He was being silly—very, very silly. What sort of boy stammered at a simple question? If it was nothing worth hiding, then why hide it? The mystery was more alluring than the object himself, and now teasing him was a more alluring prospect than either.
"You are silly," she said, matter-of-factly, because it was true and he should know it by now. "You're silly because you're hiding a stick, unless you mean to tell me that your stick is something you shouldn't have." She raised her brows, hoping he would go on the defense. No boy wanted to be caught red-handed in possession of something he ought not to! (He didn't look very much like a thief, though; he was dressed too well, and he did not scatter like the street boys did whenever someone spoke to them.)
"My name is Nancy. Nancy Moneypenny. But it's such a mouthful, so people call me Annie if they do not call me Miss Moneypenny—which most people do. You may call me Annie, though." Because we might be friends in a world where you weren't so silly, she wanted to add, but did not.
"You are silly," she said, matter-of-factly, because it was true and he should know it by now. "You're silly because you're hiding a stick, unless you mean to tell me that your stick is something you shouldn't have." She raised her brows, hoping he would go on the defense. No boy wanted to be caught red-handed in possession of something he ought not to! (He didn't look very much like a thief, though; he was dressed too well, and he did not scatter like the street boys did whenever someone spoke to them.)
"My name is Nancy. Nancy Moneypenny. But it's such a mouthful, so people call me Annie if they do not call me Miss Moneypenny—which most people do. You may call me Annie, though." Because we might be friends in a world where you weren't so silly, she wanted to add, but did not.
— beautiful set by MJ <3 —