“I know. I do it all the time, I’ve never learnt. It’s awful—my sister says that. I’d ask her how I looked in an outfit and she’d always say exactly what was on her mind, and sometimes all I wanted was for her to tell me I looked perfect even if I didn’t.” Crown sighed, the picture of tragedy. “And, horribly, she was always right.”
“But you always look beautiful,” said Nona.
“That’s why I should ask you what I look like, and ask my sister what I’m feeling,” said Crown. “You’ll always tell me I look beautiful, and she’ll always tell me what I want her to think. This is the school, isn’t it, where you work?”
They would have had to get buzzed in, except that someone was already standing there unlocking the door with a key. It was the Angel. Nona flew down the street in a panic that the door would close without her. She cried out, “Wait!”
Nona was completely winded by the time she got to the foyer, with the Angel holding the door for her. Nona bent double and panted, and when she straightened up she was shocked to find the Angel looking even worse than she had on the two previous days, with her coat still on and Noodle sitting patiently on his leash.
“Oh,” said Nona, panting, “how late—is over—what time—！”
Despite looking as though she hadn’t slept, or if she had, had slept in the clothes she was currently wearing, the Angel grinned. This made her ears go up slightly with the smile, which Nona loved.
“Get your breath back,” said the Angel kindly. “They’re just finishing up with break—I was getting myself sorted.”
Crown had jogged to catch them up, and slipped through the door before it closed.
“You see?” said Crown, not winded at all, filling up the doorway. “What did I tell you? You’re fine.”
The Angel and Crown sized each other up. Crown was much younger and bigger and taller and more exquisite, and when she pulled her mask down and smiled the Angel’s eyes widened, a little bit. Not in a you-are-so-attractive way either, Nona noted. The Angel was a bit shocked, like Crown looking the way she did was maybe illegal. They shook hands in perfect amity, but the Angel looked her over and said— “No guns in this building—that’s the rule, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t ever scare the children,” said Crown sincerely, but the Angel said, “No, but nobody’s going to be interested in my lesson if they see you. We’re doing how sound moves today and they’ll be bored stiff.”
Crown laughed with very white and even teeth.
“I’m sorry to say I sympathise. I was terribly stupid in my lessons when I was a girl.”
“How long ago was that? Five minutes?” said the Angel, and Crown laughed again.
“Why can’t she come up? I want Hot Sauce and the others to meet her,” said Nona, embittered. “It’s not fair. We got to see Beautiful Ruby’s baby. I’ve had a horrible morning and I want them to look at her.”
“Nona, I’ve had a horrible morning too, so have mercy on me,” said the Angel candidly. “It would make teaching soundwaves impossible if anyone got a glimpse of your—your friend. Can’t she come back afterward? Are you family? Do you know Joli? I’m afraid I’ve never met you before,” she added, to Crown.
Crown had crouched down and was scratching Noodle between his ears. Noodle was responding by thumping two of his hind legs at once and opening his mouth and panting.
“Oh, I’m Camilla’s partner. But I can’t stay.”
“I see! Lovely to meet you,” said the Angel, unaware of how her eyebrows betrayed her, like everyone else in the world to Nona seemed unaware of how their eyebrows betrayed them, by immediately saying plain as day: Camilla?? Really??? Camilla???? Which Nona thought was unfair: Crown was really very nearly pretty enough for Camilla. “Nona, can you take Noodle for a moment? I’ve got to get the tuning forks and he’s going to make the most unrighteous howl, he can’t stand the things.”
When she had passed the leash to Nona and gone through the door with one last look at Crown, Nona crouched to give Noodle her hand to lick, and said accusingly: “If Camilla hears you said that, she’ll be furious.”
“That’s probably why I said it,” admitted Crown, with genuine contrition. “I have a ripple of evil running through my soul—I know I do. But it wasn’t that bad a lie, was it, Nona? Don’t you think it’ll raise Cam’s status? Don’t you think I’ve done her a favour?”