Stay...Calm

Chapter 21

The entire house was downstairs by the time Lee finished ranting and stomping in circles.

"Of course. Just what we need!" she shouted. "Another GODDAMN person in this house. Isn't that JUST WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW! YET ANOTHER ANNOYING LITTLE CRAP WE HAFTA TAKE CARE OF TIL WE ALL DIE! OF COURSE! 'CAUSE WE TOTALLY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE DO WORRY ABOUT, DIDN'T WE? DIDN'T WE!? GREAT! JUST GREAT!"

After that, all that came out of her mouth was a mix of strange tongues and every curse word known to man. This young man (or old boy) identified himself as Edd, with no last name. What we know is that he marched up to the mansion, walked inside, took the only red apple from the top of a pile of green apples, and plopped down on the biggest and last unoccupied couch in the grand living room. He wore a backward hat and a long, muddy green jacket. He had an awfully attractive face, for a stranger. Victorine tried to keep her distance from the heap of people questioning the hell out of this guy. She could always observe from wherever...

Unlike other guest arrivals, not one person seemed to be happy about it. A lot of grunts and eye rolls came from the oldest ones just laying eyes on him. The youngest of them at least had some curiosity to go along with it. Specifically Thelma inability to stop staring at Edd, and Buckley poking him with every question. Yolanda had a glare fixed on him, and Horace smirked while staring at Edd's pants. A few, such as Melissa and Opal, couldn't care less. They just wanted to go back to bed. Ms.Kion looked like stress was building up in her head and hiding behind her eyes.

"Would you please tell us where you came from?" she questioned, Edd still lying down on the couch.

"No."

"Would you please tell us how you got here?"

"No."

"Would you please tell us if you're staying?"

"Let me think...no."

Ms.Kion grunted and groaned in frustration. Mrs.Daniels stepped in to give it a try.

"Listen, young man," she commanded. "If you're staying under this roof, you'll have to inform us. Now, please be so kind and tell us some-"

Edd put his hat over his face and tried to go back to sleep. Yolanda took it all over.

"Hey kid!" she yelled. "Who the hell are you?!"

"No," he responded. Yolanda threw her hands up and announced, "We're hopeless!"

Edd lifted his hat for a second to wink at Yolanda. She scoffed at him.

"And just what we need. A perv," she uttered under her breath.

"Okay, I'll make a deal with yous guys," he said. "I stay outta your way here, and I get t' sleep here."

"Will it make you shut up!?" Lee interjected.

"Fine," Ms.Kion whispered. "Fine!"

With a smirk, Edd put the hat back on his face and took a bite out of the red apple. He was back asleep in a second. Mrs.Daniels turned to the rest of the residents.

"Back to bed," she exclaimed. "Nothing to see here."

Rubbing her eyes, Victorine started to follow Asha back upstairs. But she paused for one last glance. This mystery guest remained on the couch with his feet crossed right at the ankles, and a cocky smirk on his face. She tilted her head to the side, and she thought. As long as it isn't a hassle, she thought. She promptly followed the other guests to bed.

The next day, at talent time, Victorine tiptoed and kicked in high relevé. She tried to move to the lyrical rhythm of Pauline's song on the piano. Her legs and arms were straight as she flowed from one movement to another. She slides into a left leg split as the song ended. Even when the music subsided, she kept on going. Pauline shrugged.

"The song ended y'know!" She exclaimed. Victorine's legs spread far into the air. "Hello?"

Victorine kept going. Opal put her chin on Pauline's shoulder and whispered, "She's in her own little world."

She nodded in agreement, but still seemed confused. Edd barged in with Thelma at his tail and crashed down on the bed that Yolanda sleeps on.

"You," Timothy mumbled, with an eye roll.

"Lemme guess: the ass-hat club," Edd said, pointing to the children.

"You bet," Horace answered, leaning in closer and raising his eyebrows. "'Cept for me, hot stuff."

Thelma pushed him aside. "OFF!"

She rested her chin on her hands and tilted her head, flashing an adorable grin. How are ya?"

He glared at her. "I was better before all...this. But yeah, stick around."

Buckley hid an "attention seeker" inside a heavy cough.

"Hey! This is completely fine," Thelma squealed. Buckley coughed again, sneaking in a "butt kisser."

Bored of this bickering, Victorine ceased dancing and slipped away. She tiptoed around the top floor hall until she wandered up to the door to Ms.Kion bedroom. She cocked her head to the side. It's the one room of the house she had yet to enter. Victorine looked around real quick to check and see if anyone inhabited this part of the hallway. Seeing as to it was desolate, she carefully turned the cold doorknob and opened up the door.

The first thing noted was the chill. You could feel it just from opening up the door. It wasn't too dramatic of a change, but it was enough to make your face and hands a degree clammier. The second thing noticed was the big wardrobe a foot from the door, blocking out more than half the view of the room itself. And the third was that the right door to the wardrobe was about a quarter of the way open. The fourth was the desire to open it up just a little more to see what's inside.

Tilting it at a good enough angle for peeking, Victorine realized that this wardrobe was filled with antiques-old antiques. Black boxes with two white circles in the middle that say "Gracie's mixtape;" An empty case that has a picture of a fat red dog with a blue nose and a skinny chiwawa; A black and white album with four men on it, one with long hair and looking to the side.

Each relic didn't have a speck of dust on them, but still showed signs of their wear. Each had faded colors and floppy corners. They each looked like they were used thousands of times before being put on this display. But each one cherished. It looked like taking a deep dive into the childhood of the beholder. A simpler time before the prejudice was so noticeable. Before the wars broke out all over. Before the Earth bit off more than it could chew.

A slightly newer antique was in the corner. It was clean and bright like it was something from not too much more than a decade ago. Victorine picked it up with delicacy, and carefully studied it. It was a plain white hat, and in bold purple letters, it read "And Peggy."

At that moment, the sound of footsteps sent a chill up her spine. Thinking quickly, she placed the hat right where she found it and swung the door shut. She slipped right out of the room, closing the door behind her as she witnessed Mrs.Daniels walking by with a bundle of blankets and bags under her eyes. She sighed to herself, "When will they learn this isn't a hotel?"

Victorine sighed and relief and went on her way, the thoughts of those old possessions still in her head.