The talent show was over and the chairs and stage were put away promptly.
Emma walked with me around the garden as we talked about anything and everything. Favorite colors, animals, and so on. Eventually, she asked me how old I was.
"Eighty-six," I said, "this is my fourth loop."
"Wow," she exclaimed, "you're younger than me yet you've been around the whole world. I wish I could do that," she said with a dreamy expression.
"I'm sure you will be able to one day," I replied reassuringly.
"Not while I'm trapped in a loop with the threat of Hollowgasts and aging forward," she said sadly with a sigh. I shuddered at the mention of Hollowgasts, I'd come across one once on my way from Russia to Derbyshire. Luckily the ymbryne that had been traveling with me had distracted it for long enough for me to run away but I never did forget the rancid smell and its deep snarl.
We walked in silence for a few minutes after that. Around me in the garden were Millard, Bronwyn, Hugh, and Victor playing football while Horace and Fiona watched. Claire and Olive sat at a small table and were playing tea party. I looked around for Enoch and caught a shadow sitting by a tree. He sat there by himself fiddling with his Homunuculi. I thought of going over and sitting with him but before I could Claire came up to us.
"June, Emma will you join our tea party?" she asked, "we have real tea and everything."
She was much too sweet to be denied anything she asked for so we agreed and followed to the table.
Fiona and Bronwyn had come over as well as Claire poured everyone's tea into small teacups. Once everyone was settled down Emma spoke up.
"Now that it's just us girls," she said, "when are you going to admit you like Hugh?" she demanded of Fiona.
Fiona turned bright red and simply giggled. Rather than answer Emma she just made an indignant face and pointed at Emma.
"Me?" gasped Emma theatrically, "I don't like anyone, I'm above all of them."
I raised my eyebrows at her mockingly. At this she turned at me.
"Well, what about you June?" she asked accusingly, "don't think I haven't noticed you gazingly longingly at Enoch."
"What?!" I shrieked while blushing, "I have done no such thing besides I've only been here for about 24 hours."
"Mhmm," Emma murmured disbelievingly but before she could keep interrogating me Olive spoke up.
"I'd rather not talk about boys as they are very bothersome," she said, "can we just enjoy our tea?"
I wholeheartedly agreed as Bronwyn began telling a funny story about the time Millard fell out of a tree but no one could tell if he had broken any bones as he was invisible.
A little while later Victor came up to our table with Millard behind him. Millard muttered something into Victor's ear and then pushed him towards us.
"Um uh hi," said Victor nervously, "we were wondering if you would like to play football with us?"
Emma looked over at me eyebrows raised, I gave her a nod and she jumped up.
"Of course we would," she said as she pulled me out of my chair and we ran over to where they were playing.
The goals were made of two small trees weaved together to create nets which I could tell Fiona had made. The teams were made and it was me, Millard, and Bronwyn against Emma, Victor, and Hugh.
Horace acted as the referee as he set the ball down in the middle and we began playing. I was definitely not good at football however I did have my peculiar ability so I decided to use it to my advantage. Hugh dribbled the ball towards our goal passing it back and forth with Victor while Emma guarded their goal. Millard ran forward and took the ball from them while I follow in pursuit. He reached their goal and was about to score when Victor swooped in and took the ball back heading directly for our goal guarded by Hugh. He kicked the ball and just as it was about to go into the net, I clapped.
Time froze for the ball and everyone who was playing however Horace, Fiona, Enoch, Claire, and Olive were all unfrozen as they looked over at the sudden silence. I giggled while Horace walked up to Victor in disbelief trying to get him to move. While I was walking to get the ball I felt Enoch's eyes on me and turned my head to give him a wink. Instead of turning his head away in annoyance, he smirked at me. I felt my heart beat slightly faster at that and I turned away so he wouldn't see my cheeks glow red.
I picked up the ball and walked it over to their goal and with another clap unfroze everyone. Victor saw the ball was gone and yelped in surprise as he turned around to watch me score in their goal.
"Point for June's team," yelled Horace.
"Hey," Victor said indignantly, "that was definitely unfair, she just froze us all and scored."
"Well," said Horace, "there aren't really any rules against stopping time."
I laughed and shrugged as Victor turned to me in a huff. He seemed to relax at that and laughed too.
"Good trick," he said.
"Not nearly as good as yours," I said with a grin, "you could stop anyone or anything from attacking you, all you have to do is pick it up and toss it to the side."
"True, true," he said as he gazed at me.
I gave a nervous laugh and walked over to Emma.
"Well, hello there cheater," she said.
"I'm no cheater," I said dramatically feigning to faint at her accusation.
Before we could chat anymore Miss Peregrine came out of the house and announced it was lunch time.
We set down blankets on the grass and brought out the sandwiches. The late summer sun shined down on us, not too hot nor too cold. Lunch here was very different from my loop in Russia however it was very similar to my loop in Luxembourg and Derbyshire, I remarked.
I picked up a cucumber sandwich and began to eat sitting next to Bronwyn and Emma. I looked over and noticed that Enoch was sitting all by himself on another blanket nearby so I stood up and went to join him.
"Hello," I said as I sat down.
"What do you want?" he asked moodily.
"Just to sit with you," I replied.
We sat in silence for a while before he spoke up.
"That was pretty amazing what you did before," he said, "when you froze everyone I mean."
"Oh thank you," I said surprised at him complimenting me, "your peculiarity is very amazing too."
"Most people don't think so," he said, "they think I just bring death."
"Death?" I asked, "but you bring life to inanimate objects and dead people, quite the opposite."
He smiled at that, the first time I had seen him smile and it was very nice, but he quickly turned it into a smirk.
"Yeah well I try," he said.
"I'm glad you do," I replied with a laugh.
After that, we were able to talk more freely and we talked about random things, nothing deep.
"So what's your favorite color?" I asked.
"Don't have one," he replied.
"Oh so your one of those people," I said annoyed, "just think really hard what color do you like?"
He thought about it and eventually replied.
"Red."
"Why?" I asked.
"Color of blood," he said with a shrug.
I laughed at that.
"What's yours?" he asked.
"Hmm, I think pink," I said, "color of uhh blood mixed with milk."
He laughed at that. His laugh sounded very nice.
"I was put on the spot, I couldn't think of anything pink," I said laughing as well.
That's when I finally notice most of the other kids staring over at us. I caught Emma's eye and gestured asking why they were staring. She just gave me and sly grin and went back to her conversation. Odd I thought but turned back to Enoch.
"What about books?" he asked, "what's your favorite normals book?"
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Too much fantasy for me," he said.
"Says the dead-riser living in a magical loop with a bunch of children with superhuman abilities"
"Yes, well that's different," he said rolling his eyes and smirking.
"What's your favorite normals book?" I asked intrigued but already guessing it was going to be a dreary book filled with death and blood.
"The Great Gatsby," he said after some thought. Surprising, but not that much I thought.
"I'm assuming you liked the ending?" I asked.
"It was realistic," he said, "it would have been nice if he got the girl plus him being killed in the pool was such a waste of a perfectly good heart."
I laughed but I was surprised at what he said about getting the girl, I didn't know he was into that kind of stuff but then again I didn't know him very well.
At least not yet.