Chapter Four
Rachel turned to leave, still highly amused by the rich brat's sad failure of a prank, when the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs reached her ears. She glanced down the hall hastily, to see that she didn't have a chance to escape this extremely inappropriate appearing situation of her in Peter's room late at night. Her eyes flew back to meet his, and from his sudden frown, she thought he was realizing the same. Despite their mutual dislike, the pair exchanged quick, concerned glances.
Without warning, Rachel felt her arm grasped firmly, and she was pulled further inside before Peter swung the door shut, concealing her presence. Her eyebrows raised sky high, but she didn't bother reminding him that if someone were to come to his room, this would seem by far more inappropriate. He didn't seem to have thought of that though, no, Peter struck her as the type of person who would only think of the now in a situation, with little forethought. If any.
He didn't speak to her, but stalked towards the window, clearly unhappy with this arrangement. And he sure wasn't the only one. Rachel huffed, annoyed by the way he ignored her. Tired of standing, she plopped down rather ungracefully on his bed, not bothering with how indecent that would look. If the brat thought he was going to beat her in a game of ignore the enemy, he was dead wrong. Tristan was in for it as well, for she was pretty sure she knew exactly who had informed Peter that she had a fear of fish- there was no one else who knew.
Speaking of which...A sly grin slid across Rachel's face, she wasn't known to be a trouble maker, but with someone like Tristan, that might just be the best way to get through to him. She could easily beat him in a battle of ignoring, but he didn't seem to mind, and would never expect her to retaliate with a prank of her own. Sick of being in Peter's room, and even more tired of being in his presence, the girl decided to put her plan into action right then and there.
She scooped up the snake that Peter was occasionally glancing at nervously, and stepped forwards to join him by the window. Instantly, he jerked back. Rachel gave him a sympathetic glance, oh, how horrid it would be to fear a friendly creature like this snake. But then again, knowing that he feared something made him seem more human, and less like some arrogant, heartless beast. And he deserved the scare she'd unintentionally given him when she flipped Theodore around him earlier, of that she was sure.
“Excuse me, if you will. I'm not too keen on staying here,” she flashed, slipping past him and sitting on the window sill.
His eyes widened, “You intend to climb down?”
“Of course. Got any better suggestions?” She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. Of course he wouldn't. For one, there weren't any better suggestions, and for two, she was quite convinced of his idiocy. Well no, that wasn't quite fair- perhaps he was not completely stupid, but himself was the only thing that he cared to think of.
After an awkward pause, Peter asked “Where are you going?”
Rachel grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes. “To pay my dear friend Tristan a thank you visit. He deserves as much for telling you of my strong dislike for fish, the traitor.”
He gave her a look of utter disbelief and disdain, “With no chaperone? At night? Are you mad?” his concern for her reputation almost sounded as though it might be sincere.
“Please, is that any worse than shut in your room here?” Rachel rolled her eyes, unsure whether she should laugh or growl. “Considering, I think it's much better. I have known Tristan for as long as I can remember. You are a stranger, and the rudest one I have ever met.”
Peter's eyes flashed dangerously, “And who's the rude one right now? You're a spoiled brat, bent on ruining people's lives!” the outburst stunned Rachel into momentary silence, as she blinked and tried to figure what he meant.
“Ruining people's lives? Seriously, I knew you were stupid, but a comment like that?” She blinked back tears, stung by his harsh tone and gaze. Waiting no longer, She draped her legs outside and spun around to grab the sill with her hands before she pushed off- deciding at last minute to leave the snake behind. A little fear might do her guest some good.
The drop wasn't too far, but far enough to feel rather exhilarating. Not to mention far enough to cause her ankles to sting and smart with pain as she landed on the hard ground, but it was a welcome distraction from the emotional stings. Who did that boy think he was? She'd never done anything to him!
The trek from her home to Tristan's was not nearly far enough, Rachel fuming the whole way, finding little comfort in even the stars. She stopped at the fence behind his house, staring at it blankly. Now wasn't the best time to get even, what with trying to hold back tears, but she might as well finish what she came to do.
With a sigh, she angrily brushed her eyes with the back of her hand, not even sure why the comment from someone she couldn't care less about hurt so much. Why did she want his good opinion? Why did his bad opinion make her feel like this? She ought to be able to brush it off and carry on. Too bad emotions were never truly so easy to control.
Pranks were, though. Drawing in a deep breath, Rachel determined to thoroughly enjoy this particular one, to the best of her ability. The advantages of knowing a person for so long were great, giving her the knowledge she needed to pull this off far more perfectly than Peter had managed too. Biting back a slight giggle at the absurdity of what she was doing, Rachel tip-toed around the house to the wall she knew Bryan's room was against, and, sure enough, there was a small hutch under his window. The rabbits.
Grinning from ear to ear, and now fully able to ignore the encounter of several minutes before, the girl crouched to pull one of the fuzzy critters into her hands, flinched as the wire mesh creaked. This would all go perfectly, if Bryan didn't notice her. With the little ball of twitching fur in her hands, Rachel crept back around to Tristan's window, knowing the precise location of each room in the house. Tristan's room was level with the ground, and his shutters were open. Rachel snickered, and slipped in silently, praying she wouldn't awake him. Peter had a point about the impropriety of what she was doing, but really, everyone knew that she and Tristan had grown up like siblings.
He was snoring soundly, his face turned away from her. This was beyond perfect. Catching site of a desk in the corner, she stepped up to it and located a clean sheet of paper, the feather pen lying carelessly atop the mess of the cluttered surface. Placing her sheet in clear view, Rachel wrote in her neat script, “Dear Traitor, I greatly enjoyed your well thought out gift of the fish. Hope you enjoy my thank you gift just as much- Your unimpressed friend.”
Replacing the quill in the ink well where it belonged, she then crept across the room to the end of his bed, lifting the covers just enough to slip the rabbit in before she bolted for the window and tumbled out of it, curling up belong and holding her breath. She would have left, but she decided to wait a minute, afraid that Tristan may wake and see her fleeing.
Her fears proved justified a few moments later as she heard him shifting about and muttering something. Covering her mouth, she nearly doubled with silent mirth.
“Hey...wha...ouch! Ah! What the- Bryan!”
His door creaked open, and his cousin's groggy voice replied. “Shut up Tris. What's the matter with you? It's the middle of the night!”
“Get your filthy rabbit out of my room! What's the matter with you!? Those creatures are evil! Evil I tell you.” He paused, his breathing heavy, Rachel could tell he was ticked. “Look! The thing near bit my toe off!”
To Rachel's delight, Bryan seemed to find the situation as amusing as she did, judging from his not quite muffled laughter. “Aww her? Really Tristan, she must be the sweetest one of my pets. Okay, hand her over. I have no clue how she got out.” As an afterthought, he added, “Oh yeah, have you seen Theodore?”
“Uh...” Tristan paused, “I think your snake may have made his way to Rachel's place.”
“What?” Bryan's tone indicated that he was rather baffled, “Rachel wouldn't take him.”
“No...but a 'friend' of hers just might have stuck him in a bag and brought him back to scare her with.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nevermind. Just take the evil rabbit away and let me sleep.”
The door closed, and Rachel presumed that Bryan had listened- he probably didn't need a second invitation to go back to bed. A little rustling followed, and she shifted uncomfortably, longing to get back home yet scared to move until she heard absolute silence from the room. “What the...? I'm the traitor, eh?” He had located her note. Well, it was about time. “Rachel, you are so dead.” She jumped in her skin, alarmed for an instant at the thought of being discovered. However, it quickly became apparent that he was only talking to himself, and she allowed herself to relax again, creeping cautiously away from his window along the wall of the house. Once she'd reached a good distance, she leapt up and flew the familiar path to her own home.
The lights still shone through the windows from the lamps, and Rachel could faintly hear soft voices. Why could not her mother and Madam Eleanor go to bed at a decent hour, just for today? She sighed, knowing that to slip in now would cause multiple questions that she had no intentions of answering- probably not the best idea, considering she did not really want to stir the curiosity of two pushy, motherly women. It was exhausting, she didn't need to know Madam Eleanor to know that, Tristan's mother was just the same.
“I suppose that leaves me with the loft,” Rachel murmured to herself, turning around and making her way towards the stables. No one would ask questions if Rachel was seen in her loft, no matter the time of day. “Rachel's Loft” was too deeply ingrained in the minds of the village for them to see anything unusual in her being there. Besides, when she had been younger it was not uncommon for her to spend the night there, beneath her makeshift window, staring at the stars. And that was exactly where she was going.
The cool breeze played with her loose hair as she walked, placing a spring in her step as she enjoyed her temporary freedom. It didn't take long to reach the barn, and it hardly took even a minute for her to scramble up into the loft. In a few short bounds, she was seated by the little window, gazing out over the town. Silence engulfed her, and a peacefulness filled the air. No thoughts, no troubles, no conflict, no Peter. Nothing at all to disturb the perfect night.
“Boo.” The sound was so sudden that she nearly jumped, however she managed to control the action, and remained still, giving no indication of having heard him. A hand rested on her shoulder, and only then did Rachel look up.
“Hello, Tristan.”
He stared down at her, raising an eyebrow, “What do you know about a certain white, fluffy rabbit?” He challenged.
Rachel bit back a grin, gazing up with an innocent expression. “It's cute?” she offered meekly, and he gave her a look of disgust.
“I declare war,” He responded teasingly as he slipped down cross-legged beside her.
Rolling her eyes, Rachel returned her gaze to the window, peering up at the stars. “You did that when you told Peter I was afraid of fish,” she pointed out, but no anger laced her tone, and only a small hint of resentment.
“How'd you know it was me?” He protested, waving his arms in an unsuccessful attempt to make her look his direction.
“I am not stupid, Tris.” She grumbled softly, shooting him a small glare. “You're the only one who knew.”
He frowned slightly, “Forgive me?”
With a snicker, Rachel raised mischievous blue eyes, “The second I heard you screech,”
“That's not forgiveness,” Tristan protested, “That's revenge!”
Laughing, she turned to face him. “Okay then, I forgave you before that. But I was furious, and you completely deserved the rabbit.”
He shuddered, “Don't mention that foul creature.”
“I already did,” Rachel pointed out, entirely unsympathetic.
He gave her an exasperated look, before shoving to his feet. He reached down a hand to her, which she accepted without hesitance. “Well,” Tristan began, “I think we both need some sleep. But rest assured, I will repay you for tonight. Sometime when I'm not so exhausted.” He yawned, and then left her there.
Rachel watched after him in amusement, not even bothering to wonder how he had found her there. Tristan knew her better than any one else, and she supposed that she knew deep down when she came here that it was only a matter of time before she had company. It wasn't likely that he could fall back asleep easily after finding the creature he feared most in his bed, after all. She didn't feel any regret, or guilt either for that matter. It wasn't as though she'd harmed him, though she did feel back for waking Bryan.
With a sigh, she began to move slowly towards the edge of the loft, prolonging the departure from her favourite place. As soon as she hit the floor though, she took off at a run for home, the cool night air seeming to dance about her.