“I'm not mad! I swear. But umm, I thought you would be smaller…”

“It was an old picture of me back when I was scrawny.” He glanced at her for an instant and looked away.

Tatiana looked at his face. She could tell by his looks that he was still young. Still developing. He wasn't a man yet.

“How old are you?” Tatiana stepped a bit closer.

“I just turned sixteen.” She could not believe she was two years older than him.

“So, umm do you want to go around town?” Tatiana took another step forward.

“Do you want to?” He was red as could be and his eyes were intensely gleaming at the floor.

“Are you okay?” Asked Tatiana.

“Fine.” His voice was shaking and his eyes were darting around like flies.

Tatiana touched his hands “Hey, it's okay.”

His breathing slowed and his body became still.

“Sorry, I have anxiety problems. I was worried you hated me. I got myself all worked up.”

“I could never hate you.”

“I don't think your mom noticed but she made me black out twice when you weren't here.”

“I'm sorry about her, she's just terrible.” He still had one of his hands free and used it to pull something out of his pocket.

The card had the words “Will you be…” his once printer like handwriting became squiggles.

“Will I be?” She looked at him and he was red again.

She knew it was too much.

“Mauretania, do you want to sleep over?”

“You can call me Mar if you want to. And do you want me to sleep over?”

“It would be kinda cool. We could talk all night and talk about anything you want to.”

“If you want to” Mar was looking at the ground again.

“It sounds fun, right? We can do that if you want. So, umm, if you are alright with it can I ask you a few questions about the book. I want to know a few things.”

“Anything you want.” A twitch of a smile crossed his beautiful face.

She smiled knowing any conspiracy her mind had thought of would finally be answered. He whispered his responses with enthusiasm.

The war of words went on till a knock at the door shook the room.

Mar froze his eyes became wide.

“Dinners ready. I hope you're hungry.” Chimed Madeleine.

Dinner? She can cook?

“Well, let's go eat I guess.” Tatiana unlocked the door and walked into the kitchen.

She guided Mar behind her and walked into the kitchen. She took a few moments to realize it was her own. She hadn't seen it so clean in her life. She could smell food that wasn't store bought.

“You can take a seat right here next to me.” Madeleine smiled.

Mar nodded and took his seat. Tatiana looked at her mother as she glided across the kitchen picking up the little treats she had supposedly made.

She opened the oven and got loaves of bread from the fires. She set the bread down right in front of Mar.

Madeleine exposed her bust to him as much as she could.

“I almost forgot! Here's some milk, just in case you're thirsty. Drink up big boy.” his eyes were now on his hands.

Tatiana sat across the table from him and his breathing began to slow. She began to uncover the food she had supposedly cooked. Random dishes with over the top garnishes.

A full sized duck laying upon plants she didn't recognize. Her mother put down the plates and napkins and anything else he could need.

Madeleine took her seat next to him and smiled at Mar.

“Mom when did you learn to cook?” Asked Tatiana.

“A long time ago. To bad you never wanted to learn.” Her voice in a light teasing voice.

She wagged her finger and winked as she took her seat. Tatiana knew she couldn't say anything, even if she did she would just get shot down. Tatiana took her food on her plate and rolled her eyes.

“Now don't have too much, you're getting chubby baby.” Her sharp smile cut across her.

“Mar, sweetie you're just touching your food, not feeling the Duck or lamb? Want me to make you something else.” He shook his head and kept his dark eyes on the floor.

“Mom, I think he's getting nervous.”

She could see the change on her face. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with one hand. Tatiana knew she was putting on a show at this point.

“I'll be in the living room if you need me.” Her voice had more love in it that it did when she first saw Tatiana.

She walked out and took her meal.

“Sorry” Whispered Mar.

It wasn't for her mother. She knew when his eyes glance up at her.

He took a few bits and half of his food vanished.

“Thanks” His voice chimed. “Anything for you.” Tatiana smiled and they continued eating their meal.

“So, your shadowing me Friday?”

“Yeah.” A tiny smile crossed his face.

“Want to go somewhere cool?” Asked Tatiana.

He looked up and spoke slowly “Do you want to?”

Tatiana looked at the living room door and shrugged.

“Let's go.” She walked besides Mar glancing at his hand every so often. “So, Mar. What do you think of Dawn?”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Don't understand the question.” His voice chittered lightly.

“Do you like the city I mean.” Tatiana watched his lips part and it seemed like he was going to say something but he nodded.

“Do you know the history of Dawn?”

He nodded no this time.

“Well, a few years back during the peak of the drug underworld just before the plague crisis, an entire school was killed by some terrorists organization. And you might remember how the plague just swept across the word but stopped right here. Some people think ghosts had something to do with it. Or that the plague was self aware and wanted to get back home. I think that it was self aware because all the people who got infected gathered here.” His eyes had a hint of wonder to them. She asked questions and he always had a yes or no nod.

They arrived at the newly born forest. He looked up at the trees and smiled.

Tatiana looked at the buds of flowers that had some time to go before they bloomed.

“Beautiful aren't they?”

“Yes you are.” She smiled and enjoy that he like the trees to.

“I just love the colors…”

Did he say yeah you are or they are…

“What is this place?” His voice spoke with a little more normativity.

“It's a project some rich guy is working on. Supposedly it's going to be the stuff of tomorrow. I just stop by every time I can. Mostly because I like to see how much the trees have grown.”

They sat together and talked. Tatiana did most of the talking and Mar would say yes or nod every so often.