low hum of the classroom. His tone wasn't loud, but it was firm. I

plastic backrest. "B-but I got it first!" she stuttered, her voice la

led his body, positioning himself so his shoulders completely blocked the fluorescent

y a smooth, calculated softness. "But you want me to sit in the blue chair n

her territorial instincts. She looked at Hartley's perfect face, then down at the blue cha

ointed a single finger over his shoulder, gesturing

voice flat and absolute. "Siblings mu

welled with a massive wave of awe. She had never heard of this rule in her

Willow. "If you don't give her the r

ripping, and the empty blue chair she had offered to the handsome boy. Her knuckles turned white. Her lower lip

time to think. He knew s

"Finley, we are going to the corner over there," he said loudl

r. But she looked up at Hartley's profile, bit her bottom lip, and nod

remaining resolve. The sight of Hartley actually w

Willow yelled, h

. A faint, deeply satisfied smile touched his lips for a momen

a second. When he turned back around to face Willow, h

owly, agonizingly peeled her fingers off the red plastic. She

urge of joy hit her stomach. She lun

ross her chest, stoppin

Finley. His eyes never left Willow. Th

was no longer persuasive. It was a simple

gasped out loud. The tension spiked, m

e chair, shattered. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. She clamped her mo

and. He simply stood there, letting the silence do the work. He let the

or three seconds. Five

iting game, but it worked on the kindergarten dispute. Wi

second mark

ars spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Finle

y 'thank you' or 'it's okay.' He simply gave Finl

e. She looked up at Willow, who was wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Finley's anger

plicated joy, she felt a strange sense of re

Finley. He adjusted his slacks, sitting perfectly straight. He ha

quiet boy had sat down and the mean girl had cried, flooded back

cky finger at Finley's backpack. "Is that the ne

big store in the city!" She immediately launched int

and pulled out a thick hardcover book. He opened it to the middle. He didn

edge of the book. Tap. Tap. Tap. A slow, rhythmic beat. His lips curved