toes were even with the very edge of the roof.
There was no one else outside. Just me and Vivvie and the boy on the roof. I stepped past Vivvie, wondering what he was doing up there. Wondering if he was going to jump.
“Go get someone,” I told Vivvie.
The boy held his hands out to either side.
“What are you going to do?” Vivvie asked me.
I took a step toward the chapel. “I don’t know.”
The door to the chapel roof was propped open and marked with a sign that read DO NOT ENTER . I stepped through it. One more ladder, and I was on the roof.
The boy was still standing at the edge. I could only see the back of his head. He had auburn hair—a deep, rich red that girls would have killed for, but that looked strange, somehow, on a boy. Now that I was up here, standing just a few feet away from him, I wasn’t sure what to do.
“Top of the morning to you,” the boy said without turning around. I took a step forward. He lifted one foot off the roof and held it out—nothing but air and the ground below.
“It’s not morning,” I replied, inching my way out toward him. The roof was steeper the farther out I went.
The boy glanced back. “I’m not Irish,” he said, a hint of a smile dancing around the corners of his lips. “In case you were wondering.”
I was wondering what this guy was doing on the roof of the chapel—because suddenly, I was certain that he wasn’t here to jump.
“It’s the red hair that makes people think I might be,” the boy continued. “And my habit of saying things like
top of the morning.
And the fact that I took up Irish folk dancing for two weeks when I was fourteen.” He sighed. “It was a beautiful two weeks. Kathleen and I were very happy.”
“Kathleen?” I asked.
“Girlfriend number seventeen,” the boy replied. “Before Sophie and after Sarah.”
“You’d had seventeen girlfriends by the time you were fourteen?” I asked.
“The ladies,” he replied with a shrug. “They love me. It’s because I’m so charming.”
“You’re balancing on one leg on the roof of a chapel. You’re not charming. You’re an idiot.”
“Tell me what you really think,” he said, grinning.
“I think you should come away from the edge of the roof before a teacher sees you,” I told him.
The boy peeked over the edge of the roof. “Too late, fair lady. That ship has sailed and sailed again.”
I rolled my eyes and started back toward the door. I’d thought he needed help—but clearly, what he really needed was a swift kick. Given that we’d met all of two minutes ago, I didn’t feel particularly obligated to be the one who delivered it. He could do the hokey pokey up here for all I cared.
As I hit the top of the stairs, he fell in beside me, that stupid grin still on his face.
“You’re new,” he said.
I didn’t reply. I’d made it to the door of the chapel when he spoke again, more quietly this time. “I was just enjoying the view.”
I turned back toward him, ready to smack the smile off his face, only to discover that he wasn’t smiling anymore. Seriousness didn’t fit with his features.
“The view?” I asked, still annoyed with myself that I’d misread the situation so badly.
“The view,” he replied. “The higher up you go, the smaller they get.”
“Who?” I asked.
He held his hands out to each side, the same way he had on the edge of the roof. “Everyone.”
The second I stepped outside, I realized that the boy hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said the “get down before a teacher sees you” ship had sailed and sailed again. I wasn’t sure if Vivvie had actually gone for help, or if someone else had caught sight of the boy, but there were
two
teachers in the courtyard now, along with a handful of students—including Emilia Rhodes, who had a distinctly pained expression on her face.
“Did you haul him down?” Vivvie asked me in a whisper. “You forcibly hauled him down, didn’t you?”
“Ms. Kendrick!” A
There was no one else outside. Just me and Vivvie and the boy on the roof. I stepped past Vivvie, wondering what he was doing up there. Wondering if he was going to jump.
“Go get someone,” I told Vivvie.
The boy held his hands out to either side.
“What are you going to do?” Vivvie asked me.
I took a step toward the chapel. “I don’t know.”
The door to the chapel roof was propped open and marked with a sign that read DO NOT ENTER . I stepped through it. One more ladder, and I was on the roof.
The boy was still standing at the edge. I could only see the back of his head. He had auburn hair—a deep, rich red that girls would have killed for, but that looked strange, somehow, on a boy. Now that I was up here, standing just a few feet away from him, I wasn’t sure what to do.
“Top of the morning to you,” the boy said without turning around. I took a step forward. He lifted one foot off the roof and held it out—nothing but air and the ground below.
“It’s not morning,” I replied, inching my way out toward him. The roof was steeper the farther out I went.
The boy glanced back. “I’m not Irish,” he said, a hint of a smile dancing around the corners of his lips. “In case you were wondering.”
I was wondering what this guy was doing on the roof of the chapel—because suddenly, I was certain that he wasn’t here to jump.
“It’s the red hair that makes people think I might be,” the boy continued. “And my habit of saying things like
top of the morning.
And the fact that I took up Irish folk dancing for two weeks when I was fourteen.” He sighed. “It was a beautiful two weeks. Kathleen and I were very happy.”
“Kathleen?” I asked.
“Girlfriend number seventeen,” the boy replied. “Before Sophie and after Sarah.”
“You’d had seventeen girlfriends by the time you were fourteen?” I asked.
“The ladies,” he replied with a shrug. “They love me. It’s because I’m so charming.”
“You’re balancing on one leg on the roof of a chapel. You’re not charming. You’re an idiot.”
“Tell me what you really think,” he said, grinning.
“I think you should come away from the edge of the roof before a teacher sees you,” I told him.
The boy peeked over the edge of the roof. “Too late, fair lady. That ship has sailed and sailed again.”
I rolled my eyes and started back toward the door. I’d thought he needed help—but clearly, what he really needed was a swift kick. Given that we’d met all of two minutes ago, I didn’t feel particularly obligated to be the one who delivered it. He could do the hokey pokey up here for all I cared.
As I hit the top of the stairs, he fell in beside me, that stupid grin still on his face.
“You’re new,” he said.
I didn’t reply. I’d made it to the door of the chapel when he spoke again, more quietly this time. “I was just enjoying the view.”
I turned back toward him, ready to smack the smile off his face, only to discover that he wasn’t smiling anymore. Seriousness didn’t fit with his features.
“The view?” I asked, still annoyed with myself that I’d misread the situation so badly.
“The view,” he replied. “The higher up you go, the smaller they get.”
“Who?” I asked.
He held his hands out to each side, the same way he had on the edge of the roof. “Everyone.”
The second I stepped outside, I realized that the boy hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said the “get down before a teacher sees you” ship had sailed and sailed again. I wasn’t sure if Vivvie had actually gone for help, or if someone else had caught sight of the boy, but there were
two
teachers in the courtyard now, along with a handful of students—including Emilia Rhodes, who had a distinctly pained expression on her face.
“Did you haul him down?” Vivvie asked me in a whisper. “You forcibly hauled him down, didn’t you?”
“Ms. Kendrick!” A
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