Somewhere in the Trees

four

I grab about three mugs in each hand and help Edith bring them out to the living room. I stare down into the brown liquid in each cup, keeping steady so I don't spill anything.

I set the mugs all down on the coffee table and immediately move to sit down next to Zoe on the floor.

"You look like you saw a ghost," Zoe says to me. "Everything good?"

I look around at the class. They're all listening to Robert talk about something. I focus on Professor Kitt. I want to ask Professor Kitt if we can leave and tell him that I don't feel comfortable staying here for another second. I have a terrible feeling about this place and the stuffed deer head over the fireplace isn't helping.

I look at Zoe as she reaches over to grab a mug of tea. "They have a kid," I say quietly.

"What?" she asks, leaning closer as if she didn't hear me.

"They have a kid," I repeat through gritted teeth. "A young girl."

Zoe lifts a shoulder. "So?"

"Well, she was in the bathtub and... she was sitting in the dark," I say. "When I saw her, she just stared at me, didn't even react or anything."

Zoe takes a sip of the tea. "That's weird, but obviously these people have a screw loose."

She's a little loud so I quickly look over at Robert to make sure he didn't hear. He must not have, he's still in conversation with Professor Kitt.

I watch as Edith walks back in from the kitchen and sits down next to Robert. She settles into the couch and crosses her legs just as her eyes catch on the last, lonely, powder blue mug sitting on the coffee table. She then slowly looks at me, and I realize I'm the only one who didn't take one.

Giving her a tight smile, I reach over and take the last mug. I wrap my fingers around the warm ceramic and lower it to my lap. I don't want to drink it.

"What's wrong?" Edith asks me.

I look up at her. "What do you mean?"

"You don't like tea?" she asks, looking down at the mug in my hands. "I made it fresh."

Now everyone's looking at me. I look around, my eyes locking on Professor Kitt. He looks at me, confused, as if he wants to ask me if I'm okay. I'm not. I don't feel right about this place. But then again, I never feel right about anything. I don't want to insult these people who were kind enough to allow us into their home.

My mother always told me that it's rude not to eat what somebody makes for you. My grandmother used to make an atrocious broccoli casserole every time we came over - for some reason she thought we loved it - and my mother, my sister and I would have to choke it down every time. "It's polite," my mother would say.

So I slowly take a sip of the tea. It tastes normal - bitter with a hint of lemon. The heat of the drink does feel pretty good on my throat. I take another long sip.

"You like it?" Edith asks me with a smile. Her eyes are still rimmed with red from her odd hysterics before, but her makeup isn't a speck out of place.

I nod, putting the tea down on the floor in front of me. "It's delicious," I tell her. "Very refreshing."

Zoe stifles a laugh next to me. I look over at her.

"Very refreshing," she mocks. "You sound elderly."

"I'm just trying to be nice," I defend, though I feel embarrassed for giving Zoe a reason to make fun of me.

She takes another sip of the tea, ignoring me. "I wish we were at Pi Kap," she sighs. "I should be blacked out right now."