family...

-Zoe-

                The night air was freezing, it made my face muscles go stiff. I walked through town as the stars just began to shine like pretty little lights in the velvet night sky. I was still ill but I had fallen to into the routine of taking evening to not take one now. Besides I had a thick scarf on, and a coat. I watched my breath make curling clouds of steam as it rose up and disappeared. My gazed wondered to the other side of the road where I saw a familiar figure walk at a steady pace. I stopped dead in my tracks, the boy kept walking. Then I knew who it was. ‘Kyle!’ I called.  The figure turned to see where his name was being called from. I waved a little wave, he copied my action like a mirror. I stepped down from the sidewalk and jogged across the street to meet him.

‘ Hey Kyle.’ I said, feeling the grin on my face widen.
‘Zoe are you ill?’ He asked, sounding shocked. I sighed deep sigh.
‘Why is this so fascinating to everyone?’ I asked. ‘Molly looked like she was about to have a heart-attack when she heard me sneeze.’
‘Zoe… in the ten years I’ve known you, you’ve never even had a runny nose.’ He told me.

                I frowned, but my bliss was interrupted by a huge sneeze that made my upper body jolt forward. Kyle jumped backwards. I groaned in pain, my sinuses hurt from bending. I slowly stood up straight again, to look at Kyle’s face. Which wore an expression of disgust and surprise. I felt something cold and wet roll down to my upper lip. I realized it was snot when Kyle dug into his pocket to offer me a napkin. If it had been anyone else but Kyle it would have been the most embarrassing thing ever, but he was like a brother. I didn’t really remember a time when he wasn’t there.

‘Anyway, Zoe.’ He sighed when I had cleaned my nose area. ‘I have to go. Laura is waiting for me.’
‘Hold on.’ I said, he sighed. ‘ How comes you’re never over at ours anymore?’
‘Zoe…’ He pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘It’s just been weird.’

                And he walked away. For a moment I stood and watched him. Until he reached the end of the street and turned the corner. It reminded me of the way dad had acted the day mum died. The memories flooded back and all of a sudden I was eating my breakfast a year ago.

                Dad sat down at the dining table, we used it back when mum was still alive. Most likely because she insisted on it. There were dark purple, black rings under his eyes. He looked at us and opened his mouth, for a long time he said nothing. I remember being scared. The fear over took me and I felt a cold shiver over my spine. Dad finally said something.
‘They think she has few more hours.’ It sounded broken and out of place in the warm colours of our dining room. ‘If we’re lucky she’ll make it to tomorrow.’
‘No.’  I heard Molly breath besides me.

                Katy stared down at her bowl of cheerio’s and pushed it away gently. Dad got up and signalled for us to come with him. We did as he told us and followed him down the hallway to where my mother lay. The room was all white and rather heavenly. Her eye opened and she smiled. I heard Molly begin to softly cry. I took her hand in mine and squeezed in it, she squeezed back.  Katy and dad stood strong at either side of us, like stone brick walls.
‘It’s a little bit funny.’ Dad sang in a broken whisper.
‘This feeling inside. I’m not one of those who can easily hide.’ Katy went on in a voice equally broken.

It was mum’s favourite song. We all began to sing it and mum’s smile grew wider with every lyric. It wasn’t scary then, it was just sad. Sad but there was an air of love and caring in the atmosphere.

‘Excuse me?’ I heard someone say. ‘Miss, you’ve been standing here quite a while. Hello?’
‘Uuuh, um yes.’ I said returning to present day. ‘Sorry… I was just… remembering something.’

                I dedicated the person, a boy around Molly’s age, a smile. He smiled back, and I walked away back to the direction that was home. It took a while before I was home, I was about twelve blocks away. I reached the front door and searched my pockets for my keys and then grimaced at the fact that I didn’t have them. I rang the doorbell, hoping Molly was home to hear it. Within twenty seconds Katy came to the door, which was surprising, seeming her ears seemed to be immune to doorbells. She looked a mess. Her eyes puffy and red, like she’d been crying. I felt my mouth open slightly, but snapped it shut as soon as I could.
‘Hey.’  She said quietly, with a little crackle in her voice. She moved out of the doorway to let me in.
‘Hi.’ I said in a high tone, pretending not to notice her mood. ‘Forgot my keys. Stupid or what?’

                It wasn’t that I was trying to ignore Katy’s feelings. Well… it was like that, but not because I didn’t feel like comforting her…  Katy just needed a sense of independence, it was vital to her. She disappeared upstairs. I sighed and left to the living room. Molly sat, crossed legged watching a documentary about Pompeii.
“Interesting?”  I asked her.
“Pompeii always is.” She laughed. “Fascinating, how all the people just became like sculptures.”
“Yeah that’s my favourite part in roman history, Pompeii.” I told her.

                I sat down next to her and watched the rest of the Pompeii horror with her. I had already seen it, but it was good revision.  I watched the people turn to stone as the volcanic ash cascaded past them in a deathly cloud. I loved history. When the documentary ended Molly got up and sighed.
“ Got any plans?” She asked.
“Nope.” I told her popping my lips at the p. “You?”
“No.” She sighed. “I’m think I’m a make dinner.”
“Need help?” I asked knowing fully she would say no.
“No.” Molly said quickly, and left for the kitchen.

 I was crappy at cooking, no one knew that better than Molly, well maybe Katy, Katy was the cook in the house, ever since mum died she took it upon herself to cook. Which was most likely a very good thing seeming Molly’s skills ended around mac and cheese, which was way more than I could say for mine, which could barely manage a sandwich.  Within a few minutes the room was filled with the odder of macaroni and melted cheese. Katy came through the door then and frowned when she saw Molly in the kitchen.
“ I was just coming down to cook.” She whined. “I was going to make roast chicken.”
“Mac and cheese.” Molly said lifting up the pan to show her, but in her eyes I could see the longing of roast chicken. “You’re welcome, I really don’t mind taking the load of for you.”
“Fine. I’ll just go sit with genius number two and watch…”  Katy sighed and looked at the TV  “Whatever the hell that is.”
“It’s…” I looked at the just starting documentary. “Some documentary.”
“Do you never watch anything normal teenagers watch?” Katy asked. “I mean Molly’s practically adult, kind of but you’re fourteen.”
“Yes I do, actually.” I told her very matter of factly.
“I saw that happen last time hell froze over, actually.”
“I saw five minutes of the teen choice awards.” I said proudly.
“Fail.” Katy said with a dramatic face palm. 

                Katy always made me very aware of my IQ of a hundred and fifty-six.  I couldn’t exactly help it though. Not that Katy wasn’t smart, she was above average, Molly and I had higher IQs though. Molly’s was of a hundred and fifty, Katy had a hundred and thirty-two. Whether it was that that bugged her or whether it was just pure for the fun of calling me a nerd I don’t know.

 

                I moved  uncomfortably and continued watching…whatever that was. Lenard Nimoy appeared on the screen and started talking. Katy  got out her  i-pod and started to listen to a shuffle of songs.  The minutes passed and eventually Molly set a bowl of steaming mac and cheese down on the coffee table in front of me.  It was lumpy and the cheese was burnt in some places. I stabbed my fork into it and propped some into my mouth.

                Dad blew into the room then. He went straight into the kitchen without a word and came into the living room area with a big bowl of the still steaming mac and cheese. He frowned at it as he sat down on one of the black arm chairs. I sighed and knew what was coming.
“Molly cooked?” Dad asked causally as he pricked his fork in his food.
“Problem?” Molly asked sitting back and crossing her arms. Her bowl threatening to slip of her knee.
“No.” Dad said imitating her. “Just that I was looking forward to some of Kathy’s fine food, one Ellie’s old meals.”
“Katy.” Molly corrected him under her breath.
“Dad.” Katy and I winced at the same time as Molly blew out of the room taking her food with her.
“Great.” I sighed.
“ Just speaking my mind.” Dad announced pricking more food on his fork.
“You don’t have to be so judgemental while doing it though.” Katy said.
“Molly was just giving Katherine a break.” I said quietly.
“Why does Kathy need a break?” Dad asked, sound doubtful. “It’s not like she goes out saving the world every night.”

                Katy had had enough and mirrored Molly’s earlier action in a quick replay, leaving me alone in the living room with Dad. I sighed and concentrated on my food, I didn’t really want to talk to him. He dug into he every so often eyeing me. Which was uncomfortable, and made me want to shrink and disappear into the air. Or at least recite a calmer version of what Molly and Katy had just done.  I closed my eyes and just hoped that he wouldn’t start a conversation.

                My sisters and I didn’t really talk to Dad much ever since mum died, it was like all of us just forgot how to. When we did talk though the conversation was normally boring or uncomfortable or  to shout at each other. That is why I prayed that he didn’t have it in him. Dad was just a love from a  far kind of guy.

“So school.” Dad said. I looked down at my plate frowning.
“Yeah.” I said. “I go there.”
“What grade are you in?” He asked.
“ Eleventh.” I told him, still not looking up from my plate.
“But I thought you where only one grade ahead.” He said sounding confused.
 I stuffed a big mouthful of food into my mouth, finishing my plate before saying: “I am.”

                I brought my plate into the kitchen and went upstairs, crossing Katy on the stairs. She smiled a sad little smile, that was smiled a lot in this house and ventured bravely on into the living room area. I sighed and went on to my room.

                I sat on the bed, wondering what to do with myself. I considered a number of things before finally getting up, opening my closet door and getting out my guitar. I plucked at the strings, which filled the room with silvery notes. 

Author's Note

please just be honest and tell me what you think