Reflections of Light

What, Where And Why?

Luci skidded to a halt just outside the partly open lounge doorway, throwing her hands up in frustration, giving up on running after her son.

"I mean it! Do not take it apart! You can have a play on it, but nothing involving real money or homemade science experiments!"

She turned, catching Sebastian's eye through the door as she did. "Don't ask."

"Wasn't planning to."

She walked forwards, pushing the door open a little more to peer into the room, leaning on the doorframe.

"So, what you up to?"

"Nothing."

"Well... Do you want me to find something for you to do?"

"No."

"Not housework, I promise."

"Take a hint. No."

Luci took a step into the room, looking around.
"When was the last time you left this room?"

"Yesterday."

"Walking to the fridge doesn't count."

He shot her a deadly look before turning his attention away, obviously deciding to ignore her.

She walked over and flopped down on the seat next to him.

"Seriously, when was the last time you showered?"

"Yesterday... Get off me, woman!"

Luci had reached over and ran her fingers forcefully through his hair, gripping a handful none-to-kindly to examine it.

He shoved her hands away, scooting back from her and glaring.

She chuckled. "Just checking! God, you sound like my son when I try to convince him to wash. Shrieks bloody murder and barricades himself in his wardrobe, he does."

"I'm not surprised, if you yank his hair around like that." Sebastian muttered angrily.

He looked at her, sitting there, almost expectantly. "What?"

"Nothing." She grinned fake-innocently.

He expected her to move, to get up and leave, but that quickly became evident it wasn't happening.

"What?"

"Nothing! Stop being so paranoid! I'm allowed to be here!" She was winding him up now, he could see it. She was enjoying it.

Irritably, he got up, striding purposefully out of the room, away from her.

Upstairs, Billy was attempting to pry the back off his mother's phone.

His 'robot' sat by his side, looking oddly similar to a toaster with two of the plastic sides removed, the guttings of a TV forced into it, and plastic wheels taped to the bottom.
It lacked any power source, controls or the basic knowledge of wiring required to make it work, but the ingenuity was admirable.

He gave up on trying to get the back off, instead deciding to play one of the games on the phone instead.

He clicked at the screen, hearing his mother and... That person, talking in the room below.

What were they talking about? He couldn't help but be curious.
He didn't understand why Sebastian was here, especially when he'd said he wasn't friends with mummy.
He didn't get that. Why was mummy helping him if they weren't friends?

Getting bored, he dropped the phone on the ground, and skipped over to the clear plastic storage box in the corner of his room which was playing the part of his toy box.
In it was a small pile of toys, consisting of a mix of what he'd managed to bring with him, and what he'd acquired once he'd gotten here.

He sifted through the pile, looking for something he hadn't already gotten bored with.

A box of lego warranted a second look, as did his assorted collection of action figures, however most things got passed over with a glance.

Something else caught his attention, and he pulled out of the box his pair of toy swords, the one's his mother had retrieved from her old house.

She'd given them to him, partly as an apology for leaving him for three days without knowing where she was, and partly as a bribe so that he wouldn't be difficult about the change in living situation.
They were one of the coolest things he owned, however not as fun to play with on his own as they would be with his friends.

Bzzz, Bzzz, Bzzz...

The phone on his floor was vibrating furiously.

Rushing over and swooping it up, he looked at the screen, debating whether to answer it, decline it or get his mother.

Recognising the name, he pressed green to answer.

" 'Ello."

"Lucia, I have been trying to get a hold of you for weeks now! What on earth were you thinking blanking me like that!" Evelyn Mater ranted down the phone. "We need to have a serious discussion about what's going on, not just for your sake, but for your sons. Think of what you are doing, for Christ's sake, he needs a stable home! Look, I am willing to... "

"S'not Mum, I's William."

Evelyn's volley of words skidded to a halt.

"... William? Billy? Oh my god, where are you?"