Lamentations

3- French Toast

Haley

Haley starts to make a batch of french toast and dances around the kitchen. With nostalgia from the good old days, she sings an old song from middle school.

"I am flesh and I am bone rise up like glitter and gold."

Everything was going fine. Normal even, until Haley took a glance over her shoulder and saw a pretty teenager.

"Um... you lost?" The girl didn't answer. "I don't think this is your apartment. Uh..kid?." She puts the plate of French toast she is holding down and walks closer to her.

Jane stands there, looking at the blonde and gives no expression.

"Can I help you?" Haley waves a hand in Jane's face.

Adrian runs in, and April follows.

"Um, do you know her?" Haley asks while pointing confused at the girl.

Adrian pants heavily from chasing Jane up the stairs and looks up with a pissed off face.
"Yes, I do. This is Jane."

Jane takes in the cozy, modern looking apartment and begins walking around, exploring while the adults whisper about her.

Haley looks confused and worried, not really sure of what to do except ask more questions.

"Why do you know a teenager?" she asks, directing her question to Adrian.

He stands up takes the plate of French toast Haley set down and rolls his eyes.

"That's my sister," he deadpans.

April slips off her flats and rushes into her room. "I have to leave for work soon. I'm already late," she explains while rushing to her room.

Adrian looks at Jane from the couch, thinking way too hard about something Haley can't understand. It's been years, and she doesn't even want to be near Adrian. Ouch. I know it's none of my business, but maybe she should give him a chance, Haley thinks.

Adrian finishes the French toast and starts to head to his room where April is.

"I know this is a little sudden, but I have to get April to work, so you have to stay with Jane until I get back." Haley begins to protest, just to be interrupted by Adrian. "I'll be back in a few hours." Adrian grabs his car keys as April walks out of the room, and they both disappear out if the door.

Haley slumps down in the chair she was sitting in. "Well what the hell am I supposed to do with her?" she mutters. She looks up and searches for Jane from her chair, wondering where she wandered off to. Haley wanders around too, finding Jane in the guest room looking around at its emptiness.

"Hey there," Haley says in a cheery, happy tone. "I'm Haley. You must be Jane."

Jane sits on the bed and stares off at her bags, not answering Haley.

"Um, Jane? Yeah, hello. I'm trying to get to know you." Jane still wasn't answering, which was slightly pissing Haley off. "Jane," Haley chides, her tone sounding motherly and reprimanding.

Jane turns slowly and hides a knife in boot. "What? " Her voice was joyless and empty.

"I don't even know why I bothered," Haley mutters to herself at first. "Do you need help unpacking or anything? You wanna talk? I'm pretty decent at both."

"Leave me alone. I'll unpack by myself," she snaps. Haley's temper starts to rise. She hasn't done anything wrong. All she wants is to know who she's living with and if she needs a friend.

"You know what? I don't have to deal with this. I'll see you for dinner." And Haley walks out, slamming the door in the process.

_*~*~*~*_

April

After a long day of dealing with snotty high school kids, coming home to some leftover tacos sounded like nothing but heaven to April.

She steps out of her black heels and pulls her hair out of her tight bun, earning a kiss on the neck from Adrian. "I'll make you a plate," he whispers in her ear and sets off to the kitchen. Haley is already in the kitchen, angrily making everyone a plate of food.

"Your sister is the devil," she hisses. "I try to be nice, and she retaliates with a knife collection and dirty looks. I don't know what her damn problem is, but you need to fix it."

"Haley," Adrian sighs. April walks into the kitchen right behind Adrian.

She defends Jane. "Calm your tits, Hales. She'll be like this for a while. The girl's had a tough life. Remember what happened to me?"

Haley calms down, thinking back on the story April told her when they had become friends. Her life hadn't been so peachy either.

April picks up two plates of tacos, one for Jane and one for herself. "I'm going to talk to her," she says and walks to the guest room. She doesn't bother knocking on the door, clearly not learning her lesson from a few hours before.

"You'd think someone would knock after almost being killed," Jane says, cleaning a knife from her collection.

April completely ignores the comment. "Here you go. We have more in the kitchen if you're still hungry."

"I'm not hungry," Jane retorts. April shakes her head and places the plate in Jane's hands.

"Bullshit. You're thinner than most kids in Africa. And believe me, I know that being hungry isn't a fun feeling." Jane's face is expressionless, like she's never laughed a day in her life. Everything about her screams "skinny," yet April isn't sympathetic. April already knows the feeling of being deprived and abandoned too well.

"Why are you in here?" Jane asks. She bites into a taco, waiting for April to reply.

April has to remember to compose herself, despite the loss of patience. She had already dealt with a bunch of disrespectful teens all day, and she didn't want to come home to find yet another smartass trying purposely to get on her nerves.

"Look, Jane, you can be bitter and cold, but you won't disrespect me because where you came from was fucked off. I know what it's like, so you can't tell me I don't understand and disregard me or my family."

"I haven't done anything," she retorts, which April answers to just as quickly.

"And that's exactly why Haley is seething over her taco," April says sarcastically. "You don't have to talk to her, but you won't disrespect her. Got that?"

Jane rolls her eyes but nods.

"Good." April smiles. "C'mon. Garrett will be home soon. He'll want to meet you." Jane obliges and sits on the livingroom couch, waiting with everyone else for Garrett to get home.