Stay...Calm

Chapter 19

"I know how you feel," Jacey told Anias, that next day. She was in her usual spot near the window, with Thelma, Asha, and Victorine peeking from the other side of the wall. Yolanda sat next to her best friend, ready to pitch in at any moment.

"With...everything you've seen," she sighed. "Everything you've been through. I...mostly

understand."

Anais seemed to be listening, but she kept her eyes fixed away from her. Strain built upon her forehead and her fists slowly clenched.

"I know it's hard, I know it's..." Jacey trailed off a bit. She glanced over her shoulder and mouthed something to Yolanda.

"What a shame," Asha whispered. Without acknowledging the help at hand, Anais let her lips softly run free, uttering to whatever went on in her mind. With another doubtful glance over her shoulder, Jacey continued, "I know, you must've lost some family...I...did too."

A long pause followed. One that couldn't have been shorter than three minutes. One where the tension turned everyone's attention to each other, but then turned it back to the girl by the window. After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence...Anais spoke up.

"Why don't you just go run back to your boyfriend," she grumbled, gritting her teeth. She looked Jacey right in the eye. It was intimidating enough to back Jacey take a step back. "You have no God damn clue what I've been through. So don't start with me."

Anais stood up, everyone watching, and tried to stomp away.

"You've seen the explosion, haven't you!?" Jacey snapped. Anais stopped in her tracks and stared down at her feet.

"Yes," she answered.

"And you've seen your family get lost in the wrecks?'

"No. I was trapped in a closet for a while."

"I had to escape in a busted car."

"I climbed out a window and down a tree, and ran while the bombs were still falling."

"We were driving for a few days."

"A week, for me. On foot."

"Why don't you even think to talk to someone about it."

"Excuse me, which one of us has two shoulders to cry on."

Silence and hesitation ensued. "Though so."

Anais turned back away, and her footsteps echoing through the hallways. The thumps got quieter and quieter and were ceased with the loudest thump coming from downstairs. After a minute, Yolanda spoke up, "Damn, that's cold. And that's coming from someone who stills calls Parker 'I'm watching you, Diaz.'"

"I'm talking to her!" Thelma proclaimed. But as she moved to leave, Asha grabbed her wrist.

"Let's give her some time alone," Asha said.

"But-"

"Leave her," Yolanda demanded. Thelma stomped her foot and sat down. She crossed her arms.

"Why does this hafta happen?" she whined. "Why does she hafta be like this. Why do we hafta be stuck in all this!"

As Jacey tried speaking up to answer her, but Victorine didn't pay any attention. She glanced in the direction that Anais escaped to. With daintiness and curiosity, she tiptoed straight down the hall. She was at the banister of the stairs before Thelma let out another whine. She was about to crawl down the stairs but found Anais, her blonde hair covering both sides of her face, sitting right there on the middle stair, her head against the railing, looking through the bars.

Victorine took her time walking down the stairs, trying her best to ignite even the slightest creak. She pressed her hands on the opposite wall instead of the railing. Her feet touched the stairs while pointed, but slowly flattened and went to the next step. It took her about a full two minutes just to get down the girl's level. She gestured to touch her shoulder, but hesitated and pulled back. She stood in uncertainty, but Anais made the decision for her.

Her head whipped around, revealing blue, tainted eyes wide as saucepans staring right at Victorine, piercing right though. The edges of Anais's mouth curved into a half-smile but snapped back to a frown. Victorine jumped back, falling onto the stair behind her. Anais's hand slammed right onto the wall, hard to get the attention onto her. Victorine helplessly stared into her crazy eyes, panting like a dog.

"Have you seen outside?" Anais asked, her hand clenching into a fist. "Have you seen it?"

Victorine frantically looked around for a way to escape, but she couldn't escape the psycho problem right in front of her face.

"The snow's starting to drip off the trees," she whispered, in a high voice, each "drip" getting accentuated. "Just drip and drip away. The time that we're here. The time being spent in this house. It's all happening out there. It's all happening. I've seen hell, and it's coming our way. Coming anytime now....anytime now.....anytime now. Anyday. We'll....escape. We have to. Have to. Before the snow falls off completely. We'll...melt as well."

Victorine didn't want to take it all in, but she couldn't help but listen to it. Once that speech was finished, and Anais was left panting with her teeth gritted. Taking this as her chance to get out, Victorine slipped back up the stairs, and into her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her, her face fixated on the ceiling. Taking this chance to catch her breath, she stared into space for a while. When her sight clarified, she was staring at the grated air duct. And behind it, bright cat's eyes. They stayed in contact for a second, but both looked away. They knew each other by now.

Victorine paced around at first but found that to be no use (and dramatic). She climbed up and flopped onto the bed, hugging the blanket. She didn't even know how long she stayed there for. An hour? Probably less. However long it took, it didn't matter. It all came to an end with the dreaded sound of footsteps up the stairs. She clutched the blanket to her flat chest and listened in. Her breathing was sharp as a needle as it got closer and closer. Her nerves stepped up as she waited...but they (surprisingly) calmed at the sound of Timothy's yabbering.

"You're hot, y'know?" he said.

"You suck at flirting, y'know," said...Anais. How the f*** did that happen?  Victorine couldn't help but think (language, child). The door to the boy's room closed, and Victorine scurried down the bed to listen in. She was across the hall in a flash as she pressed her ear to the door and listened in.

"So...why were you on the stairs?" Timothy asked.

"Oh, no reason," she lied. "At least...nothing you wanna know about."

"I mean it, though."

"You mean what? You don't wanna know why I was on the stairs?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I mean that...I like you."

"What?"

"What do ya mean 'what?' I like you."

"You...you really mean it?"

"Of course I do."

There was a pause, a long one. Victorine opened the door just a creak to peek in. They were sitting by the window, with his hand on top of hers....and the other on her knee and ready to move up.

"I...really...like you."

Anais had a nervous smile on her face. But the surprise was plastered right there on her face. "I...I have to..."

She abruptly got up and started speed-walking out, her eyes wide as saucepans with shock and delight and confusion. Victorine glanced back at Timothy, to see him sitting with a smirk on his face.