We Are Monsters

Chapter 9: Like Us, But Not

"So, I'm possessed by a demon?" Ethan asks, confusion and worry in his eyes.

"No, y-" Anna starts, but is interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. She turns towards the door and then back to Ethan.  "Oh gosh, is it 3 o'clock already?" She asks frantically.

"Hey Ms. Keller, I'm ready for movie night" a familiar voice says before slamming the door shut.

The auburn haired woman rolls her eyes. "Josh. You're very early" She says, turning to face the archway where the front entrance and the kitchen meet. Anna was annoyed, but not surprised, that he would show up only hours after his last visit. Josh often spent most of Saturday in her home, movie night is a weekly occurrence after all. "Mia isn't back yet" she turns back to Ethan, mouthing the word 'sorry'.

Josh begins taking his shoes off, placing his bike helmet on the hardwood floor. He looks up from his feet and notices Ethan, his 'foster whatever', standing on the other side of the island.

"What are you doing here?" He asks pointing at Ethan, his eyes squinting.

"Ethan is uh.. here for tutoring" Anna responds quickly with a cheap smile.

"At your house? On a Saturday?" Josh scoffs. "Yeah right, I definitely believe the smartest kid in our grade needed your urgent help." Josh walks into the kitchen, leans against the archway, and crosses his arms "what's really going on here?"

Anna looks to Ethan, who is standing paralyzed, shaking slightly from the surprise of the door. His hands are placed firmly in the front pockets of his worn blue jeans. He was not expecting to find Josh here. But he suspects that this might be common, showing up at friends houses, Mia often did so in his foster home. He bows his head down, avoiding peering eyes.

"you don't have to tell him anything you don't want to." She states cleanly, Ethan looks up slightly and catches a glimpse of the serious expression patterning her face.

"Thank you, Ms. Keller" he directs his attention towards Josh, sleek hair slightly messy from the bike helmet. He stammers a bit before saying "I'm actually here to talk to Mia". He speaks with a soft voice, not quite facing Josh.

"Well Mia isn't home yet" Josh says in a mimicking tone.

"He didn't know that" Anna adds quickly.

"But he knows where she lives?" He asks with an eyebrow raised.

-

Mia turns the silver knob of her front door, still reeling from her date. She thinks about Aaron's beautiful smile, and the way he hugged her when she bowled a strike. As the red door opens wide, her smile drops. Immediately, the company present sends curiosity through her mind. She didn't expect to see anyone but Anna, so seeing two other people, more specifically her best friend (no shock in that, it was movie night) and Ethan Greenbalm, made her mind race with questions.

"What the hell is going on?" She asks assertively, hands on her hips.

"That's exactly what I was asking." Josh says in a dramatic high pitch tone.

"Hi Mia, I wasn't expecting you for another" Anna checks the clock on the microwave "15 minutes. How was the date?" She says with a forced smile.

Mia crosses her arms, echoing Josh's stance from earlier, "Don't deflect my question, Anna." she coughs fictitiously, "I -mean aunt Anna".

"It's ok Ms. Keller, you can tell them." Ethan speaks up from afar. He looks to Anna, and nods for additional approval.

Anna stands up straight and looks towards the group behind her. She puts on her teacher voice and begins speaking, "Ethan came to me because he thought I was someone he could trust with a secret. Something he has been keeping inside for a long time." Anna quickly notices the bored expressions around the room. She sighs, "he's a demon".