Flabberwocky

6 - A Stitch In Time Saves Nine

When they got home from Nan's Molly ran straight up to her room. The immediate sound of furniture shifting and banging of boxes rumbled through the dining room ceiling, shaking the light fitting. Dad got up and shouted from the bottom of the stairs, "what are you doing Molly? training elephants?" He was so pleased with his 'elephants' comment that he was still smiling to himself when he sat back down. Mum walked in from the kitchen, "what is she doing up there?" "Don't worry Mum," offered Lawrence getting out of his seat, "I'll go and see." He raced upstairs to her room and knocked on the door, "do you need any help Molls?" Rather than open it Molly immediately shouted back at him, "unless you want me to start calling you Loz, I suggest you call me Molly!" He wasn't sure why, but he chose to reply using his best American accent, "hey, chill sis!" As soon as he said it he realised how ridiculous it sounded. Molly opened her door, he could tell she was trying not to laugh at him, "stop being an idiot and come and help me look." He did as he was told, and was amazed at the complete chaos Molly had created in her room in just a few minutes. The bed was up on its side, the wardrobe door was open and there were piles of clothes on the floor. "I take it you're looking for the mouse?" he asked timidly. "Oh no Lawrence, I'm looking for my gold plated toilet brush!" Molly set to work on her chest of drawers, pulling each drawer out and tipping its contents onto the floor. He silently watched her, hesitating before asking, "why have you got your own toilet brush?" Molly let out a noise which could best be described as a growl before she started shouting at him properly, "yes Lawrence, I'm looking for the mouse, the small wooden mouse, the one I thought I knew exactly where it was, but now it's gone!" He cowered a little, "where did you see it last?" Thankfully she began to calm down a little, taking stock of the situation before replying, "it was in the plastic box under my bed, I know it was, I saw it there a few weeks ago." Lawrence knew what he wanted to say, but also knew it was best if he didn't. Unfortunately, as he was weighing up whether to say it or not, he said it anyway, "it was in your junk box?" Molly growled again as he continued talking, "so the precious wooden mouse that Grandad made for you and you definitely didn't say was crap, was chucked in your junk box?" Molly took a moment to stare at Lawrence, using the most evil eyes she could conjure. "If you're not going to help Lawrence, go back downstairs." He decided it would be best not to say anything else, so he got down on his hands and knees and began searching through the various piles of stuff.

After around twenty minutes of checking then double checking the piles, the wooden mouse was still nowhere to be seen. Lawrence agreed to help Molly tidy up, though felt a little awkward as he scooped up the lacy contents of her underwear drawer. Seeing what he was doing Molly chuckled, "don't go nicking any of my bras." Lawrence's face flushed for a second, as he quickly decided to move on to a different drawer. Molly gently leaned the bed back onto its feet before sitting on it and pondering. "I can't work out why the mouse isn't here, I would never have thrown it away, unless someone stole it, but who would really come into my room and take stuff away?" Lawrence had a flash of inspiration, but before he had a chance to voice it, Molly stood to her feet. "It's you isn't it Lawrence? you stole it!" His face crumpled, "what?" Molly started wagging her finger at him like he was dog who'd made a mess on the carpet, "you thought you'd take it, you always wanted it, you were upset about the cricket bat and this was your revenge." Lawrence couldn't believe Molly would think so badly of him, he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He quickly tried to hide his face in his hands but couldn't help letting out a little sob as he did so. "Oh right, go on then," continued Molly, "have a little cry, if that doesn't point to a guilty conscience, then I'm not sure what does." She sat back on her bed and waited for him to calm down. Minutes passed as Lawrence continued crying into his hands. Molly found a suitable pause between sobs to ask, "haven't you got anything to say for yourself?" She considered getting up and poking him, but then decided she'd prefer to lay on her bed and stare at the ceiling instead. After a few more minutes he raised his head and wiped his tears on his sleeve. Molly lifted her head from her pillow and turned towards him, "stopped blubbering?" Lawrence checked his pockets for a nonexistent tissue before wiping his nose on his other sleeve, "you're so mean to me Molly." As he spoke his nose began to run again. Molly sat up, pulled a tissue from the pretty box on her bedside table, and passed it to him, "what else can I think, when you're the only one who knows how important it is." He wiped his face as he spoke, "I wouldn't take your stupid mouse, I hate it, and I hate you." Molly sat back up on her bed, as he continued rambling. "Why would I come up here and search through your stinky clothes if I had it all the time?" "So that I didn't think you stole it of course," she surmised. Lawrence stood up and stomped across the room to the door, but before he left he had one last thing to say, "I wouldn't steal anything from your room Molly, if you can stop blaming me for everything for a moment, you might remember Mum helped herself to loads of our stuff for the charity shop!" He then defiantly slammed the door behind him before Molly had a chance to reply. As he trudged back down the stairs she finally shouted after him, "what about my cherry lip balm?" Lawrence thought about shouting something back like, "but that was over a year ago," but then considered it better to pretend he hadn't heard her and retain the upper hand.