The Mismunandi

Chapter 2

I opened the front door to my house to find my mother standing at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes.

"Nora, Rose dropped by and gave me that book you asked for," she calls. Without replying, Nora goes to her room and closes the door quietly.

"We need to talk," I say as I enter the kitchen.

"Okay, let's talk," she says, still washing the dishes. I turn the water off and she pauses, then turns to face me. "What is it?" She asks, now looking serious.

"It's Dr. Paver," I tell her.

"What did he do this time?" I can see the anger she holds towards him building up inside her.

"He tried to give Brighton lessons."

"Brighton!" She calls and Brighton shuffles into the room as if she were already listening.

"You know that I don't want you to talk to that man." she points an accusing finger at an already nervous Brighton.

"Ugh, I don't know why you won't let me though. There's nothing wrong with him."

"You don't know what he's done-"

"Why won't you tell me then?"

"We are not having this discussion. Rose and Dan will be her tomorrow and you can learn from them." With that she turns the water back on and grabs another dirty plate. Brighton turns to me and shakes her head. And then she is gone.

"To be honest, Mom, I, too, would appreciate it if you told me the slightest details about, you know, Dr. Paver, and Dad's disappearance, and Dan and Rose. You've never even told me how you and Dad met."

"Scarlet," she sighs. "You're just not ready yet. If I told you anything about the subject you would want to know more and more and then one day you'd be gone. Out to find him. I know that one day I will have to tell you everything and I do plan to. But not yet. Okay?"

"Soon?" I ask. She looks past me and I turn to see Nora and Brighton peeking out from around the corner. "Maybe."

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The next day Rose and Dan come over. There is a room in our house that would be an office, but we use it as our 'classroom' for training. Rose takes an old book off the shelf that says 'Shapeshifting' in sloppy letters on the cover. She hands it to me and I open it to a random page in the middle. The words are in another language that I can barely read. Being paranormal and all my mind is supposed to see the words in English, but it takes focus. I squeeze my eyes shut and then open them again, hoping to be able to read. Nothing changes.

"I can't read it. I have too much on my mind," I say. Rose grabs the book and skims the page. She frowns and hands it to Dan. Dan puts his glasses on and then looks down at me. "I can read it," he says. "It's easy for me; it should be easy for you as well." I let out a long sigh. "Come on, Scarlet. Why is it that you can read everything any other day, but nothing today?"

Before I can answer a stapler is floating in midair between us. I look over to Nora who is staring hard at the stapler. Nora slowly turns to a stack of papers on the desk and the floating stapler follows her gaze. She sets it down next to the papers and one by one the papers slip into the stapler. To finish it off the top of the stapler presses down with a quiet click. she looks over to Dan and Rose with a satisfied look.

Rose smiles. "Good work, Nora." And then to me. "We'll pick this up tomorrow." They leave the room and I slump down further in my chair. My mom walks in holding a bowl of fruit. "You haven't eaten anything this whole day," she says. "So," she continues with a hopeful smile. "Getting any better?" I look at the open book on the coffee table. "Yes," I lie. "I just need to concentrate a little more." I look over to Nora who gives me a sad smile and Brighton who rolls her eyes. She stands to go to her room and Nora follows.

"Why don't you do something with them?" My mom suggests.

"Huh?"

"Take them to the mall, go grab some lunch, have some fun with them for a change."

"Why?"

"Look, my sister and I were never close. We were ten years apart! When I was struggling through high school she was starting a family and now I haven't talked to her in years. You guys are lucky to be so close in age. I will not watch my daughters become strangers so go, you have no choice."

We both let out a small laugh and I go to the kitchen to finish my fruit. After I'm done I grab my keys and force Brighton and Nora into my Jeep.

"Before we leave I want you to know that, yes, Mom is forcing us to do this, but that doesn't mean you have to act miserable." I look at Brighton in the rear view mirror who just stares out the window and I start the engine.