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"No…Jesus, Miss Pauling. I just think you gotta be screwin’ with me now.Listen. Why don’tcha ever listen, Miss Pauling? Grab the exes. Put ‘em over the outside. Then, sorta, you gotta flip your fingers an’ sorta turn ‘em in? An’ go under the outside, and then back up through the middle. Augh. Stop—no, no stop. Miss Pauling. Under the outside, not…no don’t turn ‘em yet. That’s all the wrong order.”
Her fingers were knotted up with his now, and she grumbled, frustrated. Heaved a melodramatic sigh. “Why is it even called cat’s cradle? I don’t see the point of this game.”
He grinned. “Point of the game is ‘we are dirt poor an’ all we got is string.’ My ma’s variation was ‘if the boys’ve got their hands occupied, probably at least they ain’t hittin’ each other.’ Come on, we’re gonna get it. Promise, you’re gonna be wicked good by the time we’re done. I am probably the best teacher. Here, look, I can do ‘em solo. Maybe that’ll teach you.”
Scout unlaced their fingers, unwrapping the shoelace he’d knotted into a loop. They were waiting for a drop off, out at Badwater. Due any hour now.Sat on the ground, cross-legged. Bored. Expertly, Scout twisted the loop of string around his hands, and his fingers started slipping and twisting through the sequence of three figures. Well, that was too fast for anybody to learn anything. He was just showing off now, with those gorgeous hands.
Miss Pauling smiled, watching. “Oh, you’re very good. God, I love watching your hands.” Cat’s cradle. She’d spent a lonely childhood in an all girl’s boarding school, of course she knew Cat’s Cradle. She reached over, unlaced his other shoe. Tied a loop.
“Let me see if I can follow that." Cup and Saucer. "Whoops. Let me try again." Witch’s broom. "Oh, drat, sorry." Jacob’s ladder. "Gosh, this is complicated, do that first bit again." The Gated Well. Dog on a Leash. Two Islands Linked by a Bridge. Miss Pauling could show off, too. She showed off until he was nearly in tears from laughing, then leaning over, kissing her. Until they were no longer bored.