Dripping Seconds

Henry's point of view:

Jasper and I were walking from school, just like any normal day. Today had been one of the last days of school before winter break, and our feet skirted around piles of slushy snow that had already fallen.

"Henry, think fast," Jasper said quickly. He tossed a snowball at me and I caught it between my hands reflexively, dropping it to the ground where it splattered slightly.

Jasper muttered something angrily.

"What's that?" I said, trying to look innocent.

"Darn monkey boy," Jasper said again, this time smiling.

I smiled. "Do you think Maggie will be better soon?"

"Yeah, it's just a winter cold, you know. People get them all the time. Anyway, she'll probably want her homework," he said, gesturing to his backpack, where her homework from school today was sitting.

"You know Maggie."

"Regrettably, I do know her."

I gave him an evil looking smile. "Do you really?"

"Of course I know her; she's been my 'friend' for forever." His face was turning red.

"That's not what I meant. I meant do you really regret knowing her?"

He sputtered. "Well, she comes in handy sometimes but she's really quite annoying a lot of the time. Always controlling everything, that's not friendly behavior."

"I suppose not," I agreed. Maggie was a bit pushy, that was true. "Anyway, we're here." Jasper and I looked up at Maggie's house and picked our way past the snow to the front door. Jasper knocked, but nothing happened.

"Maggie's dad's at work, so it would only be Maggie home. Maybe she's sleeping." Jasper took out her homework and slid it through the mail flap on her door.

We turned and headed home, talking about what we were going to do that break. It would be my first Christmas in America. "Maybe we'll invite Maggie to a party," I suggested. Jasper rolled his eyes and nodded. His face was still red.