11. Jessie

"You're holding it wrong," Will grumbled at Peter.

Peter was the most patient person I had ever met, including... including... Dark hair and blue eyes came to mind, but they were gone again a moment later, and I couldn't remember who they might have been from.

But Peter was tired of Will, a little. He always seemed to be mean to Peter, and he was just... grumpy.

"This is how I hold a sword," Peter said, brandishing the wooden sword, and I thought he looked like a perfect pirate.

Will scowled, not one to be swayed by simple things like personal opinions. "Ezra always held it higher up. Against the hilt. Not so wavy."

Peter gave a tiny nonchalant shrug, but I could see the frustration in it. Peter was kind of the best, and everyone knew he'd been Aurora's friend the longest, but sometimes, I wondered if Peter wanted... something.

To go inside? To go . . . somewhere?

To be finished playing.

It was a strange thought, and one that made things feel wiggly and wrong in my head. It reminded me of the blue eyes and a soft voice and chocolate and?—

Ribbit.

I looked down at the frog in the front pocket of my overalls. Yes. Frogs. It reminded me of frogs. I liked frogs. And Aurora said I could keep my frog with me always, which was so much better than... something else.

Will threw down his sword and crossed his arms over his chest, his lips pursed in an enormous pout.

As she always did when things got tense, Aurora showed up with a sweet smile and an even sweeter scent to distract everyone from the brewing argument. "Look what I found, everyone."

Honey cakes, fresh from the oven. I wasn't sure where she got them, and honestly, I didn't like them all that much. They were okay and all, but my favorite was chocolate. And peanut butter.

We never had chocolate and peanut butter in the woods.

It was strange, though, because if not in the woods, where had I ever had those things?