The Contract

IV - Intervallum

-

I let out a muffled groan as I felt something slam into my back. I rolled over, throwing my pillow over my head and feeling sleep slowly wash away. Sadly. I was already grumpy, and I wasn't even fully awake.

I grunted when something jammed into my stomach. I ripped the pillow away from my face, shot up into a sitting position, and shrieked when I saw Tony sitting on my bed with a grin. Slowly and suspiciously, I narrowed my eyes at him. Had he been elbowing me so I would get up?

Ooh, kill.

Before I could bare my teeth at him and pounce, he held something up to my face, causing me to jerk back and hit my head on the headboard. Reaching up to rub my pounding head, I realized that he was holding the cordless phone.

"Huh?" I breathed out, my voice strained because of the pain that was beating in my head.

"Phone!" Tony announced perkily. "It's grandma!" He dropped the phone in my lap and hopped off the bed and raced out of my room.

Tiredly, I looked down at the phone and slowly picked it up and held it to my ear.

"Uh. . . hello?"

"Katty!"

Ah. Right. Another nickname, other than Kat, that my grandma had given me. Sometimes she could be such a child.

"Hi, grandma," I mumbled into the phone, feeling drained and dead. "How are you doing?" I added. I really had to wake up. My grandma probably would get the impression that I didn't want to talk to her, which was, in a way, true. Of course, any other time, not at—I glanced at the clock—5:30 in the fruitin' morning—I would have been happy to hear from her.

"I'm just fine!" my grandma chirped. I could almost hear her grinning. She was such a happy woman. "I can't wait to see you. You know, your grandpa and I should visit you more often, shouldn't we?"

Ugh. No.

"Oh, sure!" I forced a laugh. "I miss you guys," I lied. Well, I missed my grandma, but in no way did I miss my grandpa. I could have lived without my grandpa's constant criticism; telling me how I should walk more straight or eat more "like a young lady". What the heck? How was a "young lady" supposed to eat? It wasn't like I ate so sloppily that I ended up wearing my food.

"So," I forced out, "when are you guys coming?"

Oh, I'm sorry, Katty. Something's come up, I'm afraid. . .

"We should be there by the time you get back from school," she replied, sounding as if she was beaming with happiness. I slumped my shoulders, defeated.

"Okay," I said, then forcefully chirped, "good."

"Well, I really can't wait to see you," my grandma said cheerfully.

I hesitated, then timidly asked, "Is grandpa going to criticize how I walk again?"

Grandma laughed as if she thought I was joking. "Oh, Katty. You know he only does that because he loves you."

I didn't reply. I just rolled my eyes. I thought grandma's were supposed to be wise?

"Oh, dear," my grandma suddenly piped up, "I'd better go. Your grandpa's having some trouble packing."

"Mm, bye," I said distractedly, then waited for my grandma to hang up. When she did, I hung up also and tossed the phone onto the floor, then I cuddled back into my bed to fall back asleep.

-

Smart me. Smart me. I had slept in, and now I was going to be late for school. Sighing in irritation, I adjusted my binder under my arm and flicked some of my hair out of my eyes. It was still wet. Thankfully, the day was hot and I didn't have to have my head frozen off thanks to my hair.