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Description
A shadow snuck over the already dark colors in the divots of my sleeves and the silhouette of my own figure on the table. I dared to peek out from behind the fabric again. Henry was there of course, smiling down at me as per usual.

"Hey, Ibby," he said.

Finally I forced myself to fully lift my head away from the comfort of my sweater and fell back against the back of the chair, stretching my arms out in front of me and pressing my palms down on the hardwood lest I instantly collapse after letting out the chestful of air I'd collected—which I was positive was the only thing keeping me upright. "Hi," I managed.

Henry was unperturbed and sat down easily in the seat across from me. His pack slid leisurely to the ground by his side and he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, looking on expectantly. I hadn't seen him with a backpack before. School? Was summer coming to a close sooner than I'd expected? My eyes flitted to my own bag, always with me, and suddenly I felt no urge to pursue the question. Then the window was back in my view again.

My mouth moved without prompting. "What would it be like if a rock just flew threw the window?"

A pause. "Huh?"

"I just wonder what would happen if someone threw a rock at it," I explained. I turned back to him, my eyes narrowing insistently. "If it just...shattered." As I freed my fingers from the jail of my thumbs, they splayed out in a quick burst of motion and my eyelids to widened briefly out of their serious posture.

"Uhh..." Henry furrowed his brow, looking quizzically at the subject of my interest, and scratched his chin. A grin crossed over his face again and he shrugged his shoulders. "It'd probably be loud?"

"Do you think the windows would break in a storm too?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm not so sure they wouldn't hold up to a rock."

"They're pretty old."

"Bold of you to assume the elderly are all so feeble."

I crossed my arms. "I think it's bolder of you to assume the rock wouldn't break it."

"Boulder?”

I frowned.
“Eh, each to their own."

"Okay..." I ventured. "What about if there were a fire?"

"Does this place have a fire extinguisher?"

"Yeah."

"Well then it's not a problem." Henry propped his shoes up on the edge of my seat and he settled more deeply into the chair. "Right?"

"Lots of places have fire extinguishers and still burn down," I pointed out, promptly shoving his feet off with my own sneakers. He let them plop down onto the floor without resistance. His legs were still stretched out awkwardly that way when he offered his next reply.

"Why don't we go for a bike ride?" he suggested. "Go out on the town for a bit."

"I don't have a bike."

"I do. We can ride together and that way if any disaster happens to hit this building we wouldn't be here."

"What if I wanted to be?"

"I mean, I could crash the bike." Henry stood up and stuck out his hand. "What do say?"

Reluctantly I accepted the help and got up from my chair. "Yeah, alright."

Description
A shadow snuck over the already dark colors in the divots of my sleeves and the silhouette of my own figure on the table. I dared to peek out from behind the fabric again. Henry was there of course, smiling down at me as per usual.

"Hey, Ibby," he said.

Finally I forced myself to fully lift my head away from the comfort of my sweater and fell back against the back of the chair, stretching my arms out in front of me and pressing my palms down on the hardwood lest I instantly collapse after letting out the chestful of air I'd collected—which I was positive was the only thing keeping me upright. "Hi," I managed.

Henry was unperturbed and sat down easily in the seat across from me. His pack slid leisurely to the ground by his side and he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, looking on expectantly. I hadn't seen him with a backpack before. School? Was summer coming to a close sooner than I'd expected? My eyes flitted to my own bag, always with me, and suddenly I felt no urge to pursue the question. Then the window was back in my view again.

My mouth moved without prompting. "What would it be like if a rock just flew threw the window?"

A pause. "Huh?"

"I just wonder what would happen if someone threw a rock at it," I explained. I turned back to him, my eyes narrowing insistently. "If it just...shattered." As I freed my fingers from the jail of my thumbs, they splayed out in a quick burst of motion and my eyelids to widened briefly out of their serious posture.

"Uhh..." Henry furrowed his brow, looking quizzically at the subject of my interest, and scratched his chin. A grin crossed over his face again and he shrugged his shoulders. "It'd probably be loud?"

"Do you think the windows would break in a storm too?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm not so sure they wouldn't hold up to a rock."

"They're pretty old."

"Bold of you to assume the elderly are all so feeble."

I crossed my arms. "I think it's bolder of you to assume the rock wouldn't break it."

"Boulder?”

I frowned.
“Eh, each to their own."

"Okay..." I ventured. "What about if there were a fire?"

"Does this place have a fire extinguisher?"

"Yeah."

"Well then it's not a problem." Henry propped his shoes up on the edge of my seat and he settled more deeply into the chair. "Right?"

"Lots of places have fire extinguishers and still burn down," I pointed out, promptly shoving his feet off with my own sneakers. He let them plop down onto the floor without resistance. His legs were still stretched out awkwardly that way when he offered his next reply.

"Why don't we go for a bike ride?" he suggested. "Go out on the town for a bit."

"I don't have a bike."

"I do. We can ride together and that way if any disaster happens to hit this building we wouldn't be here."

"What if I wanted to be?"

"I mean, I could crash the bike." Henry stood up and stuck out his hand. "What do say?"

Reluctantly I accepted the help and got up from my chair. "Yeah, alright."