"Tom."
No answer.
"Tom!"
Again, no answer.
"Tom, Becky's here to see you!"
No answer-- maybe Aunt Polly's voice had become too frail, too quiet and weak and old. Becky smiled down at her. Everyone smiled down at her, now: she had become short and slumped, and the children, who had once been half Aunt Polly's height, were now taller than she was.
"I do apologize, dear. I suppose I should go up and get him for you." Aunt Polly smiled tiredly.
"Oh, it's no bother, really." Becky gently laid a hand on Aunt Polly's shoulder, taking a step forward. "I'll get him." Becky said. Aunt Polly nodded and turned, slowly leaving the room, her footsteps as light as if she were hardly there.
Becky walked up the stairs, smoothing down her cream-colored dress. Her steps were light on the old flooring, and still the steps creaked under her. She could hear Sid shuffling around in his room-- and could hear Tom doing the same-- as she walked down the hallway. She came up to Tom's door and knocked lightly. The old door was rough against her knuckles, and the voice of the wood was hollow and soft. She waited.
Tom opened the door, his brown eyes meeting Becky's. A smile came upon his face, then.
"Well hey, Becky." Tom said, leaning against the door frame. Even with his slouching, he was a few inches taller than her, looking down happily into her eyes.
"Aunt Polly yelled your name quite a few times, Tom." She said. "You must've been thinking on something awful hard." Tom shrugged nonchalantly, a half-smile coming to his face. "Just thinking about you, Becky, and then here you are." He moved out of the doorway, gently pulling Becky into his room.
"Whatcha comin' here for, though? Your place is much better." Tom smiled that way he does, and Becky smiled right back.
"My dad's at home, and I believe you wouldn't want to see him, now would you?" Becky said sweetly. Tom laughed lightly, not disagreeing, and pulled Becky in close.
"I'd go anywhere with you, Becky." He grinned, face close to hers, and he could see her face relax comfortably.
"Well, that's good news, Tom. Really, I came here to tell you something." She said, smoothing her clothes. He could see her eyes moving around nervously through his unkempt room. He took her warm hands, stopping them from messing the edges of her dress.
"What's up?" He said gently.
"Well," She sighed. "I-- I heard there's that fair coming into town."
"Oh, Becky, I'd... love to go with you." Tom let go of her hands. He ran a hand through his hair. She could hear something else in his voice, and she hardly waited. "Butâ"
"And I know you've stopped your adventures for years now..." Becky picked up again once she heard the 'but'. He always said it, always backed out of her plans. He hardly liked to leave the house, really, besides hanging out with their friends at the river. She sighed, absentmindedly tugging on Tom's worn shirt. "I miss what we used to do, going adventuring. It's half-witted and gets me into trouble, but Tom, it's fun. And you've been needing fun." Her voice dropped to an already disappointed tone. She could see in his face he was finding an escape. He always was.
"I'm awfully grateful you're thinking of me, Becky, but--"
"You have to go, Tom. You say no every time."
"...What about a trip to the river? To the market?"
"The fair is in three weeks or so. We can go to both of those places in the meantime." Becky said.
"A walk instead?" He said, and she shook her head. She wasn't usually so direct. But a smile came to her face, seeing how he was defeated.
"I'll drag you out there myselfâ Tom, we'll have fun."
The last time he had been to a fair, Huckleberry Finn had been there with him. Causing trouble. He wanted to hold out for his best friend to come back-- he hadn't wanted to write over every memory just yet.
But Becky wouldn't understand, and he owed it to her.
"Alright, Becky." He pulled her in closer. "I'll do it for you." He mumbled into her hair. A swirl was already starting in his stomach, though.
"Thank you, Tom." She said and kissed him. Tom's stomach turned unsurely, but he had already agreed.
"Let's go on that walk." Tom sighed, and Becky took his hand, walking with him out of his room, down the creaky stairs, and out of the old warped house.