Learning Life's Lessons (An Elijah Wood Story)

Chapter Five

Her short black hair was as silky as ever, and her side bangs were clipped up with a bobby pin. Sure enough, you could see the Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt underneath her worn jean jacket. She shouldered her beige backpack and looked around.

"Tristan," she said quietly, when she spotted him. "Sorry, I'm a little early. I'll stay until it wraps up. Are you having fun?"

Tristan immediately got to his feet and ran over to his sister. "Yeah," he said, as Stefanie knelt to give him a big hug. "We had a storytime, but Elijah didn't want to read a book, he wanted to... to im-por-vise."

"Elijah...?" Stefanie looked up from the hug and saw Elijah sitting on the chair. The circle of kids all stared back and forth between the two of them.

"Uh... hey, Stefanie," said Elijah, trying to look nonchalant. He fiddled with the strings on his hoodie.

"Elijah." Stefanie's cheeks had turned a little pink. She quickly stood up and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. She looked at the floor, then back at Elijah. "I... I didn't know you were on the storytime shift."

"Yes, you did," said Tristan, who was jumping up and down. "You said so in the car! Renember, renember?"

"Shhhh," said Stefanie. "No, I didn't say anything about... that. Remember?" She gave Tristan a very stern look.

Tristan stopped jumping up and down and looked confused. "Yes, you did. You said that you were glad that Elijah was on the storytime shift because he was so c—"

"Shhh!" said Stefanie urgently, her cheeks flushing. She chanced a sideways glance at Elijah, who was staring at her. "No, I definitely did not say that... ever."

Tristan looked confused. "Yes, you did. You said Elijah was cute and that you wanted to ask him to the schoo—"

Stefanie clapped a hand over Tristan's mouth. The rest of what he said was unintelligible, but all the kids exchanged delighted glances.

Elijah's mouth was slightly open, and he was just staring at Stefanie. Stefanie looked really embarrassed. She took her hand off Tristan's mouth and smiled. "Uh, he doesn't know what he's talking about," she said quickly.

Elijah looked at Tristan. "You said you forgot what she said about me!" he said accusingly.

"Well, then I renembered," said Tristan flatly.

"But you..." Elijah's voice faltered when he realised Stefanie was looking at him.

"What are you talking about?" she said.

"Nothing," said Elijah.

There was a silence. Tristan broke it.

"Well, anyway, Stefanie," he said. "Elijah told a story about you."

Elijah's cheeks went bright red. "I did not," he said immediately.

"Did too, did too!" shrieked Mary-Anne.

"He did," said Felix calmly.

It was Stefanie's turn to stare at Elijah. She sat down on the rug and all the kids surrounded her, giggling and acting crazy.

"Settle down, children," said Elijah firmly. Stefanie laughed. The kids settled.

Stefanie took a spot on the rug. The kids gathered around her eagerly and she cleared her throat. "Uh, what... what was the story you were telling?" she asked.
"Nothing," said Elijah quickly. "Nothing at all. Silly. Stupid, even."

"No, I wanna hear it," said Stefanie.

"Yeah... you really don't," said Elijah, picking at his jeans.