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"Don't take any more dishes than you absolutely need," he advised Steven. Then he went to get himself breakfast, pausing at the door. "How did you all get down here before me anyway?" he asked, suddenly realizing.

"We spent less time in front of our vanity mirrors," Cinnamon said.

Howard smirked and went into the kitchen. He returned with a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. Grumbling to himself, he sat.

"How did y'all sleep?" Rose asked. The way she asked caught my attention. She was asking as if she was fishing for something.

"I was out before my head hit the pillow." Steven said.

"Okay," Ice said. Cinnamon said the same. Howard only grunted, so Rose waited for me.

"I suppose it was only my imagination," I began, "but I kept seeing a shadow on the fire escape, and for a while that kept me awake."

"A shadow?" Howard asked. "So? What are you, afraid of a shadow?"

"It seemed to be a shadow cast by someone there," I added. His sarcasm brought tears to my eyes.

Steven buttered a piece of toast vigorously, ignoring me, but the girls all stared. Rose the most intensely. After a beat she said, "Me, too."

"Me, too? What me too?" Howard crossexamined.

"A shadow, something, on my fire escape."

"Your room is on the same side as Honey's," Howard said. "Whatever cast her shadow might have cast yours. Big deal. Moonlight, clouds. What's the mystery?"

Neither Rose nor I replied. Then Cinnamon, who had continued staring my way, said. "There was no moonlight last night"

"Yes, there was." I said quickly. Cinnamon shook her head.

"If you don't believe me, check the newspaper."

"But I saw light, a glow..."

"So you saw starlight." Howard said. "Or the light from other rooms or the lights from the grounds below. I repeat, what's the big deal here?"

"Starlight, casting shadows?" Rose asked.

"It happens. What else is it, the ghost of Mr. Senetsky? I was just kidding about that. Save your imaginations for the stage," he advised. "Listen, it's getting late." He looked at Rose. "Can't you clean up after yourselves, please?"

"All right." Rose said. "'here's a proposal. Forget Ms. Fairchild's work roster. One for all and all for one. We all do the work duty all the time."

"Great," Howard said quickly.

"But that means all of us. Howard," Cinnamon emphasized. "When your duty is over, you don't disappear or leave it for anyone else. All!" she emphasized.

"Okay. okay. It's a good idea. Teamwork." She gazed at him skeptically.

"The moment one of us fails to do his or her share, we go back to the roster." Cinnamon

threatened, "Agreed?"

"Fine with me," Steven said. "However. I've got to protect my fingers, remember? I can't develop any calluses."

"Then stop licking the cream cheese off them," Ice snapped at him sharply.

All of us laughed.

We finished our breakfast and cleaned up. Then we left, breaking into our specialty classes. On the way out. Rose stepped up beside me.