All the Nice Boys and Girls in the World

Clover has the look of somebody in love. William was used to seeing it in Liz, but this was almost a shock for his younger niece. He put his hand to Clover’s forehead at the breakfast table this morning. She tried to push him away.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“You feel okay,” William said. “Are you sure you are not sick?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You look so dazed.”

“I’m fine.”

William tilted his head. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

Her uncle couldn’t understand his niece. He wasn’t the only one either. Uncertain about how to approach this, William went next door after breakfast and knocked on the door.

“Hello?” Muriel whispered through the open crack. Her neighbor gave her a funny look.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Bill, is that you?”

“Uh… yeah.” He looked around with an eyebrow raised. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Muriel slowly pulled open the door.

“Oh, good,” she said. “I thought it was Aisha again.”

“Oh, she trying to get you to do more church volunteer work?” he asked.

“Yeah.” The old biddy narrowed her eyes. “Why are you here?” That question didn’t register in William’s brain at first.

“What?” he asked.

“Why did you come here?”

“Oh, I have a question.”

“Okay.”

“Clover’s been asking weird lately.”

“How do you mean?”

“She stares out like she’s in a daze. Her face looks so red.”

“Is she always smiling?”

“Yes.”

“And you say that she is out in a daze?”

“Yes.” William noticed the little smile on his neighbor’s face. “What?” Muriel giggled before she looked him in the eye.

“Little Clover’s in love,” she said. He gave her a blank stare.

“What?” he asked. His brain didn’t want to grasp what was just said.

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Clover met him three weeks earlier. His name was Greg and he was a year older. He was in the countryside for the summer. She first spotted him while shopping for groceries at the local store for dinner. Clover was waiting in line with full bags in her thin arms when she caught a whiff of a musky shampoo. She looked up see the back of a messy boy’s head. His hair was a deep reddish-brown. Her eyes trailed down to the rest of his body.

Who is this? Before she knew it, Clover tapped the boy on his bony shoulder. When he turned around, her cheeks turned bright red as her heart raced. The boy with the light brown eyes blinked at her.

“Yeah?” he asked. The shorter girl struggled to say something.

“Uh…” she said. The boy waved his big hand in front of her face.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

“Next, please!” the clerk behind the counter called. The boy turned around, shrugging. By the time he went up to the counter to have his candy rung up, Clover snapped back into reality and cursed herself. Liz was usually the one all tongue-tied and blushing around a boy. The younger sister smacked herself in the head, muttering under her breath. In that moment, she didn’t care if anyone saw her or not.

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“So little Clover’s love?” Lewis asked in the Sunny Plum café.

“Seems that way,” Muriel said. She made a face while thinking about it. “It’s a touch strange, though.”

“Isn’t Liz the one obsessed with boys?” Aisha asked.

“Yes,” Muriel said.

“’Ow’s Lizzie by da way?” Clyde asked. The leader smacked her in the back of her head.

“Ow!” the dirty old biddy yanked, rubbing the place where Aisha struck her.

“Learn how to speak properly,” the leader complained. “You are out in public for pete sakes.” Clyde stuck her tongue out at her.

“She’s doing fine,” Muriel answered. “Liz is taking summer classes at university this year.”

“When’s she coming home?” Lewis asked. Muriel dug in her memory for the answer.

“I think next month,” she said. “There is a break between the semesters.”

“So she’s going for both summer semesters?” Aisha asked.

“Yeah,” Muriel answered.

“Wow, she’s finally getting serious with school,” the leader said. The other three held back a nervous with other thoughts about Liz on that statement. At this time, Tucker walked over to the old biddies’ table.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Clo’s in love!” Clyde shouted at the top of her lungs. Aisha smacked her in the back of her head with her purse. The dirty old biddy tried to duck, but ended up hitting her face against the table.

“Ouch!” she wailed.

“Serves you right,” the leader muttered under her breath. The tray in Tucker’s hand hit the tilted floor. He moved his jaw in an attempt to speak, but no words came out.

“Tucker!” Annie shouted as she came out from the kitchen. “What was that noise?!” Her husband turned his head.

“Clover’s in love,” he said in a high-pitched yelp. His wife gave him a strange look.

“What?” she asked.

“Clo’s in love!” Clyde shouted again, this time loud enough to be heard outside of the Sunny Plum. The dirty old biddy used her arms to shield herself from the coming purse attacks. Her friends leaned back and covered their noses as she raised said arms. Annie’s jaw dropped to the counter.

“What?!” she shouted loud enough to be heard all over Brit-Wales.

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Meanwhile, Clover buried her face in her pillow. She couldn’t forget those light brown eyes of that boy’s if she tried. When it got to be too much, the young girl squeezed aloud in her pillow. Clover had already made up her mind: she just had to see that boy again. If only the whole town of Brit-Wales would learn to back off and let her do things for herself…

Love is in the Air?