The boys were also wearing yukatas in a dark blue and green material, which made Haru look light and comfortable while Jamie looked like a formidable warrior. Lottie wondered where they were keeping their weapons.
“Me too. Anastacia?” Saskia said, not even looking at Haru.
“Yes, please.”
“Us too, please,” the twins said in unison.
Lottie was sure she saw Haru’s lips twitch. It had been rude for Saskia to assume he was offering her one as well. Ellie didn’t respond. She seemed nervous, fidgeting with the sash on her star-patterned yukata, though Lottie quickly looked away again.
It had been a struggle, but she was sticking by Binah’s advice and waiting for Ellie to open up to her first. She’d quickly come to realize it was very, very hard. But, miraculously, Jamie was talking to her again. Kind of.
She smiled over at him in an apologetic way, knowing he must hate this situation more than anyone, and he nodded back to let her know it was okay, more of an interaction than she could ever have dreamed of just a week ago.
“My pleasure,” replied Haru. “And Jamie-kun? As it is your birthday?”
Jamie seemed to prickle at the question. He had reluctantly agreed to accept the headmaster’s offer on the very strict conditions that they were not to stay longer than an hour, and no one, under any circumstances, was to get him a gift, and this sweet treat was tilting dangerously close to the parameters of “gift.”
“No, thank you.” His eyes darted around, constantly on the lookout, as if he expected an ambush at any moment. “Will Sayuri be joining us?”
Pretty yen notes passed between Haru and the food vendor, and he began handing out the sticky filled cakes.
“She is with her friends,” Haru replied simply.
“You’re brave!” Saskia chuckled. “I wouldn’t let Ani anywhere out of my sight in a place this crowded.”
“She is a smart girl,” he replied calmly, and it almost sounded like a jab.
Lottie felt bad for thinking it, but she was relieved that Miko and Sayuri were somewhere else; she didn’t think her presence would help Ellie in any way.
“Look—the Ferris wheel!” Micky pointed to the glowing pink and emerald lights of the ride at the other end of the walkway. Behind it, red sky was giving way to moonlight, a cloudless backdrop for the swirling patterns. It was mesmerizing, like a spinning wheel that might send her into an eternal slumber.
“We’re going on it,” Saskia proclaimed, marching them all forward.
There was no room for argument. Above them lanterns like floating flames crisscrossed in diagonal lines, blurring into a haze of red the closer they got to the Ferris wheel.
“I’m going with Micky.” Lola pulled her twin close to her side, their matching peach yukatas morphing into one. Miko had spent a long time looking for a matching pair, saying that most boys’ kimono styles were too bland for Micky.
Saskia smirked, scrutinizing Ellie like she was trying to give her some kind of secret code. “I’m with Ani.”
“Lottie.” Ellie spoke her name with such strong conviction that it was almost comical. “Do you . . . Do you wanna come with me?”
Lottie felt the wolf at her chest burning as her cheeks turned pink and she smiled at Ellie’s uncharacteristic bashfulness. She felt hope rise within, mad at herself for ever having thought that Ellie wouldn’t be able to open up.
“Yes, of course. I’d love to.” Lottie beamed, and being able to smile at her again was so sweet it made her teeth ache.
“Great.” Ellie grinned back, and it almost looked like she was blushing.
The only two left were Haru and Jamie. She watched as Jamie’s body seemed to recoil in on itself, muscles retreating beneath the swaths of dark fabric like he wanted to disappear into the night.
“Why don’t you two go together?” Lottie asked.
Haru’s eyes lit up, but one look at Jamie and he shrugged. “I would like that very much, but I think Jamie would be happier if we stayed here to keep watch.”
There was no room for debate; she could see as clearly as the gold flecks in his eyes that Jamie would not be leaving the ground. She was only thankful that at least he had Haru with him.
Each side of the Ferris wheel compartments was covered in large sheets of colored paper, shining bright against the dark sky from the LED lights underneath like glowing clouds. Sitting cozily by Ellie’s side, Lottie at once felt shy, something she hadn’t felt around Ellie for a long time.
“Are you comfortable?” Ellie asked, a little awkwardly, as the wheel creaked into motion.
“I’m okay. I’m just getting used to wearing this yukata,” said Lottie, straightening her sleeves. “They’re so pretty. I can’t believe you agreed to wear one!”
“I didn’t want to incur any more of Miko’s rage, and . . .” Ellie hesitated, looking out of the side as the festival below got smaller. “I thought it’d make you happy, and I definitely owe you.”
Lottie gulped. Was Ellie about to actually open up?
“Lottie, listen, I . . . well, I shouldn’t have been so rude to Sayuri. I don’t wanna be a mean person. I won’t do it anymore.”
The sinking feeling in Lottie’s stomach was instantaneous, pulling her down the higher they climbed. Was that all Ellie was going to say?
“Yes, well—”
“No, wait, there’s more I need to say.” Ellie pushed her hand back through her ebony hair, the silver light shining off it like a halo, and Lottie couldn’t help noticing how long it had grown.
“Ellie, your hair.”
“What?” She looked up at her, confused.
“It’s so long now. It’s almost past your chin.”
Ellie grabbed a strand, trying to look at it. Failing, she dropped it, and their eyes met like magnets, dark and light facing head-on.
“Lottie, what I meant
