Page 170 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

sure I look like a dope – as the “‘me inside” looks at the “me outside” like it’s the first time either one of us have met.
Our heroes, Clara and Franz, stared at each other in that very same dopey, dumb, dithery way. Each felt a little like they were surrounded by fog, covered in cotton balls or stumbling around in the dark just before dawn. Everything looked dim and fuzzy, but the light was growing stronger and they were seeing better, bit-by-bit.
And they were seeing each other for the first time, in a long time. And to say the least, they each looked different. Although, I think we’ve got to give Clara points for the biggest shock. After all, Franz did have a giant wooden head with oversized jaws and a long beard! Not exactly the boyfriend any of us would daydream over.
And all of this – after she had just killed a giant mouse!
So, her fog was rather deep and she felt exceedingly dopey and pretty much could only stand there with her mouth open. But at least she wasn’t drooling.
Which Franz wouldn’t have noticed, anyway.
For Franz was reveling in what a difference a year could make in a girl of fifteen. No, Clara was – sixteen! (And you boys know what I mean.)
It wasn’t shyness that kept them apart, or unfamiliarity. For oddly enough, both felt an even stronger tie, a greater affection, and a joint purpose than ever before. For now, it was hugely clear what they had to do. And getting rid of a giant wooden head was top on their list!
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