When I Leave

Cleaning Duty and Pavel

Chapter Eleven

Cleaning Duty and Pavel

While Patty slept the hypothermia away, Isis and I were ushered back to the Home. Fergus was already cleaning the stairs when we got there. Mrs. Dowries had gone to her office to 'work' though I'm sure she was sleeping. I thought how unfair it was that we didn't even get a nap before we had to start working.

"How is she?" Fergus asked as we approached. Isis stomped up our stairs and mumbled something about getting changed.

"She'll be okay." I said.

"Are you okay?" He asked, dropping his sponge into the bucket of soapy water, and standing up. I shrugged, "Not often." He smiled.

I started using 'not often' as my answer to the 'are you okay' question after Mum left. Everyone kept asking me and it was starting to tick me off. I mean, it's a stupid question. Honestly, if you have to ask, obviously you notice something's wrong. So no, I am not okay if you are asking me if I'm okay. Also, saying 'not often' makes people smile. Even though they shouldn't, because I basically am admitting I'm not okay.

If you ask me, it's a pretty inappropriate time to smile.

"I'm going to get changed." I said and went up the stairs. He nodded and turned back to the stairs. Something pulled on my heart, and I wanted to tell him what happened and how I couldn't stop blaming myself and how now I was blaming myself for Patty and I wanted him to hug me and tell me that everything would get better soon and that I wouldn't be stuck there forever. I drew in a claustrophobic breath, and kept walking up the stairs instead.

Isis was silent for the first part of that day, not even bothering to throw out a sarcastic comment. Isis scrubbed at the floor around the stairs while I worked my way up the girls' stairs. When Fergus was almost done the boys' stairs, Pavel appeared.

"Allo!" He said at the top of the stairs, a triumphant smile on his face. Fergus looked at him and frowned. Isis rolled her eyes. I stared, trying not to smile at the boy's ridiculous grin.

"Zuk, wha' the hell? Why aren' you a' school?" Fergus demanded.

"I want to." Pavel replied. Fergus shot me an exasperated look. "Wan' to wha', Zuk?"

"Huh?"

"You can' jus' say 'I want to', I' don' make sense."

"Uh... Pomogite!" Pavel replied.

"You wan' to help?"

"Da, help!"

He was so cute I just wanted to squish him. I broke out into a smile, and Fergus spotted it. "Alrigh' help Alice with the stairs, she's slow." He looked at me and smiled at me lopsided. I stuck my tongue out at him but my stomach was doing backflips. After scrubbing the stairs, we went for a half hour lunch. It was a grey day with small showers here and there, and I was almost happy we were stuck in the Home. It was at least toasty warm. We ate quietly, chomping on hot, cheesy pasta that reminded me of- never mind.

After that, we had to do the cafeteria. Isis and Pavel started to wipe off tables while Fergus and I travelled down the hallway and to the right where there was a big closet with all the cleaning supplies stacked in it. I was wondering if Alfie would be guarding it, and subconsciously tightened my ponytail. Fergus glanced at me. "He doesn' guard the close', Alice, it's too obvious, he'd get fired if they caugh' on abou' the stuff he does."

I felt guilty for tightening my ponytail and looked to him. "I don't care if he's there." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. We reached the closet and he swung it open; it was big for a closet, the walls stacked to the top with cleaning supplies and rags.