Stay...Calm

Chapter 18

Watching Opal and Gina adjust to life here was like watching a little girl try to imitate a dance on a T.V. show. You knew she was trying, and you know they're having fun and thinking they're doing great. When, of course, they're really just imitating everything they see. Opal was always smiling along, softly gushing about "how great it is." They read the books in lessons; they discussed over dinner; they listened to Asha sing at talent time. Opal would say, "Aw" whenever Parker and Jacey kissed, and would get frightened by the stupid things that kids do.

But it still seemed artificial. Just something Opal was keeping up to get by. Though she looked like she was trying, and was having fun, the efforts could still go to waste. Not to mention, at every other glance at Gina, she looked uncomfortable as all hell. But who cares about that? Only thing Gina ever commented on was Mrs.Daniels mom jeans (something that Timothy already was whispering about). And it's not like she actually finished her sentence or anything. But that's another story.

Timothy, on the other hand, would flirt with Anais at any chance he got. Even if Anias wasn't listening. Even if Anais repeatedly told the kids she "wasn't into f-boys." It still kept happening enough for Anais to kind of enjoy it. And it had been noted and remembered that trying to say anything in front of the other kids would result in a change of quips and comments that someone turns into an insult to Horace involving bananas (in the worst way). Therefore, Timothy would wait until minimal people were near her corner. But Victorine still saw all.

No matter how much she saw, she never actually told. For one, most people knew of this already. Also, she could bug both of them enough for it to spill out. Even if Anais was a tough nut to crack.

News from the outside world was becoming more and more of a sensitive topic. It didn't help how it poured in more and more excessively. It was no longer just a little fly-by thing that the majority would barley mind as much as Ms.Kion. But by now, it was something that people walking by would stop for, and lend an ear.

"Britain's government is collapsing," Ms.Kion informed, almost holding her breath. "The North Sea is starting to consume the countries surrounding it. Greece is doing fine...for some reason."

Jacey leaned on her boyfriend as Yolanda watched on with her forehead wrinkling up. Horace rolled his eyes at every entry. Anais couldn't even stand being in the room. Asha kept a smile that didn't seem to be able to falter.

"All the high schools in Maryland had to be evacuated this Friday," Ms.Kion went on.

"Does this mean I'll never go to high school?" Pauline asked, raising her little hand.

"Trust me, you're not missing anything," Lee called out.

"There's actually a little poem about high school everyone in my neighborhood knew," Yolanda said. "'Roses are red, violets are blue. Someone's getting pregnant. Don't let it be you.'"

"Ha!" Mrs.Daniels laughed. Pretty much everyone who was old to get it was laughing...Except for Melissa. As the room was erupting into chuckles. Victorine let out a giggle. A loud one. One that was at an awfully high pitch. Eventually, her high pitch titters started to rise over everyone else's. Which just made the room quiet...

"Enough of that!' Ms.Kion called out.

"I remember hearing that one at my elementary school graduation," Jacey recalled.

"Back to news: Protests-turned-riots in Portland have caused the city to shut down, wildfires are eating up-"

"What's wrong?"Parker whispered. Victorine's eyes turned to him. Jacey was starting to bury her face in his shoulder. Yolanda was trying to find the best angle for a hug, and failing miserably. Opal was glancing confused at everyone.

"Again," Pauline muttered, with an eye roll so forced and a frown that was trying to be anything but what it was really for. The air was getting heavier, and fast. Asha glanced at Victorine for a remedy, but she just shrugged. In a haste, she blurted out," We..."

The adults' attention turned to her. Asha struggled to get something happy out.

"We...haven't showed our guests to pool yet!" she blurted out.

"There's a pool?" Opal asked, staring with excited eyes.

"I..." Ms.Kion's eyes scanned the room. "...guess that'll do. Have another pool day!"

After trying to squeeze the two girls into the remaining bathing suits (very scary experience), they ran right into the pool the second Mrs.Daniels unlocked the door. While everyone else was swimming about, Victorine stood at the far corner of the shallow end watching Opal and Gina doing this weird trick across the pool. One would do an underwater handstand, and the person in front would grab them by the ankles and bring their feet to the ground. They would go into a handstand themselves, the person who did it before would grab their ankles and so on. It took about a dozen second-long stairs for Buckley to give up and watch them.

"Like it?" Opal giggled. "We learned it in camp."

"Not very fun t-" Gina began.

"I might've almost drowned her. Several times."

"Fun stuff!" Buckley said, quicker than a jackrabbit. "Y'know, I remember Mom telling me that, when I was a toddler, Horace kept trying to kill me. Like, he once tried to shove a rubber ball down my throat, and then he tried to drown me in the bathtub, and then he shoved Pauline and me into a trash can, and then-"

Opal kept trying to find the right place to interject. "I...I think...I think we g-...HEY!"

Gina took a step back. Opal's expression switched from angry to guilty like it was controlled by a light switch.

"Sorry sorry sorry sorry," she repeated.

"It's okay, it's okay," Buckley reassured. Victorine's eyes wondered to Anais, who was kind of just pacing in circles around the perimeter of the pool, ignoring everyone. It makes the little girl remember: no one to grab anyone ankles. That's sad. In fact...

"It better than all the other stuff I' heard," Buckley continued. "Like shut up the fu-"

She slipped under the water. Her feet pushed off the wall to gain some leverage, and she slithered like an eel towards what looked to be the ankles of those two girls. The closer she got, the clearer the blurry shapes became. With a swift but slowed movement, she grabbed the left ankle of the one closer to her. It started quaking, but she held on until the ankle was pulled up to the surface.

"WHAT THE HE-" a garbled voice screeched.

"Hi, Vicky!" Buckley greeted. She smiled and gave a quick nod as Gina tried to slap her out of rather an instinct, fear of both.

"Why did you-" Gina panted.

"It's a game," Buckley told her. "Anais used t' be good at it."

"Which one is she?" Opal asked.

"The one who doesn't talk to anyone."

"Other than this one?" she pointed down to the Victorine.

"Yeah. The one just pacing around. This one, on the other hand, I she just doesn't talk. I mean, I heard from her a few times, but..."

Victorine slipped away before she got caught up in another set of chain reactions known as Buckley's conversations. She swam through the depths to find her next victim. It took her a few moments to find a still enough person. For this next guy, she held on a bit harder. Which was quite difficult, seeing as to she was being shaken around like a rag doll. It took a good, full ten seconds for her to give up and gasp for air. The first thing she heard. Was Parker yelling what was known as the "s-word." Once she rubbed her eyes and let the water leave her ears, he yelled, "Don't do that, man! Aw, God."

But, for the pure hell of it, Victorine would continue. She slid back under the water to find the next poor soul to bother.