Chapter Eight
I wake up to pounding on my door. I grumble and try to fall back into my dream. Just when I drift away into the peace that is sleep, my door slams open. I jump up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Caleb stands in front of me, careless grin plastered on his face. I'm starting to love that grin.
"Mother says breakfast is in five," he tells me. "She's taking you trading after that."
I stand up and follow him into the kitchen. I try to make my hair look somewhat decent, but I'm probably just making it poofier. When we reach the small kitchen/dining room, I have pulled my hair into my normal braid.
"Good morning, Ivy," Annie says, sitting at the table.
"'Morning," I grumble.
"Looks like someone isn't a morning person," Caleb remarks.
"I usually am. I hunt every morning at dawn," I tell him. "I'm just not a morning person when a moron like you wakes me up when I was having a good dream."
Annie snorts from the table.
Caleb looks at me and says, "Fantasizing about me in your dreams already?"
I'm sure my face is a brilliant shade of pink now. "No. Not every girl is credulous to your charms, you know."
"I'm sure that's why your face looks like a tomato."
I blush harder. "I do not look like a tomato."
"Really? I'm pretty sure you do."
Annie walks over to Caleb and smacks him lightly on the head. "Be nice."
"I was only being honest," Caleb says with a certain degree of sincerity. "You always tell me to be honest."
Annie glares at him. She has one of those glares that can sum up an entire lecture. Caleb stops talking. I smile to myself. Annie puts her hand on my shoulder and I look up at her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. I slept great. Thank you."
She nods and hands me a plate.
I load up some eggs, bread, and meat. Caleb does the same. We sit down at the table with Annie. She's drinking a cup of what looks like tea.
"After this, we're going into the trading center, Caleb," Annie says. "Do you need anything?"
"I don't get to go?" He pouts and looks at him mother.
"You have certain chores that need to get done."
"But I can do those later."
"No, those will get done as soon as you finish breakfast." Annie turns to me, smiling. "And we are going to get you new clothes. You can even meet some of the girls who live here."
"That would be great," I say, not telling her the fact that I don't make friends easily.
I finish my breakfast and walk my plate back into the kitchen. As I put my plate in the sink, Caleb walks in next to me. From the living room, I hear Annie say that we need to get going. Caleb leans closer and says, "You would make a pretty tomato."
I flush a deep shade of red and walk out to find Annie.
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