Arabella took the empty seat next to Hugh, just as Jake and Emma walked in. The room fell silent as Jake was about to sit down next to Emma, when he jumped back up.
"Hey!" Millard yelled. "What're you doing?"
"Millard, go and put some clothes on. Polite people do not eat their supper in the nude." Miss Peregrine told him, earning chuckles from some of the younger children.
"Alright, alright." Millard grumbled, before getting up and leaving.
Jake awkwardly sat down in Millard's seat.
"You can sit here, Jake." Olive offered, pointing at the empty seat in between her and Enoch.
Jake didn't respond. Instead, he shuffled around in his seat.
"Look at Enoch, he's jealous!" Horace teased.
Arabella looked over at Enoch, who was sat at the head of the table. His glare was diverted from Jake, to Horace. "Why would I be jealous? Olive can go and marry Jake for all I care." He snapped.
"Don't be mean, Enoch. She doesn't want to. She's just excited to have a visitor." Fiona spoke up.
"No one's marrying anybody." Miss Peregrine said. "Now eat up your food before it gets cold.
Everyone began to tuck in, but Jake noticed Arabella was slouched into her chair, staring at her food, instead of eating it.
Arabella's head snapped towards Hugh when bees began to swarm out of his mouth just as he was about to take a bite of his food.
Arabella rolled her eyes and started to swat the bees out of the way as the children started to yell at Hugh.
"Where's your net?" Emma questioned.
Hugh sighed and bent over to pick up his net. He started to suck the bees back into his mouth, with the help of Miss Peregrine capturing one before it flew away.
"It must be very strange for you, Jake. Meeting your grandfather's friends and visiting another century!" Fiona exclaimed, taking a sip of her water.
"Have they got spaceships in your time? Like the Flash Gordon books?" Olive asked.
"Now, now, Olive. What did I say about asking questions?" Miss Peregrine spoke up.
Olive looked down at her food.
"We don't discuss the future here. We enjoy living in the good old here and now." She said, shoving a piece of chicken into her mouth.
"Arabella, why aren't you eating?" Miss Peregrine asked.
Everyone turned to Arabella, and she looked up from her food, trying to quickly think of a coverup.
"She's feeling very sick, Miss Peregrine." Emma spoke up. "She told me earlier."
Miss Peregrine frowned. "Really?"
Arabella nodded.
"Would you like to be excused?"
Arabella shook her head and forced a small smile. "I'm fine, thank you." She turned to Jake. "It would be rude if I left."
Miss Peregrine then turned to Claire. "Are you feeling sick too, Claire?"
"She's embarrassed in front of Jake." Hugh explained.
"Don't be, please." Jake insisted.
Miss Peregrine gave Claire a wink, and she grinned. Claire picked up the chicken leg and held up the back of her hair.
Arabella watched as Jake tried not to look uncomfortable as Claire devoured her food.
"So, uh, Arabella." Jake spoke up.
Arabella kept her eyes on his and nodded.
"What's your peculiarity?" He asked, changing the subject.
Arabella tucked a stray strand of her messy hair behind her ear. "I have the ability to kill someone by screaming."
"It's really cool!" Hugh grinned. "Her eyes turn black, and then her victims' do!"
"Is that why... earlier-?" Jake began.
Arabella nodded, knowing what his referring too. "It happens a lot. What's your peculiarity?" She asked, hoping that this question would save her from talking for any longer.
"Oh, I, uh, I'm not peculiar." Jake replied.
"And that, my friends, is why he will not be staying with us, no matter how hard we try to persuade him." Enoch spoke up.
Arabella rolled her eyes.
"We've spoke about this. Jake is just visiting." Miss Peregrine smiled.
"He might want to stay." Arabella spoke up. Although she planned on keeping quiet, she knew that Enoch was annoyed, and she couldn't help herself.
Enoch shot Arabella a glare. Arabella briefly caught his eye before looking down at her thumbs and smirking.
"Don't you want to stay, Jake?" Olive questioned.
"Tonight, or?" Jake asked.
"Forever! You should stay forever!" Claire grinned.
"I agree!" Arabella added.
"Why would he if he doesn't have to? He can live out there." Enoch spoke up. Arabella turned to the teenager and narrowed her eyes at him. "He can grow older and have a good time, instead. He'll leave. Just like his grandfather did."
Emma slammed her cutlery onto the table before unstrapping herself and storming out of the room.
"Emma!"
"Excuse me! Where's she going?" Millard asked, walking into the dining room.
"That wasn't nice, Enoch! You know perfectly well why Abe left us!" Miss Peregrine snapped.
"To join the army." Hugh spoke up.
"And then he met a lady and had a nice wedding cake and a lovely little baby!" Bronwyn added.
"Children! I know you'd all like a new friend. But I'm sure Jake has plenty of his own back in Florida." Miss Peregrine said, looking over at Jake.
Just then, the phone rang.
Abe. Arabella thought.
"I think we should all get ready for movie time while I answer that." Miss Peregrine forced a smile as she got up from her seat.
"But you always let us stay for it!" Claire wined.
Miss Peregrine ignored Claire and walked out of the room, leaving everyone in silence.