Sinners - The Puppet (currently being re-written)

Chapter 6 - A predicament

What makes a situation awkward? Is it from the unbearable silence caused by a common inability to say anything to further the conversation? Or is it the embarrassment brought by the fact that your brain just chose to shut up when you needed it most?

Well for Rosa, a situation can only truly become awkward if she isn't doing anything.

For a while now, she'd been itching to leave, go home, sink into the covers of her bed, and get some deserved rest. That day was unbelievably tiring--what with the sudden shade and all that walking--and she couldn't even buy a slice of the cake she was so looking forward to.

Rosa was hardly the type to stand idly and do nothing (like, stop talking and look around for things that could hopefully distract her from moments like that). Her brain was frying itself with all these thoughts flying through her head with each minute that passed and the headache it was bringing did no help whatsoever.

In other words, Rosa Formella hated awkward moments very much like the situation she found herself in.

Nate had been standing frozen by the door for ten minutes. Ten freaking minutes. And in that time she could have eaten a box of donuts while watching something much pleasant than the sight of him doing nothing. She did once try to talk him into finally moving but his reply was an even worse awkward silence. Standing behind him, she could tell he was hesitating, but she couldn't tell the exact reason why. Though she guessed it was probably because of that shade.

He did say it was the first time he ever saw one and he must have been surprised to see what she and that Arthur guy was doing. But he seemed a little too shaken even if he was scared. He'd been acting strange for a while now (like with following that cat like a puppet on strings and freezing up in the middle of the street), and she figured something was wrong but...

"Time waits for no one."

She sighed. Maybe she should leave. She did try to be understanding for once but this silence was torture. She wanted to go home, grab a couple of treats from the pantry, and stuff herself full watching movies.

Yup. Whatever was going to happen, she didn't want to be part of it.

"Nate, I--"

"Hey, you're back."

Rosa turned to the source of the voice. Grace was there, and she was holding a plastic bag from a local convenience store--lips curled into a smile as she approached.

"Oh, Grace," Rosa greeted. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nate shudder at the sound of his mother's voice. Weird. "We didn't know you were out."

"Yes, well, I just bought myself a drink. I can't believe I forgot to include this in the list of groceries I gave you." She reached for her pocket and took out a set of jingling keys. "Where did you both go?"

"We went off to get some cake. There's this sale downtown and I always hear about their specialties online so I got curious. Although, stuff happened so...we couldn't buy anything," Rosa replied. She didn't know if she should discuss what really happened or have Nate himself talk to his mother.

"I see. Can you tell me more about this 'stuff', then?"

She directed the question to her son, glancing at him from his lowered head, and Nate--surprisingly--turned away. Rosa had to frown at that. Grace too seemed to have picked up on it and sent her a confused glance. She could only shrug in reply.

They waited while Grace unlocked the door and entered the house, carefully organizing her shoes to point at the entrance. Rosa followed at once, wanting to ask something because it really wasn't everyday that you find out your neighbor is a Castyph like you. As she herself took off her shoes, she found Nate staring at the floor. He wasn't moving an inch, and it didn't seem like he had any intention of entering the house.