Alice (permanently on hold)

Catherine

Catherine.

She sat in the kitchen, her legs crossed, her face in its constant disappointed grimace. She looked around the cramped space, finding something wrong in every corner. She had pulled Alice's chair away from the table, and sat in front of the sink.

Alice stood just around the corner. She didn't want to tell anyone Catherine was there. She wanted Cathrine to leave. Alice didn't like Catherine. But Catherine had a key.

Alice's father had given it to her. And, somehow, Catherine hadn't lost it. Catherine lost everything. This bothered Alice. It didn't bother Cathrine. That bothered Alice even more.

Alice turned away. Her father would find out eventually. He would be mad that Alice had ignored Catherine. Alice could only stay out there for so long.

"Alice?"

Fuck.

"Hm?" Alice asked, coming around the corner, "Oh, Catherine. Hi."

Catherine sighed, then asked, "Why do you have three different chairs?"

"Dad said we could each pick our own chairs out," Alice said.

"Why don't you sit down?"

"You're in my chair."

There was silence. Catherine didn't stand. Alice didn't move. Nothing happened. Nothing at all.

For just a moment.

"Mommy!"

Kendall ran into the room, past Alice, and threw her arms around Cathrine. Cathrine smiled. Alice didn't.

"Hey Baby," Catherine said, returning the hug for a moment, "Is your daddy home?"

"Nuh-uh," Kendall shook her head wildly. She grinned. Catherine laughed. Alice sighed. All eyes turned on her. Her face reddened slightly.

"I'll go get him," Alice said quickly. She fled the room in a speed walk, her arms tightly pressed against her sides.

She slammed the front door as she left. It wasn't that Alice hated Cathrine. Cathrine had never done anything to deserve hate. But she was irresponsible and Alice had lost respect for her long ago.

Alice's father was not close enough to get. He'd taken the truck and driven past town. The bus didn't go that far. And Alice certainly wasn't about to walk.

But Cathrine didn't know that. And Alice needed some space. She often needed space.

Alice often felt to be the sole responsible party of her household. True, her father brought in the majority of the cash. But she was the one who shopped, prepared meals, woke Kendall, cleaned the house, kept Kendall out of trouble, placed out food for the wild cats (that her father and Kendall adored), prepared Kendall for bed, tucked Kendall in, chased the cats out of the house (her father had left the door open again), and helped Kendall fall asleep if she'd had a nightmare.

Kendall looked to her as a parental figure, more so than either of her real parents. But as with any parent, Alice went under appreciated by her ward.

And Kendall seemed to prefer her mother, who had left when she was four and was an infrequent presence in her life. This frustrated Alice to no end.

She kicked a rock, cursing as she learned that its weight was far more than she had anticipated. This was a common occurrence for Alice.