Zhenna didn't immediately leave the school after speaking with Ms. Blackwood. Instead, she rushed to the court to play some more. Lunch and after school were her favourite times at school. It had started as a way to pass the time because sitting in her mother's office was too boring. Zhenna preferred to play at school until it was four, then race down the hill to her mother's office before she left. But not all the time she remembered to leave school on time; in fact, most of the time she forgot, and her parents would park at the front gate and wait for her. Today was one of those days.
"Zhenna, you can't have us sitting out here waiting on you. School finishes at 2:30; you should be at my office by 2:45 on the days you don't have activities." Her mother admonished.
Zhenna leaned out of the back seat window, letting the wind rush past her eyes and ears.
"Do you hear me, young lady?" Her mother asked, annoyed, leaning between the seats.
"Yes mom."
When Zhenna and her parents returned home, they were greeted by the sitter and her little brother.
"Zhenna!" Her little brother jumped excitedly. "Can we play?"
Zhenna smiled at the little boy. She tousled his hair, then let her arm rest on his head as she stuck her fingers up his nose, wiggling them. "Sure."
"Change your clothes first, Zhenna." Their father ordered.
Zhenna quickly hopped out of her uniform, tossing her shirt and skirt haphazardly on the bed. She jumped into shorts and pulled her hair free of its restraints.
"Reuben! Come on." She called to her brother as she grabbed a water bottle.
The children hurried to their father's art room. The computer had been left on, to their delight. Several clicks and button presses later, they were in the world of their favourite role-playing fantasy game. Reuben sat excitedly next to his sister, at the edge of his seat, watching her play. The children played well into the night, stopping briefly for dinner before rushing back to the art room.
"Go right." Reuben suggested peeking through his fingers.
The children watched on as ghosts and monsters chased their character.
"You two-
"Aaaaahhhh!" Zhenna and Reuben screamed as they jumped out of their chairs.
Their father switched on the lights and gave them a disappointed look. "It's Monday night. You still have school for the rest of the week; put the game away."
"Yes, dad." The children answered in unison.
When their father left, Zhenna turned to her brother. "Want me to read for you tonight?"
"It's okay. I still have homework to do."
"If you're stuck, you can call me for help, okay?"
Reuben nodded at his sister and hurried off to his room.
151Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJnXMJexKT
Zhenna stopped humming and turned down the music. The faint echoes she thought she heard had disappeared. Turning up the music, she got back to drafting her floor plan. As she slid the T-square along the desk, the echoes returned. Zhenna pulled her headphones off. They were at it again. She dropped everything in her hands and opened the bedroom door. Her parents' shouting was coming from the sitting room. Zhenna looked down the hall. Reuben's door was open.
Peering through the door, she found Reuben on the bed, curled into a ball with the sheet thrown over his head. Zhenna closed the door and turned on the light. Reuben tossed the sheet aside and turned around. Tears marked his chubby face.
Zhenna climbed into the bed with her brother and hugged him. Reuben buried his face in his sister's shirt. Zhenna manoeuvred so that one of Reuben's ears was over her heart, and she put her hand over the other while she hummed nursery rhymes he used to like.
Their parents' argument was about her. Their mother was upset that their father had left her to take the bus to school. But the longer they argued, the more old issues came up, and the more heated they got. Now, they were just flat-out shouting over each other. The argument went on for almost an hour, devolving into insults and name-calling.
"𝓘'𓍼 ๑ꕤꮺǂ ⌕𓂅﹅⋆๑'ǂ⋆ 𓂅ǂꗃꮺഒଘꗃ"
"乃乇ᄃﾑひ丂乇 ﾘのひ ムのｲ ひｱ ﾚﾑｲ乇."
"ꕤ﹆ ꉂꕤꮺ﹅⊹ଘ'ଘꗃǂ๑ ǂഒꗃ⋈ᯅ ଘꕤꉂ."
"ﾉｷ の刀ﾚﾘ ｲん乇ﾘ 刀乇√乇尺 んﾑりﾘのひ"
"ꕤꮺ'ǂ⋆ ⋈⋆ ǂ⋆𓍼ꕤଘ ℛ⋆ꮺଘ ✧ǂഒ⋆𓍼.""
"ﾘのひ 丂んのひﾚり刀'ｲ 乃乇 ﾑﾚﾉ√乇.""
"⋈ഒଘꗃ𓍼 ꉂꕤꮺ﹅⊹ ✦⋆ ✦⋆ᯅǂ ⌕ꕤǂ ⋆⌗⋆ǂ๑ꕤଘ⋆ ഒ⌕ ๑ꕤꮺ ୨୧ꮺ𓍼ᯅ ⊹ഒ⋆⊹."
"ひ丂乇ﾚ乇丂"
Zhenna checked that Reuben had fallen asleep, then left him. The noise of her parents argument continued to echo in her mind as she lay in bed. Unable to fall asleep on her own, she put on her headphones and turned the music up.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
