Please Mind The Gap #1

3: Please mind the empty room

3: Please mind the empty room

-- banner by @come-easy --

"Welcome," Nathan bellowed in a deep, dramatic voice, "to the Wren household."

Nathan's house was not too big and not too small, two floors, three rooms plus a small kitchen, and a living room. It wasn't too shabby and not too WOW.

"Right," Teddy deadpanned. "Where's my room?"

"Ah, come on, wait a sec, we're meeting my parents first."

"Oooh. Exciting."

They headed to the living room, past a bedroom. Lounging on the couch were Nathan's parents, cheering wildly for some surf competition on TV. His mom had blond hair, dressed in an oversized duster and shorts. His dad had a flop of Nathan's chocolate brown locks, rectangular glasses perched on his nose and a faded t-shirt and beach shorts. They were eating popcorn.

"Hey, guys," Nathan said. At the same time, his parents jumped up, threw the bowl of popcorn into the air and danced around as the fluffy white kernels rained down on them.

"GUYS." Nathan loudened his voice. He looked embarrassed.

"Oh, hey kiddo," said his father. Then he squinted. "Who's this?"

"Aww, our little boy's all grown up," his mom cooed. "He's brought in a girl!"

Nathan and Teddy stared blankly at her then started babbling.

"No no no, sorry, you got the wrong idea."

"She is not my girlfriend!"

"I wouldn't even be his girlfriend because that would be revolting."

"Gross, Mom, why?"

"Alright, alright, we got the idea," his mother interrupted. "So who's she?"

"I'm, er, Teddy," Teddy said.

"Hey, Er Teddy," Mrs. Wren said.

"It's just Teddy. Teddy Errol," Teddy said firmly.

"I know. I was just messin' with ya," Nathan's mom said teasingly. "I'm Natalie and this is Ethan." She indicated her husband. "And when we mated we had Nathan."

"MOM!" Nathan groaned. "Do you really have to say that to everybody?"

Teddy burst out laughing. "You guys are really cool."

Nathan groaned again and rolled his eyes. "Don't encourage them. Just don't."

"Why not? I love your parents."

"Really glad to meet you, Teddy," Ethan said, grinning widely. "Alright, Nathan, show her to her room."

"How did you know she was gonna stay here?" Nathan demanded.

"I just know." His father shrugged. "And the luggages gave it away."

"Ethan has ESP," Natalie whispered loudly to Teddy.

"Mom, do you really have to whisper?" Nathan sighed, exasperated. He looked to the ceiling. "Why have you given me these parents, God?"

"You know, you should be singing more of a hallelujah chorus and a loud and happy AMEN that you have us as parents," said Ethan.

"Okay, guys, we're just heading to the room and you just go and continue throwing popcorn into the air," Nathan said tiredly.

"Have fun!" Natalie called after Nathan and Teddy's retreating backs.

"It's a really good thing they don't know about you being my opponent tomorrow," Nathan let out with a relieved sigh. "They'd be doing voodoo stuff on you. VOODOO STUFF. You definitely don't want to see that. They'd get out bunches of beads and boiled water and sewing needles. Can you imagine? NEEDLES. Then they're gonna chant and-"

"Okay," Teddy said, amused. "I get it. You have the best parents ever."

"Yeah?" he asked skeptically as they climbed up the stairs.

"Yeah." Teddy smirked.

They reached a floor with two doors. One labeled in blue letters NATHAN and the other was labeled ENALIE finished off with a flourish of flowers.

"This is you room," said Nathan, opening Enalie's door, whoever that was.

"Who's that?" Teddy pondered aloud.

"Who's who?" Nathan entered the room and gestured for Teddy to follow.

"Enalie."

"Oh." Nathan's shoulders suddenly stiffened and his face looked tensed. "She's my little sister. She's sixteen, three years younger than me."

Teddy entered Enalie's room, dragging her stuff along. The walls were painted light blue, with white swirls for clouds. A small bookshelf lay in the corner and across it was a bed that had been fixed neatly. The floor was carpeted with a shaggy green carpet that reassembled grass.

Nice room, Teddy marveled, though she didn't say this out loud. "So where is she?" she asked instead.

"Enalie? Oh, she's-" Nathan swallowed. "-she's away."

"She ran away or moved out or something?"

"No she...she...Look. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Nathan said firmly.

Teddy was taken aback. "Er, okay." Something was up with his sister.

"So uh, breakfast tomorrow at six," Nathan continued hastilly. "So wake up early."

"Six?" Teddy goggled at him. "How about seven?"

"Seven?" Nathan cracked a grin, mirroring her intonation. "We'll be late for the comp."

"I'm almost always late."

"Figures. But breakfast is still at six." Nathan sighed then smiled again, exhausted. "'Night."

Teddy turned around and scowled. Than halfway, changed her mind and slowly faced Nathan again. And gradually, her pale lips curved into a sheepish smile. Teddy rarely smiled and when she did, it seemed to make her face glow with this radiant, happy light. "Thanks again," she said. "You know, for everything."

He opened his mouth to say some smart-aleck remark then stopped. "Right," he allowed instead. "No problem." He held out his arms as if waiting for her to go and hug him. "Come here."

Teddy's smile vanished and her usual scowl returned. "Are you expecting me to give you a hug?"

He dropped his arms and reddened a little. "Nooo..."

Groaning, she shooed him out of her (well, Enalie's) room. "Alright. We all know you want to advance to second base. Now go."

"Second base." He looked horrified. "Unbelievable."

"Go!"

He hurried out and closed the door behind him.

Teddy collapsed on her bed and looked at the ceiling. She still couldn't believe she was in a stranger's house in the stranger's country and hours ago, she fell down a gap in the Tube.

She sighed and started trying to sleep.