Chapter 25

Logan sat at the kitchen table eating his breakfast.

Chuck, holding a bowl, scooped grain from a burlap sack into Summer's hands.

Neither of them showed any expression.

Once the grain was measured out, Chuck turned and left the kitchen.

He went back to the boys' dormitory where everyone else was still inside.

Henry sat on the edge of his bed, his head lowered, his face dark with anger, and stayed silent for a long while.

He seemed to have calmed down a bit, suppressing his rage.

Lifting his head, he looked at Cap, and asked in a low voice, "Were the buns we ate last night all Summer's?"

Cap nodded his head, keeping his eyes down. "Yeah."

Henry gritted his teeth, holding back his anger, and asked again, "Why did you eat hers? Didn't I say at lunch that she's at her most temperamental right now and would make a fuss if provoked? Didn't I say that?!"

Cap shrank back, speaking softly, "We didn't clean the grain properly before milling, and the buns turned out full of sand and pebbles, impossible to eat. We just borrowed her buns for one meal, planning to repay her. How could we know she'd go crazy over this…"

Henry lifted his foot to kick him, but Cap instinctively dodged back.

Jane, not one to let her friends take the blame alone, stepped forward, "Henry, stop blaming Cap. It was my idea, and I told them not to tell you. I even put our buns in Summer's basket to show we weren't taking them for free. We planned to explain to her, but she came back so late we fell asleep. Before we could talk, she made this huge scene…"

Henry suppressed his temper again.

No matter what happened, he would never blame the girls.

Looking at Jane, he said, "Don't blame yourself. It's my fault for not managing the milling properly. We've always shared everything here, and no one minded these small things. Summer used to be the same…"

He stopped talking, not wanting to delve further into the matter.

Silence filled the room for a moment until Yvonne spoke up, "Maybe she's learning to be selfish and petty from Logan? She was out with him last night, didn't come back until late."

Henry took a deep breath, unable to contain his frustration.

He decided not to dwell on this anymore, so he didn't respond to Yvonne's comment, instead, he said, "From now on, none of you touch her stuff. Don't try to persuade her either. Let her do whatever she wants."

Yvonne muttered, "Hanging out with Logan, she's bound to get burned…"

***

In the kitchen, Summer had collected the grain Chuck gave her, but her anger hadn't subsided. She felt uneasy, fearing that her grain, flour, and buns might be stolen again. She looked around the kitchen for a solution.

The crude buildings at the commune offered no real security. The pantry's lattice doors were old and broken, impossible to lock, and there was nowhere else to hide her things.

After thinking for a while, she grabbed some straw from behind the stove.

She planned to use the straw to tie up the grain sacks with dead knots and secure the pantry doors the same way. If the straw was broken, she'd know someone had tampered with her things.

After tying up the grain sacks, Summer didn't immediately secure the pantry doors.

She still needed to use the flour to steam buns for breakfast.

She grabbed a mixing bowl and was about to start making dough when Logan's voice came from the table, "Hey."

Summer turned to look at him, expecting some sarcastic remark.

Instead, he nodded toward the table and said, "I heated extra. Borrow it so you don't miss work."

Summer was taken aback, blinking in surprise, thinking she might have misheard.

In front of Logan was a bowl with steaming hot buns.

Was Logan really offering her buns?

Unsure, Summer just stood there.

Logan got up and picked up the bowl, saying, "If you don't eat, I'll take it away. But hurry up; don't delay work. We still have no leads on enrollment."

Realizing he was serious, Summer quickly stepped forward and took the bowl.

She looked up at him and said, "I'll eat."

She needed to stay close to him anyway, and this was a perfect opportunity she couldn't pass up.

Logan let go of the bowl, "Don't get used to this."

Summer smiled, "Can I borrow some pickles too?"

Logan scoffed, "You sure know how to push it."

Summer grinned, "Never mind then."

She sat down and began eating the buns.

Just as she bit into the second bun, Logan put another bowl on the table. It had a spoonful of soybeans and a piece of pickled radish.

She looked up and met his eyes.

Logan said, "You'll owe me."

Summer, with her mouth full of buns, smiled and mumbled, "Sure."

Logan didn't say anything more, tidying up his dishes before leaving.

Summer ate quickly, knowing they needed to get back to work. She tried not to dwell on the stolen buns, focusing instead on the task at hand.

As she finished the last bite, the door curtain lifted, and Suzie walked in.

After the earlier commotion, Summer didn't greet her.

Ignoring Suzie, she continued eating, planning to head to the school soon. But Suzie walked right up and sat across from her.

Summer looked at Suzie, unsure of her intentions.

Suzie wasted no time, "Summer, you misunderstood Henry. He didn't know about the buns. It's partly my fault for not stopping them. Don't blame Henry. He's been so worried about you. He treats you differently because you're like family. I hate seeing you two at odds over this."

Summer swallowed the last of her meal, looking at Suzie directly, "You're just worried about losing the teaching job, aren't you?"

Suzie froze, her face reddening, "Summer, it's not about that. I just hate seeing Henry so upset, and I don't want you to regret this later. You two have known each other for years."

"I won't regret it," Summer said sharply, "And don't bother me again. I know you just want me to give up the teaching job for you. I'm telling you now, forget it. It's not happening."

Suzie held her breath, her face flushing with frustration.