Suburban Island IV

Down (Quiet Day in Neighborhood)

Down (Quiet Day in Neighborhood)

It's a quiet day today. Maybe too quiet. It rained last night. The chemicals from the trees are still lingering in the air. It should take about three or four days to clear. Annie pressed her forehead against the window.

"Annie! Come away from there. I just cleaned the window," Kenji said. Annie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah!" she shouted. Annie pulled her face from the window. The old man walked over and wiped the window clean. His granddaughter groaned. Kenji raised his eyebrow at her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Annie gave him a disapproving look.

"Why are you always cleaning the house?" she asked. Kenji frowned at her.

"You could help out," he said. She looked up at him.

"No thanks," Annie said. She walked back to her room. Kenji himself wasn't impressed.

"Clean your room!" he shouted after her. Annie just waved him off. She disappeared down the hall. The old man snorted.

"Hopeless," he muttered. Time to vacuum the den again.

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"Mickey!" Gabrielle shouted. "Come help me clean the salon." Her son sighed as he moved the comic book from his face. Here they went again. He jumped to his feet. What else could he do?

"Coming!" he shouted. Mikey climbed off of his bed and walked downstairs. Every week, his mother cleaned her salon. What else could they do? He made it down to the living room. His mother had hands on her hips.

"You know what day it is," she said.

"Yes, yes," Mikey said.

"Don't take that tone with me," Gabrielle said. Her son forced himself to smile.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Much better," she said. "Now start with sweeping the floor."

"Yes, ma'am," Mikey said. He picked up a boom and got to sweeping.

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Josie logged into the virtual world. She dressed up her avatar really fancy in a short pink dress with matching pumps. She changed the hair to long and red. Josie didn't want to do flat. Too dull. Hm... Maybe make it wavy. Josie clicked through the hair selections until she found the wavy one that she wanted. She wanted at the results. With a purse and some jewelry, the avatar was ready to hit the virtual town.

Josie walked up into the bar. She looked at her watch. It's close to noon in the hotel lobby. He was supposed to come and pick her up.

"He better not stand me up," she said to herself. Josie leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"Hey," someone said in her earbuds. Josie quickly sat up. An avatar dressed as a knight stood in front of her. She got right to typing.

"You're late," she wrote.

"I apologize," the knight said back. "I just got up." Josie shook her head.

"Heh," she wrote. "Doesn't matter. Shall we get going?"

"Yes," he said. Josie made her avatar hold out her arm. The knight took it and led her further into the hotel.

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Steve was supposed to be driving around weekend. He pressed his forehead against the window.

"Damn it," he muttered. Steve turned to his bedroom door. His dad was probably working out again. The boy didn't feel like doing much today. Steve stared down at his covered up car. He worked so hard to get it. Three summers through his freshman and junior years led to this? Steve shook his head to himself. It felt like a waste, really.

The problem was there was nothing to do around here anymore. The internet sometimes lost its appeal. He couldn't live online 24/7. Humans were meant to interact with each other in person. He turned around when he heard a ping from his computer. Who was trying to talk to him now?

Steve dragged his feet over to the computer. He put his hand on his mouse. An invitation for a chat appeared on the screen. A confused look came over his face.

"Who is Papi 69?" he asked. Curious, Steve clicked the accept button.

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Dylan lay on his bed. Times like these were the worst. Alyssa would be the one to get him through this. It didn't help to be alone.

He looked up when he heard a knock on the door. Teressa stood in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked. "I could just go back downstairs if you want."

"No," he said. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"No?" she asked.

"No," Dylan said. "Please... Stay." Teressa shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine," she said. She walked over and sat down on the floor. They had been getting closer lately. Teressa always called him through Zoom every morning. Neither of them knew why. It just felt like it had to be done. Dylan didn't mind it. He was just happy to have someone to talk to. Though, questions started to follow.

"Do you like her?" Mike asked one day. Dylan turned his head.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Like whom?"

"Teresa," his friend said. "Do you like her like her?" Dylan gave him a confused look.

"Huh?" he asked. Mike waved him off.

"Never mind," he said.

"No, I get what you are saying," Dylan said. "Why are you asking me this?" His friend shrugged and shook his head.

"No reason," he said. Dylan still gave him a strange look.

But now that he thought about, he wasn't too sure about how to answer. Dylan kept his gaze on Teresa as she sat on the floor next to his bed. She tilted her head.

"What?" she asked. Dylan shook his head.

"Uh... Nothing," he said. "Nothing." Teresa didn't say a word. Dylan put his head back onto his pillow. She looked out the window and got lost in her thoughts.

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It's a quiet day on Golden Leaf. This break in theweather isn't going to last long. There's going to be more rain soon. Over thenext three days, in fact. These trees seemed to be having an effect on thedying world. It's been getting worse lately too. Everyone can only wait andlook out their windows. How much longer before humanity in mainland America diesout?