The Anatomy of a Parody Heart

out

"Where're you going?"

Enzo doesn't turn around. He is halfway out the door.

Halfway to freedom.

"Out."

"Out where?"

"None of your business."

"Tis so my business." Ren peers into Enzo's face. "Tell me where you're going."

Enzo puts his hands on her shoulders. Pushes her away. "No."

"Tell me!"

"Stop being a prat, Ren." Robyn walks up to them. He is shrugging on his coat. "He can do what he wants."

"What if he has some secret girlfriend he's not telling us about?"

Enzo can't help thinking that, even for Ren, that is a bit far-fetched. He is about to tell her so - but Robyn gets there first.

He is looking annoyed, for some reason.

"And so what if he has? It's not illegal."

Enzo frowns at him. The expression on Robyn's face - it makes him think -

"You've got a girlfriend?"

Robyn jerks his eyes away. "No."

Ren fixes him with an accusatory stare. "You're going out to see her now, aren't you? You told Mummy that you were going for a haircut. She's been asking you to get that haircut for weeks. You said - "

"Piss off, Ren!" Robyn shouts.

For a whole five seconds, Ren stares at him. Wide-eyed.

Then she bursts into tears - loud babyish tears that Enzo hasn't heard since she was five - and runs off down the corridor.

Robyn watches her go. Dismayed. He rubs his hand down his face. Tangles his fingers in his hair - his in-need-of-a-haircut hair. Sighs.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I just - I - I think it's one of those days. You know? It's like - it's like we've lost something. Like Dad's leaving again. And - and Izzy."

It's like we're going backwards. All of us.

"Yeah," Enzo says, "I know."

"Where are you going?" Robyn swings his keys up off the hook. Pockets them. "We can go together - you know - if you want."

It's like - it's like we've lost something. Like Dad's leaving again.

Dad.

He called him Dad.

Enzo shrugs. Turns away.

"Out," he says.

"Just out."