The Edge of Reality

Chapter 6: Small Freedoms

The next couple weeks continued with this pattern. I'd started requesting to get off an hour earlier, without telling Monohan, so that I could spend some time with them without jumping through permission hoops. I worked, spent an hour with my friends, and went home like nothing had happened. I received my first paycheck a month into working and brought it proudly home to Monohan, Agni and Astrio. The pride in their eyes meant more to me than any amount of money as they all spoke over each other congratulating me. I knew my place in the household, so I humbly offered to help pay my share along with the adults, but they refused.

"You earned that money yourself," Agni said. "It's all for you."

"Alright," I said. "Then I think I know what I'll do with this, my first of many paydays."

"What?" Monohan asked, amused by my excitement.

"I'm going to buy a phone for myself- a cheap one. I also wanted to go to this concert with my friends next weekend. And I'm going to take Astrio out for ice-cream, of course!"

Astrio grinned but the faces of my guardians fell.

"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?" Monohan asked. I could tell there was a deeper meaning to his words.

"Friendships can be distractions enough, but a phone and a concert are over the line," Agni jumped in, saying what Monohan had the subtlety not to.

"I won't be distracted," I protested. "You said it was my money, didn't you?"

"Yes," Monohan said. "But we are also here to protect you.To make sure you make wise decisions while you are still to naive to know how. And you may take Astrio for ice cream, but you will not be doing any of the other things."

I stared at them in disbelief. I knew I was in debt to them for being "adopted," they told me that every day, But this seemed excessive. I shook my head at them, more out of frustration than defiance, and walked away to my room. How could they be so proud one moment and so disappointed the next? It was as though I was only doing good until something pushed their buttons. I sat on my bed and stared at the check in my hands. They didn't work for this, I did. There was a knock at my door, and I didn't feel like answering. A moment later, Astrio popped his head around the corner.

"Tesha?" he said cautiously. "Agni said we could go for ice cream... if you wanted to still. Because you said you wanted to, and I didn't want to bug you, but-"

"You just want dessert," I changed the track of my thoughts as I looked up at him with a smirk. "Well, I guess we better go before you start rioting." Astrio laughed and went to put on his shoes. I sighed and smiled; at least I could take my favorite person out for an hour. The nearest parlor was within walking distance, and Monohan reluctantly let us go by foot.

I cashed the check at a bank on the way, and when we got to the tiny 50's style establishment, I ordered him the biggest thing I could find on the menu and we sat down with the giant bowl of topping-covered ice cream. He dove right in- it was his favorite food and we rarely had it around. I snuck in a couple bites as well, even though I wasn't very hungry. If I'd felt nauseous before, however, the chocolate covered, sprinkle drizzled, caramel crap didn't help. I tried to catch his attention from across the stark white table; the 50's swing music in the background made serious topics seemed inappropriate.

"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?" I asked him. I genuinely wanted to hear his opinion.

"Uh," he said, looking up at me between bites. "I think that you have to listen to Monohan and Agni."

"Yeah, I know," I said, frustrated. "But do you think I'm in the wrong?" Astrio put down the spoon and looked directly at me. "I mean, I already told my friends where I live- I could just sneak away into the night with them and not get caught!