherd, and her image in the mirror.

        As she removed her pajamas and began to take off her underwear, she realized her chest and back felt pinched where the bra was, and made a mental note to never sleep in a bra again. She searched through her underwear drawer, selecting a pair of blue lace panties and a matching bra. Next, she grabbed her cincher and chest enhancers, placing them on the bed before she looked through the closet. Nina had only picked out skirts and dresses. Christina desperately wanted to wear pants, but she had only one pair of jeans, and she couldn't wear them, so she decided on a black skirt that stopped just below her knees. She also picked out a light green blouse. It had what Abby had called a boatneck neckline, that showed off the sides of her neck, but luckily didn't show much of her chest. She didn't need any more attention from men like she'd received the previous day.

        As a finishing touch, Christina grabbed her necklace and fastened it around her neck, gave the gear a squeeze, then dropped it down the front of her blouse.

        Slipping flats onto her feet, she went back to the closet and removed her one pair of jeans and a plain white shirt. From the chest of drawers she selected a pair of cotton panties, a plain bra, and her ankle socks. She wadded these together in a big ball and shoved them into the plastic bag containing her soiled male clothes from the night of the accident. Holding the bag in one hand and her new, white tennis shoes in the other, Christina checked the mirror before she left the bedroom. She was still the comely young girl that she'd been yesterday.

        Boris skulked close behind as Christina tip-toed through the hallway. She was careful not to make any loud noises as she passed Nina's door. Looking down the hall to Andrei's bedroom, she saw that the door was slightly ajar, but the room was dark. She didn't want to be seen by Andrei most of all. She continued sneaking down the stairs, her efforts to remain quiet ruined by Boris, who made plenty of noise on the staircase.

         Once at the bottom of the stairs, Christina looked up to see whether anyone had noticed. So far, so good. Slinking slowly through the living room, she saw that the antique clock on the wall read 11 o'clock. Christina realized that it couldn't possibly be accurate as she continued into the kitchen.

        The kitchen was deserted; this was going better than she'd hoped. Holding her new shoes over the sink, she ran the faucet, soaking them there until they were saturated. That step completed, she walked out the side door of the house, rolled the shoes in the light dust of the driveway and placed them on the back stoop. She hoped it would appear as though she'd attempted to wash the dirt out of her shoes and left them to dry. That took care of her sneakers.

        Boris watched Christina's plotting with great interest, shadowing her as she walked past the old barn, to the backyard. Looking back at the barn, she didn't see any signs that Andrei was around. She fought the urge to peek inside. She wanted to know what he spent all his time doing in there, but she knew that the barn was somewhere she was not allowed.

        Gingerly stepping down the incline of the mountain, she still could not believe how magnificent the landscape was. Under other circumstances, she would have taken the time to appreciate the view. At the moment, Christina was struggling not to lose her footing in her flats and her skirt. She was annoyed that girls had to wear such impractical clothes. She was even more irritated that she had to be a girl against her will.

        When she was far enough down the mountain that the Levchenko house appeared minuscule, she overturned her bag and dumped all her clothes on the ground. "Whoops," she smiled at Boris.

        Boris wagged his tail. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he liked Christina's attention. He bent over and sniffed the clothes in the mud.

        Christina sorted through the pile and tossed all of her male clothes into the bushes. Looking at her old clothes made her feel uncomfortable; those were the only boy clothes she had. She was stranded, hundreds of miles away from home, and she no longer owned a pair of underwear that didn't have a bow on them.

        Christina picked up her new clothes, placed them back into the plastic bag, and started the long hike back to the house. When she and Boris got back to the house, Christina double checked the clothes in the bag, deciding that they weren't nearly dirty enough. Looking around, she found an exposed section of the backyard that was fairly muddy. Bending down, she shoved her clothes into the moist earth and rolled them around. When she was satisfied that they looked sufficiently ruined, she scooped them up into the bag.

        "What are you doing?" came Andrei's voice from behind.

        An electric shock surged through Christina's spine. She stood up quickly, but did not turn around.

        Boris wagged his tail and trotted over to Andrei.

        "What are you doing with that bag?" he repeated.

        Christina turned around and said, "Nothing?"

        Andrei snatched the bag from her hands and looked inside.

        "Hey!" Christina shouted. Her protest was halted by a cross look from her cousin.

        Andrei rifled though the bag, finding only his cousin's dirty clothes.

        "I got up early to wash my clothes," Christina said.

        Andrei looked at her suspiciously. He said, "The washing machine is in the basement, not the backyard."

        Christina trembled as she answered, "Well okay, let's go inside then."

        Andrei held the bag as he followed Christina into the side entrance, where they spotted Misha in the kitchen starting breakfast.

        Seeing Andrei and Christina, Misha said, "Good morning, children."

        Christina cleared her throat and tried to stop shaking. "Aunt Misha," she said, "Can I please use the washing machine?" She pointed at the plastic bag in Andrei's hands.

        "Certainly dear," said Misha as she took the bag from her son.

        Andrei sat down and said to his mother, "Christina was rolling her clothes around in the dirt."

        Christina felt dizzy as she looked at her aunt. She said, "No, I wasn't-"

        Misha cut Christina off, saying, "Don't be thick Andrei. Christina's clothes were covered with mud. She was shaking it off before she put her clothes in the machine."

        Christina, grateful for the explanation, nodded. "Right. I didn't want to overload the washing machine." She stared at the floor, too scared to look at her cousin.

        Andrei sneered at Christina. He was certain he'd seen her rolling her clothes on the ground. Kicking his chair out from underneath him, he stood and muttered, "Whatever." He shot Christina a suspicious glare as he left the kitchen.

        "Do not mind him," said Misha. "Andrei is always cranky in the morning."

        Christina nodded, still very shaken.

        Misha said, "I will put these in the wash for you." She opened the door to the basement and took Christina's clothes downstairs.

        "Christina," called an exuberant Nina from behind.

        "Hey Nina," Christina beamed. After her encounter with Andrei, she was relieved to see Nina's smiling face. The girl was dressed for school in a plaid skirt and a plain white blouse. Christina wondered if any of the Levchenko girls ever wore pants. She looked at the food Misha had left on the counter, then back at Nina. "When do you have to be at school?" Christina asked.

        "Not for an hour," the girl replied.

        "In that case," Christina said as she put on an apron, "I'm cooking you breakfast."

        Nina's grinned as her cousin went to work making scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.

        Misha came upstairs and saw her niece working at the stove.

        "Christina's making breakfast," Nina announced.

        "I see this," Misha said. She touched Christina on the shoulder and said, "You do not have to do that, dear."

        Christina grinned at her aunt and insisted, "You have all taken care of me since the moment I stepped foot in this house. Making breakfast is the least I can do."

        "Really ..."

        Christina looked back at Misha and pouted, "Please let me make breakfast for my new, most favorite people in the world?"

        Misha blushed and sat down next to Nina. She looked at her daughter, saying, "Who could argue with that?"

        Nina and Misha chatted while Christina fixed their breakfast. Misha studied Christina as she worked the eggs in the frying pan. She wondered if the girl's mother had taught her how to cook. Certainly, Christina was performing adequately, but she lacked skill.

        Christina finished cooking then served her aunt and cousin. Misha objected to being served, but Christina insisted on waiting on them. Misha tasted the food and decided that her niece, while far from a gourmet, had definite potential. Perhaps if there was time, Misha would teach her a few recipes.

 

        When Nina and Misha were finished, Christina collected the plates from the table and started washing them in the sink. Misha had stopped arguing with Christina. She didn't want Christina to feel obligated to do any work, but her niece obviously wanted to help. Misha smiled at the familiar girl who was washing dishes in her kitchen. She saw how well Christina and Nina were getting along. She thought about her husband; Misha could not remember a time in the last five years that Alek looked so happy. She decided that she, too, was growing attached the newest member of her home.

        "Come now, Nina," Misha said to her daughter. "I will drive you to school."

        Christina walked them to the kitchen door, where Nina hugged her goodbye. "I wish I didn't have to go to school," she complained.

        "Don't worry about it," said Christina. "You'll be home before you know it, and we can have fun tonight."

        Christina watched her aunt and cousin climb into the family truck and drive out of sight. Christina hated being a girl, yet a small part of her enjoyed playing Nina's older sister.

        Christina heard a scratching noise and looked down to see that Boris wanted to come inside. She let the dog in, then walked over to the counter and took a piece of bacon. She bent down in front of the massive dog and held out the strip. "This," she said, "Is to buy your silence."

        Boris gladly took the bacon from Christina and inhaled it. As Christina stood up, she saw Andrei standing in the entranceway to the kitchen.

        "Ah, Now I see why Boris slept with you last night."

        Christina made a concerted effort to not look her cousin in the eyes. Andrei sat down at the table and called to Boris. The dog walked over to him and sat at his side.

        Christina went to the counter and made a plate of food for her cousin. She placed it in front of him and said, "I made breakfast ..."

        Andrei paused for a moment, then picked up a slice of toast and took a bite.

        Encouraged, Christina retrieved a set of silverware and placed it on a napkin for him. Next, she poured him a glass of orange juice and watched him as he ate.

        "Andrei," Christina said in a pacified tone, "Is Uncle Alek around?"

        "No," Andrei said, his mouth partially full, "I dropped him off at the store before you woke up."

        Christina felt her heart sink. She had hoped she could talk her uncle into taking her to find her lost suitcase. She realized that wasn't going to happen.

        "When my mother returns, we can go look for your bags," Andrei's voice somehow was missing its usual acidity, however there was no hint of charity in his voice.

        Christina refilled Andrei's juice and asked, "Do you mind if I go upstairs and take a shower?"

        "No, that's fine. But don't take all morning. I have important things to do."

        "I know. I promise I won't be long." Christina was still frightened by her cousin, more so after he'd caught her rolling her jeans in the mud. She hoped that if she continued to act submissively, he would go easy on her.

 

        When Christina returned to the kitchen, she felt some of the morning's tension fade away. She was wearing a very light amount of makeup; she'd done her best to recreate the look that Nina had given her the previous morning. She found that with her inexperience, less was more. She was also wearing the perfume that Steph had sold her. Christina was beginning to like the scent, and she reasoned that it would add to the illusion of her femininity.

        When she returned, Andrei was sitting at the table massaging Boris' head. A moment later, Misha walked into the kitchen from the living room and kissed Christina on the cheek. "Thank you for making breakfast, Chris." She turned to her son and said, "Andrei, please wash your plate."

        Andrei started to get up, but Christina stopped him.

        "Oh no," she insisted, "Let me get that for you." Christina, resuming her domestic duties, cleaned up after her older cousin.

        When she had finished washing his dirty dishes, Andrei abruptly stood up, announcing, "Ok, lets go. I have a ton of work today."

        Christina nodded and put on her leather jacket as she walked out the side door where she waited patiently for Andrei.

        Andrei was stopped at the door by his mother. "Andrei," Misha said in a hushed tone, "I want you to be nice to your cousin."

        "I am always nice," he said sarcastically.

        "I mean it, Andrei!" Misha scolded. "She is part of this family now, so you better get used to her."

        Without replying, Andrei left the house, motioning for Christina to get into the truck. Obeying her older cousin, she strapped herself into the passenger's seat. Andrei started the car, and the two of them began the long trip to the scene of the accident.

        They sat in silence for over ten minutes that felt like an eternity to Christina. Without taking her eyes off the road she said humbly, "Andrei, I don't think I've thanked you for all the nice things you've done for me."

        Andrei cooled a bit and said, "You're welcome."

        "And," Christina continued, "I really appreciate you taking the time to drive me all over the place. I know you have more important things to do."

        "It's alright," Andrei said with an increasing amount of tolerance.

        Christina decided not to push any further. She remained silent until they had reached the twisting mountain road where she'd had her accident. As she followed the curves of the road with her eyes, she felt a surge of panic. She'd been so caught up in being a girl, that she'd suppressed the very frightening memory of her crash.

        She looked at her cousin, wishing he would say something. Reliving the crash in her mind was making her heart race. "Andrei?" she said, breaking the silence.

        "Yes?"

        "I know it's none of my business," Christina started, "But what do you do in the barn all day?"

        Andrei looked over at her. It was not a cross look, but it was enough to cause his cousin to look down at her feet in deference. "I mean, If you don't mind telling me about it," Christina added.

        Andrei continued to look at his cousin. He thought perhaps he had been too hard on her. "I make things. Furniture mostly."

        "Really?" said Christina. She raised her head, wanting to look interested.

        "Sure. I make lots of things. Chairs. Cabinets. I made all the cabinets in the kitchen."

        "No way, that's incredible. I guess you're pretty good with your hands."

        "I do alright. Someday, I will go into business for myself."

        "You totally should," said Christina cheerfully. "I bet you could make a lot of money."

        "Yes, someday," Andrei responded. "My father thinks it's just fun and games, but I'm getting better with every piece I do."

        Christina was genuinely impressed. "It must take a long time to make all that stuff."

        "Yes it does, but I restore a lot of older pieces too. Last month I fixed up an old chest of drawers we had in the house." Andrei pulled off the road on the shoulder opposite where the accident had occurred.

        Christina unbuckled her belt and asked, "Do you mean the one in my room? It's fantastic." When she didn't hear a response, she looked over at Andrei.

        He had a hard look on his face. He said, "It's not your room."

        Those words hung in the air as Christina felt the knot return to her stomach. She felt as thought she'd just lost all the progress she'd made with her cousin. Christina left the truck only after Andrei got out, following two steps behind him.

        Christina looked around the area, seeing a bald spot on a thick oak tree. The impact from the crash had ripped off all the bark. Tire tracks were still cut deeply into the now-hardened ground. Standing on the edge of a shoulder, she looked down. It was so steep! She realized just how close she had come to a devastating fall. Turning to look back at the beginning of the turn in the road, she remembered how sick she'd felt that night, remembering the sensation of anticipation on her skin as the headlights glided past her. It all made her feel dizzy, and she leaned against the scarred oak as she caught her breath.

        Christina looked for a long while, but it was Andrei who spotted the suitcase, laying against a shrub many feet down the dangerous slope.

        Christina looked at Andrei who said, "Well, go get it."

        Christina knew that had her uncle been there, he would have sent Andrei or gone himself. But, her uncle was not there. She removed her flats and held them in her hand as she tried her best to make her way down the hill in her skirt. She'd made it more than halfway down when she lost her footing and fell inelegantly on her butt.

        Andrei, who was watching from the top of the hill, began to laugh. He stopped when he realized Christina was not getting up. "If she's dead, they will blame me," he muttered as he effortlessly descended the steep hill. He stopped in front of the girl and said, "I hope you don't plan on sitting here all-" Andrei stopped speaking when he saw the tears trickling down her face.

        Christina turned her head away from her cousin.

        "Hey, don't cry. It can't hurt that bad." Andrei held his hand out to his cousin, but she did not take it.

        "I know you hate me," Christina heaved. "I don't know what I did to you, but whatever it is, I'm really sorry." Christina didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. "I have to get to my meeting, or I'm going to be in a lot of trouble at work. I didn't plan any of this. I know I don't belong here. And I know you don't care, but it's all really scary."

        Andrei's shoulders sank as he felt a wave of remorse overtake him. "Hey," he said holding out his hand again, "I didn't mean to be so ... Look, I'm sorry." As Christina took his hand, Andrei helped his cousin to her feet. Guilt burned hotly on Andrei's face. He wanted to make things right, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

        For the first time that day, Christina looked her cousin in the eyes. Her tears stopped, though her voice still trembled. She said, "I need to stay until Friday. I promise, after that, you'll never have to hear from me again." She wiped the tears from her face before carefully continuing down the hill. Andrei hung his head and followed behind her.

        As Christina bent down to pick up her suitcase, Andrei reached out his hand and took the handle. "Let me get that," he offered.

        The two of them walked back up the hill together. Andrei walked at a deliberately slow pace so as to remain by Christina's side. He didn't dare to touch her, but he wanted to stay close by in case she lost her footing again.

        When they got back to the top, Christina bent down and put her flats back on her feet. Andrei took her suitcase back to the truck while she studied the tire marks in the dried mud. Christina noticed a sneaker buried halfway in the ground- one of hers. She gasped as she realized that the tennis shoes she'd laid out on the back stoop were an obvious forgery. She decided the best thing to do was to not draw attention to them. Perhaps no one would notice. All she could do was hope.

        Christina took a deep breath and walked back to the car. She couldn't believe she had melted down in front of her cousin. Every bit of anxiety from her accident, her job, and her charade had spilled past the breaking point.

        Andrei looked at Christina when she returned to the truck, his mind searching for something he could say that would make him feel like less of an ass, but all he could manage was, "I don't hate you."

        Christina stared out her window and coldly said, "That's good to know."

        Andrei started the car, and the two cousins started the long ride back to town. Neither of them spoke on the way.

 

        When they got back into Oak Grove, Andrei parked the truck on a small side street. He looked over to Christina. She didn't look back at him, focusing on the glove compartment.

        Andrei still felt terrible, wanting to mend the rift. "Hey, Are you hungry?"

        Christina lifted her head and looked at him, not believing her ears, "Yeah, a little."

        Andrei got out of the truck, walked to the other side, and opened Christina's door. "Let me buy you lunch," he offered.

        Christina looked into his eyes. The harshness in Andrei's face had disappeared. Nodding, she unbuckled her seat belt. Andrei took his cousin's hand and helped her to the sidewalk.

        "After all," Andrei added, "You were nice enough to make me breakfast."

        Christina nodded again. She was still ashamed of her outburst on the hillside, and she didn't feel like talking.

        The two walked down Main Street to the diner. It was a classic, chrome-plated building that looked as though it had been lifted from a 1950's movie. Andrei made a point of holding the front door open for his cousin as they entered, and waved to a woman behind the counter before he led Christina to one of the booths against the front windows.

        Andrei wanted to tell his cousin that he was sorry about the way he'd been treating her. Regardless of how he felt, Christina was an innocent bystander. It wasn't her fault that his father liked her better. Nor was it her fault that she was staying in that bedroom. All these thoughts collided in Andrei's brain but when they found their way into his throat they came out as, "What ever you do, don't order the meatloaf."

        Christina nodded as she looked at the menu.

        Andrei wished Christina would say something. He felt there was nothing he could do to make the sick feeling in his gut go away. Andrei picked up the menu and stared at it, not needing to read it. He'd known what he was going to order before he came in the door, but he needed something to do.

        The two of them quietly looked through the menus until the vacuum was pierced by an exuberant and familiar voice. "Well lookee here! It's the invisible man and the town celebrity."

        Christina looked up from the menu to see Steph standing in front of her with a self-assured grin. Steph did a double take when she saw Christina's face.

        "Hey," Steph said, tapping Christina on the shoulder. "I gotta take a nose powder. Why don't you make the rounds with me?"

        "You want me to go to the ladies room?" Christina balked.

        Steph said, "You'll thank me later," then yanked Christina out of the booth. She pushed Christina down the hall then into to the ladies' room. Feeling the same sick anticipation one felt before receiving a shot at the doctor's office, Christina gritted her teeth as she entered the forbidden bathroom. She'd suffered countless indignities as a girl. Somehow, none of it had prepared her for entering this sacred, girls-only space. Steph dragged her to a mirror and pointed at her face.

        Christina looked in the mirror and saw that her crying episode had made her makeup run. Bringing her hands up to her face, she gasped, "I look like a rodeo clown!"

        Steph wetted a tissue under the faucet and started to clean Christina's face. She asked, "So Stretch, what happened?"

        "Nothing." Christina lied. "It's just that I'm under a lot of pressure, and Andrei only makes things harder."

        Steph took Christina's pocketbook and opened it on the counter. She rifled through, pulling out the cosmetics she'd sold her. Brushing Christina's blond hair out of her face, Steph went to work restoring her makeup. "Lemme guess," Steph said, "He's been selfish."

        Christina nodded slightly and said, "Yes."

        "And oblivious to your feelings?" Steph added.

        "Yeah."

        "And, you can't ever figure out exactly what's going on in his head cause he never says what he's thinking or feeling?"

        Christina reflected on the silence of the truck ride and said, "Yes. Exactly."

        Steph finished up and put Christina's makeup back into her bag. Christina saw that her glamorous look from yesterday returned. "I'm sorry to report," Steph said with a laugh, "That Andrei is suffering from an acute case of maleness. It might even be terminal."

        Christina smiled. Steph had an infectious sense of humor that genuinely cheered Christina up. Even though it was bizarre to be dressed as a girl, and trapped in the girl's restroom, Christina was thrilled to see Steph again. The two girls walked back to the table and sat down opposite from Andrei.

        "What's that Andrei?" Steph quipped, causing Andrei to look up from his menu. "Stay for lunch? Don't mind if I do."

        "Oh sure," Andrei said sincerely, but uncomfortably, "Please stay."

        Steph nudged Christina with her shoulder. "As you can see," Steph explained, "Andrei's been a smooth talker ever since the sixth grade. He sure knows how to sweep a girl off her feet."

        The girls chuckled, and Andrei raised an eyebrow before he returned to the menu.

        "I'm sorry we put you through the wringer in the torture chamber," Steph said, referring to Christina's waxing. "We were just having a little fun with the new girl."

        "It's okay." Christina said.

        "Torture chamber?" asked Andrei.

        Christina shook her head, but didn't miss seeing Steph shoot Andrei a wink. "Sorry slick," Steph joked, "That's a place where no man can tread."

        Andrei shrugged, then looked around almost desperately to see whether the waitress was anywhere to be found.

        Christina very much wanted to flirt with Steph, but that was hard to do while she was wearing a skirt. The closest she came was, "I had a really good time yesterday ... I mean, you're really good."

        "Don't I know it," Steph said. "You're really doing me a favor too. Your hot ass walking through town yesterday turned a lot of heads."

        Christina was mortified.

        "You're the best billboard I've ever had. The salon was filled all morning with every gossipy bluehair in town with an unmarried son." Steph decided what she wanted and put her menu down. "They were lined up around the corner looking for any morsel about the one, the only, Miss Christina Chase."

        Christina recoiled at the thought of people asking about her. "The nice thing about the city, is that it's easy to be anonymous," she commented.

        Andrei, who had been turning suspiciously pink was relieved when the waitress came over, and the three of them placed their orders.

        "I thought tons-of-fun here," Steph said, pointing her thumb at Andrei, "Was supposed to drive you to Ardmore today."

        "We were supposed to, but things aren't working out exactly as I planned."

        The food came while Christina was explaining her situation in detail. Steph was sympathetic, but above all, lighthearted. After spending the entire morning alone with Andrei, Christina enjoyed having lunch with Steph. Not only did Steph take Christina's mind off her problems, she found that she genuinely liked her. Even though she'd suffered humiliations at this girl's hands that would likely haunt her for the rest of her days, she was glad to have a friend in Oak Grove. If only Christina were dressed as a boy, she would have pushed for being more than just friends.

        When the check came, Andrei seized it and left a wad of money on the table.

        "So, Conrad says the car will be ready by Friday?" Steph asked Christina.

        Christina nodded. "That's what Andrei said."

        Steph turned to Andrei and advised, "You have to stay on top of Old Man Conrad. He can fix cars better than anyone, but he's a miserable old bastard."

        "Don't worry," Andrei said, "I'm taking care of that."

        "Whoa!" Steph said in mock surprise, "It spoke." Steph reached out and stirred Andrei's coffee with a plastic straw. "I haven't seen you in the grocery lately, Andrei," she purred.

        "No." Andrei said matter-of-factly. "I'm busy with my own work at home. I'm not there much anymore."

        "I stopped in last week. I was hoping you could pack my bags for me."

        Christina did not like the emphasis Steph placed on the word "pack". Steph never said what she meant, but only an idiot could think she didn't mean what she said.

        "I don't pack bags in the store anymore," Andrei said as he gathered his things.

        "You could always pack my bags somewhere else," Steph said with her trademark, wicked grin.

        "What?" Andrei asked with a puzzled look on his face.

        Christina groaned painfully. Was Andrei stupid or something? She glared at her older cousin. How could Steph want that guy?

        Steph's mood deflated. She stood up and said, "I need to get back to the shop, otherwise the crowds might trample Lisa." She looked at Andrei then back to Christina. "See what I mean Tina? Terminal case."

        As Steph left the diner, Christina called, "Maybe I'll see you around later."

        Steph shot back, "Not if I see you first, Blondie."

        Christina's eyes dreamily followed Steph as she crossed the street and walked back into town.

        Andrei stood up and said, "Come on, we should go."

        When Andrei and Christina left the diner, he led her through town in the direction of the family grocery. Christina saw that she was getting the same attention from men and boys that she had received yesterday. Deciding to take advantage of her large cousin's presence, she clung to Andrei's tree trunk sized limb and held his hand.

        Andrei was immediately overrun by the scent of Christina's perfume and the tickle of her hair on his neck as it blew in the wind. "What are you doing?" he asked.

        Christina squeezed his hand and said, "Just humor me, ok?"

        The stares did not stop, but Christina felt somewhat protected as her older cousin escorted her to the grocery store.

---

Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Thanks to Sephrena Miller for taking an early read.
Hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!