What Are You Doing? #LGBT

Chapter 6

November 9th 2014
Maya's P.O.V

The nights had gotten colder recently. Even though our window is kept closed Luce and I still shiver whilst struggling to sleep. Sometimes she creeps into my bed to seek comfort. When Janet's woeful sobs or heavy snores from drinking herself to sleep seep through the crack beneath our door it's even harder to relax my mind.

Too much already weighs down on my chest and causes my anxiety, such as Camden's silent treatment for the past two weeks. Then, before I can blink, the sun rises and birds sing songs to one another from outside.

I don't need an alarm, for staying awake through the night happens quite often. If Luce is asleep, then I gently shake her by her shoulders, and she'd do the same for me.

It may confuse some that Luce and I refer to our mother by her name. Janet doesn't mind though, not that I think she does. Almost the majority of each and everyday she's not sober, so we tell her to stay at home and lock the door until we come back.

In Britain she was no different, perhaps slightly since she'd sometimes go outside. We talk about it usually, Luce and I. About how it became like this. Yet no matter how we look at it the answer to Janet's current state will always be the same.

Dad left her.

One day- when we were eight and Janet was still happy, we came back home from a trip to the Natural History museum. Dad often was late due to work, but he didn't come home at all that day.

Nor the next, or the one after that.

Our lives changed drastically since he left, and Janet drank 24/7. After a while she got a job offer in America (which completely took Luce and I by surprise.)

She works on a little laptop in her room, so we have no clue what kind of job she has. If anything, we're glad that she's still working.

"Is it school today?" Luce yawns. I glance down at her slitted eyes and puffed cheeks. She must've gotten little sleep.
"Yeah. Wot do yer want for breakfast?" She hesitates upon deciding, then stretches out her arms and legs.

"Uhm..wot do we 'ave?"
"Bread an' jam...an' butter" I say. As if she were thinking very hard, Luce finally comes to a conclusion with a slight smile.

"I'll 'ave that then."
My shirt hangs over the door of our wardrobe, crinkled and stained from yesterday. I clumsily swing my legs off the side of the bed and then push myself to my feet.

"Oh, yeah" Luce murmurs, "is yer an' Cam on good terms now?" I flinch at this and Luce, noticing that she'd touched on a sensitive subject, attempts to retract her words.
"I mean, 'ow is Elsa 'an that?" she says.

In reality, Elsa had been complaining whilst Cam was gone about her inability to connect with a fellow member of The Talent Club.  That 'club' consists of a girl-only talented-only policy, and quite frankly it makes me feel a bit nauseous.

It's run by a girl named Faye Fluor. Faye's disgusting obsession with perfection in a human and negative perspective on flaws is what the club thrives of off. They hold most of the schools events/performances, because they're determined to become somewhat known and respected.

The point is, I don't care about The Talent Club nor what Elsa has to say about it.
I shrug and turn my back to Luce.
"She's good. Doin' jus' dandy."

There's a long silence as I slip into my shirt and smooth down the creases. Luce clears her throat and gets up to exit the room, probably to urinate; not that I need to know.

Whilst she's gone I get fully dressed and leave into the kitchen. Surprisingly Janet stands at the fridge, running her fingers along a packet of raspberries on the top shelf. When I enter I notice her go all rigid.