Closer 2

150.

A knock came on the open door and both girls turned to Brett standing in the doorway.
"Hey you two. Any of you want dinner?" he asked softly, smiling a bit at the bright smile he had seen on Elise's face as he came in. He hadn't seen her that happy in a long time, but he knew she loved her auntie so it was no big surprise.

"I think some dinner would be good," Belle said, turning to Elise. "You want some dinner Li-Li?"

"Yeahh," Elise grinned, really just wanting to do the same as auntie. "Dinner good!"

"Alright, it's ready in a minute," Brett informed them before taking a step back to go finish setting the table.

"Alright, I suppose we should clean up here, huh?" Belle said, starting to gather the pencils they were using. "Wanna help me?"

"Yeah!" Elise said excitedly, copying what auntie did and putting the pencils in the holder. She wanted to be just like auntie because auntie was always so nice and cool. In some videos she had seen of auntie, she even played two pianos at once! That was much cooler than baba, dada or uncle Ray who just played on one violin at a time.

They finished cleaning relatively quickly and Belle stood up.
"Let's go then," she said, offering his hand for Elise to hold. The little girl immediately took up her offer and went with her out to the kitchen.

Except once they got there, Elise did not want to be there anymore. Her brothers were there too, one in the baby chair on the floor and one on daddy's arm. She knew what always happened when grown ups she liked saw them. She knew she wasn't as interesting as they were.

"Noo..." she said quietly, trying to pull auntie by the hand back to her room instead. "Come auntie."

"Don't you want dinner after all?" auntie said with a chuckle, smiling down at her. "Baba and daddy have been cooking for us, Li-Li. It's gonna be yummy."

"Noo..!" Elise said louder, using both her hands to pull on Belle now. "Come!"

Elise could feel baba and daddy's frustration with her already. She wasn't deaf, she heard the sighs. She wasn't blind, she saw how they shifted, ready to drag her to the kitchen table if they had to. It made the tears show up as she looked up at auntie.

"Please," Elise said quietly, trying to pull her again. It didn't work.

"Come on, Elise, daddy's made some yummy food for you," baba said in that stern voice he always got before getting angry. "It's dinner time now."

"Noo," Elise said, followed by a string of sobs. She pulled on auntie's hand again, wanting her to come with her to play more. "Draw more."

"We can draw more afterwards, Li-Li," Belle tried to say, but was interrupted by Elise's exclaim.

"Noo!" she said loudly, tears running down her cheeks. She pulled hard on auntie's hand again, trying to make her come with her. "Auntie!"

Belle didn't come with her to her room, though. Instead she sat down on her knees on the floor in front of her, taking both of Elise's hands in hers.
"Baby, you wanted dinner just a minute ago. Why don't you want dinner after all?" she asked softly, but Elise wasn't in a state to talk anymore. She had realized auntie wouldn't come with her, which in her mind meant that she'd rather be here with baba, daddy and her brothers and not be with her just like everyone else.

The little girl tore herself free from auntie's hold and ran off like she always did when she was sad, going to hide in her room with Sharkie. She had found a good hiding spot recently in the corner behind the door, which was exactly where she went. She had grabbed Sharkie on the way past, crying into his soft plush as she curled up to try and make herself as small as possible.

"Not again," she could hear baba's annoyed voice in the hallway and steps coming towards her room. Even the cat, who had been sitting in her window sill when she entered, hid behind the curtain when they heard those. She knew they meant angry baba dragging her to wherever they needed her to be, knew it meant having to be around baba and daddy when they were angry with her. That was the worst thing in the world.

"Elise Chen," baba said sternly as he entered, of course immediately finding her hiding spot. He had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot impatiently like he always did right before getting really angry. "It's dinner time. Come now."

Elise didn't know how to respond, though. She felt like she couldn't move to do what baba was asking of her, just frozen in place. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, sobs tore through her and a whimper escaped her lips as baba took her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Come on. It wasn't a question."