Aftermath

Ch 30: The Tweenager

I'm doing Nanowrimo, so I'm getting a lot written (including Aftermath), but I'm not getting a lot of editing done. I like to edit before putting it out, even though to my chagrin, a few errors always seem to remain. Thus, the unusually slow updates. But as I was told in my writing group yesterday, sometimes you've got to let it go.

So here we go! Please enjoy! Vote and comment if you do. This chapter is dedicated to @cybrsherri!

Kota

Knock. Knock. Like a horrible joke, the knocking didn't stop, a woodpecker trapped inside my skull.

"Go away," I mumbled into my pillow, hoping my brain would listen.

"Kota, I know you're in there!"

I blinked, reconciling myself as I woke. I had been online for a while after reading Val's letter, and I had probably read longer than I should have, especially from the computer screen. My headache had intensified, so I had stopped, deciding to lie down for ten or fifteen minutes until it stopped. Judging by how tight my muscles were, ten minutes had come and gone at least six times since then.

"Pretty please? Mom said we're leaving soon," Jessica's voice continued from outside the door. "I have some mail for you," she said, as though that would make a difference.

I cleared my throat. "Just a second." I had planned to look slightly more presentable by the time Jessica got home—maybe change out of my wrinkled pajama pants and tank top into something much more normal. Aside from our family PJ days like Christmas, I never wore bedclothes in the middle of the day. I didn't want her to look at me and immediately think I was worse than I was.

I no longer had time to change, not when I took into account the immobilizer. I didn't feel like it either. My head was pounding. If I had my wish, we would delay this encounter for another hour or two. But they would be leaving soon, as my mother was taking Jessica to a friend's house for the tonight on her way to work. So in just a few minutes, my blissful silence would return, and hopefully my headache would go away.

"Kota! Why do I have to knock anyway?" she whined. "I know you're in there."

"You just do." It probably wasn't loud enough for her to hear me. It didn't matter; she knew it was a house rule. I cleared my throat so I could speak louder. "Where's Mom?"

"Getting ready for work! Ko-ta! Can I please come in?" Jessica whined again, immediately making me feel bad. She wasn't much of a whiner. Had she had a bad field trip? A rough day?

I cleared my throat, trying to make my voice cooperate. "You can come in." I sat up, trying to make it look as though I might have been casually reading instead of conked out in the middle of the day.

I was deluding myself. She was much smarter than that.

The door opened. "Kota? I just wanted to—Why is it so dark in here? Do you want me to turn on the light?"

"No, don't do that." My head couldn't take that. "Max, open the blinds." It was dreary outside, but the outside light should be enough.

This was a newer trick we had been working on, and I hoped he would get it. Max trotted over to the window. I had added a dog-friendly covering to the cord, and he tugged on it, pulling the blinds up halfway before stopping. Once he was done, he sat down proudly.

"Great job, Max! You're such a good boy!" Jessica squealed, running over to hug Max.

I flinched. "A little quieter, please," I managed. My nap hadn't helped my headache, and my little sister's high pitched noise was at the perfect frequency to exacerbate it. It was my own fault I was suffering; Sean had warned me about this. But I had just kept reading, thinking of one more thing I wanted to check out. I had a few answers, but even more questions. And, of course, one massive headache.