George wrestled the pen out of its lid, then dug into his pocket for his notebook, drawing a line down his shirt.
A giggle floated. George glared.
“This is the last time I am warning you. Anyone speaking from now on will get lines to write” he proclaimed to the one hundred and fifty boys avoiding the rain. “This is a library. Silence is important so that those that want to work can.”
Another giggle floated.
“Who was that?” he yelled.
One hundred and forty nine pairs of eyes found something close by to examine. One pair looked dreamily out the window.
George stalked across to the source of the giggle.
“Andrew, what are you looking at?”
Andrew’s head whipped around, his eyes wide.
“Elizabeth, sir.”
“Elizabeth who?”
“Elizabeth the girl next door, sir.”
“Why were you looking at Elizabeth?”
A blush travelled up Andrew’s neck. He stayed silent.
“Did you just giggle?” asked George.
Andrew cast his eyes upwards to show he was thinking.
“Yes sir. Twice.”
“Why?”
Andrew’s blush deepened. He stayed silent.
“Well?” demanded George.
“It was something Elizabeth did, sir.”
“What?”
Andrew’s eyes fell to the floor and his voiced became much softer. “She danced, sir.”
“Danced?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Danced where?”
“In the rain, sir.”
“Why was that funny?”
“She was wearing a white T-shirt, sir” Andrew whispered.
The whisper spread from those able to hear Andrew, growing to a roar, and one hundred and fifty boys joined George at Elizabeth’s side of the library. The windows rippled open.
Elizabeth’s back disappeared indoors.
One hundred and fifty voices groaned, then lifted into a chant.
“Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth.”
She reappeared, looking enquiringly up at the sudden audience. Silence fell.
George yelled “Dance for us, Elizabeth.”
She hesitated, her feet shifting, and one hundred and fifty voices built into a chant.
“Dance, Elizabeth, dance.”
Her head lifted, she bowed graciously and then spun out into the rain, leaping, twirling, running, pirouetting, smiling and laughing in the rain.
The boys applauded thunderously at first then picked up her rhythm.
The school siren sounded, and the boys groaned. Elizabeth swung gracefully into a low bow, holding it for a moment before straightening to acknowledge her audience with a broad smile.
The boys held silent for a moment, then windows slammed through a chorus of “Bye Elizabeth” and “Thank you Elizabeth” and much waving as they obeyed their summons.
As the last window shut, Elizabeth turned and ballet stepped into the house, closing the door softly behind her.
Charlie Wilkins - a smattering of writings 