"Well, sure I could hose it down, but I think it's only fair that the person who did it should be the one to clean it off," Pepper said, her nose wrinkled in effective grossed-outness. "And I know you know who it was, so dun't you bother giving me that li'l look of yours. You dun't hafta tell me who, 'm just sayin' it's a lot to ask of the hired help, is all. 'M not a school janitor."

She shrieked without meaning to when he squeezed her knee. That spot had always been highly ticklish, much to her constant annoyance. Sticking her tongue out at the tease, she tugged at the frayed hem of his shirt once she reached him. "Well, we can't all be perfect like you in that regard, 'm afraid. But at least I know when I need new shirts and shoes."

She dropped her head onto his shoulder and sighed. "I know you can't go far. But we got those woods out back, they'd prob'ly work." Pepper blinked a little and peered up at him when he told her that Brian and Wensley hadn't been taking directions for once. "Really, they did? When'd they get all big an' responsible?" Truthfully, she had thought there was something different in how they had taken care of her, made sure she was eating right and sleeping well and not alone. Less like they thought they should and more like they were really worried. "Brian's sweet on someone an' he hasn't told us? Shame on 'im. Is it someone we know?" Pepper was actually feeling a little protective over Brian at knowing that he was suffering a case of unrequited love, but she would never admit that aloud.