Page 37 of Flogging Faith
“ADHDers,” said Mandi, with a giggle.
Tay stuck their tongue out at her. “The ’tism speaks!”
Faith giggled at the two of them. They both appeared to be in some kind of Middle headspace, not quite Little, but not quite Big.
“Speaking of art,” said Mandi, “how did you like the paints I popped into the picnic basket for you? I managed to get Amelia to sneak them over to Tay for you.”
“The paints were great—as was the picnic, by the way,” said Faith. “So delicious.”
“I am very good at picnics,” agreed Tay. “Chef Guilia lets me deal with all of the ones ordered from our kitchen. It makes a change from pasta.”
“Yes yes,” said Mandi, waving her hand at Tay. “You’re a culinary genius, we know. Did you get to use the paints?”
Faith flushed a deep red and the two Littles looked at her curiously.
“Does painting usually evoke that response in people?” asked Tay out the corner of their mouth to Mandi, deliberately hamming it up.
Mandi giggled. “Definitely not, I think Faith might be hiding something from us.”
“I mean, I am,” said Faith. “But I can’t talk to you guys about it if you’re in Middle-space. That’d be too weird.”
There was an imperceptible shift, and Mandi and Tay nodded. “We can be Big,” said Mandi, smiling. “Remember where we met?”
“Definitely,” agreed Tay.
“Okay then. Well, Bex came up with an idea for a scene, using the paint.” She paused and looked at them. “Are you sure…?”
“Just get on with it!” said Tay impatiently.
“Tay!” said Mandi. “It might be private.”
“I want to tell you, it’s just it’s quite…” Faith’s voice trailed off, and she smiled in remembrance.
“That’s a happy face if ever I saw one,” said Tay, grabbing a piece of garlic bread and taking a bite.
“You have no idea,” said Faith, shifting on her chair and leaning forward. “Okay, so she found this branch—from an aspen, because they have these heart-shaped leaves—and then she organized for them to cover one of the private playrooms in plastic sheets, and then she used the branch as a flogger.”
“How do the paints come into it, though?” asked Mandi.
Faith blushed. “We covered the branch and leaves in paint, and she used my back as a canvas.”
Both Tay and Mandi looked at her, open mouthed.
“I did say it was something for Bigs.”
They rushed to reassure her.
“I mean, it sounds like it’d be sensory hell for me,” said Mandi, shuddering. “The branch might be okay, but the paint? Absolutely not.”
Tay looked thoughtful. “I don’t think I’d want paint, but you could do something similar with food. Maybe with ice cream!”
Mandi looked at her. “Chef Guilia’s ice cream?”
“You never know,” said Tay, pulling a face at her friend. “But yeah, what an amazing idea! You literally became the art.”
“Right?” said Faith. “And Bex calls me rainbow girl now, which is just…” She smiled and sighed happily. “Just the best.”
“It’s a shame photos aren’t allowed,” said Tay. “Because I bet that looked incredible.”