“Purdue is fine. It’s close enough,” I mumbled with a shrug.
“Dorothy caught us on the way down. She said she was kinda worried about you.” Walking right up to me, Dace ploppeddown beside me. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, she leaned against me.
Shoulders slumping, I leaned into her.
Wrapping my arms tighter about my legs, I whispered, “I just want to go home.”
Dace wrapped an arm around me and gave me a squeeze. “I wish I could help you. I’m so sorry. If I could find a way to get you to your mates, I’d try it.”
“Dace would,” Buu chimed in. Walking over to Dace, he joined us in our sit in the snow, scooting in on Dace’s other side. “Buu help too, Buu knew how.”
Sniffling and annoyed at myself about it, annoyed at everything but the little group gathered really, I smiled past watery eyes and a runny nose. “Thank you.”
“Buu’s going to go back home tonight but he’s going to come to movie night.”
“Buu bring snacks,” Dace’s friend that was more like family to her chimed in. Shifting restlessly, he grabbed at his tail to twist at the tufts of fur in his clawed fingers uncertainly.
“That would be awesome.” Turning my head, I offered Buu a smile. The male grinned like I’d just given him a boon.
Both sets of ears perking up, Buu nudged Dace. Meant to be an affectionate gesture, he nudged her a little too hard, sending us both tumbling to our sides.
Buu’s uh-oh face had me cracking up. Dace got a good look at it and then joined me.
“Oops-ed,” Buu rumbled sheepishly.
Gaining my feet, I helped Dace. At Buu’s tail swishing urging, we started off for Dace’s.
We were just shy of her hut when Dace told me, “Buu’s never had a sleepover.” Dace grinned. “He was curious. Joanie told him all about them and when he said he wanted one she said he should come with me and check it out.” Leaning in, shewhispered, “Not like a non-naughty one anyway.” Louder, she went on, “Before he met his Joalee, we each had our own cave rooms in the Sun’s cave.”
“Buu heared that,” he grumbled.
“I know but I said it low so no one else would,” Dace chirped.
Buu made a face at that, that had Dace making a face back at him. It was very sibling like and immediately made me think of my guys.
“Rek wanted to come too but he didn’t want to leave Joanie alone.” Dace gave me a look that said that while she wasn’t going to say it out loud she was glad Rek had decided against it.
“No want leave ‘lone with Go and Odix, think him miss the things out,” Buu said with a snort.
At her door, Dace turned to Buu suddenly. “I did it. I figured out how to make popcorn,” she excitedly informed Buu. Walking over to her stove as we filed inside, she lifted the lid off the pot from the popped kernel things she’d turned into their version of popcorn. “Gotta use a lot of animal fat with these things, and get the pan super hot.” Holding up a kernel, she grinned. Lo denaii popcorn was an odd light blue and more puffed up ball than puffed popped corn.
Buu’s eyes widened as he lifted his nose and gave a loud sniff.
Dumping the contents of the pan into a bowl, she walked it over to us and set it down in front of Buu. Buu purred appreciatively.
“I vote romance!” Dace chirped. Then, with a frown, she added, “But I’ll watch whatever you put on, really.”
“Buu no care,” he mumbled around a huge mouthful of popped kernels. “Buu watch all.”
“Any old school horror on there?” I asked.
“Horreders no scare Buu, not like Rek,” Buu mumbled around a second mouthful. “Luk say all preedtend. Not real. Peoples in soods.”
At the rate he was going, we’d run out of popcorn before the movie even started.
Thinking of the pop culture gems Dace hadn’t picked up in talking to people, I eyed her. “I have a few suggestions.”
With a shrug, Dace handed the tablet over.
