Reassurance

Chapter 2

Mass was silent as they strolled down the street with a wheelbarrow full of broken clay. Eralow watched him out of the corner of her eye, knowing how he could let his anger bubble up inside without saying anything.

"Mass, don't be upset about it," Eralow said with a smile she'd hope he'd return. He didn't, however, so she let herself frown. "Mass, come on."

He sighed. "Sorry. Just not in a good mood."

"Oh, I know that," Eralow said almost giggling. His expression was completely giving it away. "You're fifteen, Mass. You shouldn't let a couple of rude boys ruin your day."

"Age doesn't have to do with anything, Eralow. That's not fair," Mass said curtly.

Eralow rolled her eyes. "All right, maybe not. But, still. I don't to spend my day with a grump."

Mass gave an empty laugh. "Whatever you say, Eralow."

Figuring that that was the only thing she was going to get out of him, Eralow stayed off the topic of his mood.

When they reached Mass's home near the walls of the city, Eralow helped him set the wheelbarrow behind their home.

"Should I wait outside?" Eralow asked, dusting her hands together.

"Oh, no, come inside. Maybe they'll go easy on me with you there," Mass said with a joking smile but worried eyes.

"Oh, Mass, you worry too much," Eralow said, noticing his apprehension. "Let's go."

Mass opened the creaky door and cautiously stuck his head in. He had no way of sneaking seeing as the house was so small. There were two floors in the home. The top had one large room that they had split with a few boards and curtains. Ben and Mass shared one half, and their parents the other. The main floor was where a small fireplace was set beside the staircase, always cooking some kind of stew. The floorboards were dusty and grey, and a draft often breezed through through an unknown opening.

A table was pushed against the wall on the other side of the room where Mass's parents sat, doing their own work. Eralow pushed past Mass and walked inside the home.

"Hello, Sir, Ma'am," She said with her usual smile.

Beside her, Mass muttered something about a teacher's pet, but she pretended she hadn't heard.

"Oh, hello, Eralow," Mass's father said in his wobbling voice. He was always keen to see Eralow, seeing her as the perfect daughter they always wanted but never had. The man had curly blond hair and beady blue eyes. His large nose always curved north and Eralow knew exactly how relieved Mass was to not inherit it. 

Mrs. Mass had passed her dark hair and brooding glare down to her youngest. And while Mass wasn't as menacing as his glare was, his mother was another story. She suspected that Eralow was trying to woo Mass and steal him away from the nest. The woman was entirely wrong, but a mother has her cautions.

"Mass, what are you doing home so early?" His mother inquired with heavy command.

"Well," Mass said, wringing his hands and going pink. "I guess what happened-"

At that moment, Ben came down the stairs, yawning and stretching, ruffled from writing and reading most likely. When he noticed Eralow, he cleared his throat and quickly adjusted himself.

"Hi, Eralow," He said cheerily.

She gave him a smile, and and took a side step as Mrs. Mass stormed over.

"Oddroff, you have bruises again!" She shouted, grabbing her son by the shoulders.

Mass rolled his eyes and blushed. "Mother, please, don't call me Oddroff."

"Bruises?" Ben said, his polite composure disappearing and his eyes narrowing. "I swear, if it was that Porter boy again- Was it him?"

"Well, kind of," Mass mumbled.

Eralow cleared her throat. "See, it was Porter and Jameson and Hill. They attacked Mass and broke the dishes."

Mr. Mass, who now stood beside his wife, looked ready to faint.

"Oh, but don't worry, my father came and he stopped them. He'll be collecting the money they owe today, and he'll get it right to you."

Eralow had expected that this would relieve him, but it didn't.

"All that work gone to waste!" He cried.

"Don't worry, Father, if Eralow believes you shouldn't worry, then it's probably all right," Ben cut in.

Eralow gave a stray glance to Ben before nodding. "It's true, sir, they'll pay you for the damage."

It took a few more minutes of reassurance before Mr. Mass was calmed. When that was so, Eralow gestured to Mass, asking if it was safe to leave. He gave a hasty nod and they slipped out the door, Mass declaring they'd return before dark.

"And Mr. Mass, don't worry. My father will be by with the money!" Eralow added before shutting the door behind her.