Ladybug, ladybug fly away home.

Your house is on fire, and your children will burn.

            “Ever wondered why they’re called ladybugs?” Jonah asked. He was lying on his back watching a small army of red ladybugs work their way up stalks of spindly wild grass in the empty lot at the end of the block.

            It was early spring, but the sun was bright and the sky was clear, and all around them green shoots were dewy and the black dirt was damp against their backs.

            “Because way back when, farmers used to pray to the Virgin Mary for good crops,” Chrissie said. “And one time a bunch of ladybugs showed up and ate all the insects that were eating their crops, so they thought the Virgin Mary had answered their prayers and named the bug after her.”

            “You’re making that up.”

            “No, I’m not.”

            “And just where did you learn that?”

            “In biology.”

            “I’m taking biology this semester, and Mrs. Andrews hasn’t told us anything like that.”
            Jonah rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his arm and looked at Chrissie. She was so pretty. He couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go with him to the empty lot.

            “I had Mr. Jeffers,” Chrissie said, rolling over and tucking her hand under her face to keep it from touching the damp, black dirt. “And he told us all about them. Boooring!”

            “Must have liked something about it to remember it.”

            “I’m a year ahead of you, you know,” Chrissie said. “We learn to remember things.”

            A plane passed by overhead, and Jonah watched its contrail, then rolled on his back and followed it until it disappeared into the tall, spindly weeds that surrounded them.

            “If I asked you if you would let me kiss you, would you let me?” Jonah said, rolling back to face her, his face closer to hers now.

            “They only live for a year, or so,” Chrissie said, pretending not to hear him.

            “So? You’re ignoring me now?”

            “I’m not ignoring you. I’m just telling you about ladybugs. That’s all.”

            Jonah reached out and wrapped his hand around one of the tall weeds and pulled it from the dark, damp Earth with a twist and began brushing Chrissie’s neck it. She pretended to be irritated but pushed it away only half-heartedly.

            It tickled, but in a good way, and she felt all tingly all of a sudden.

            “Your neck is skinny like this weed.”

            “My neck is graceful.”

            She lifted her head and moved it back and forth, as if she was showing off her neck.

            “If I wrapped my hand around your graceful neck, I could twist it like this weed,” Jonah said, swinging his arm and tossing his weed away.

            “But then I would never let you kiss me,” Chrissie said, giggling.

            “But then I could always kiss you,” Jonah said, reaching over and wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing.