Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 75 ||

           

On their way home from school, Maisie and Owen mostly always talked the whole way. Either messing about, or going deeper on a more sensitive topic. It was mostly related to how Maisie's day had been. If she had anything fun to share or some concerns, she had to get out in the open.

This day, no word was spoken after the first minute. Owen was on time, waited a couple minutes outside the school before Maisie appeared. When she did, they drove off and Owen started their usual routine. Asking how it had been, if she had any homework and so on. He didn't get many words from her. In fact, he only got one. "Fine" Was all she said, with her head turned towards the window.

Owen knew in an instant, that something was off. He couldn't yet tell, if it had to do with school or something else, but she definitely was not in the mood to talk. Even look at him for that matter.

They drove in silence. The road had never seemed so long to Owen, until now. Having Maisie to speak to, made you forget about the time. About the same boring road he drove twice a day, minus the times Claire offered to do it.

Before Owen had even parked, Maisie unbuckled her seatbelt, opening the door as soon as the car came to a still. Making her way towards the house with big and quick steps. Claire was in the kitchen and upon hearing the car pull up, she walked the few steps it took, to the front door. Wanting to be there to greet them.

First one to enter, was Maisie. Claire wore her usual happy genuine smile, with her cheerful welcoming words as well. The reaction from Maisie was not as it usually was. The same smiling girl, walking through the door and throwing her backpack on the floor before embracing her mom in a hug and telling her about her day, was not who entered.

This time, Maisie wasn't smiling. All Claire got, was a quick look her way, before Maisie disappeared around the corner and her footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Right as Claire had lost sight of Maisie, Owen came in through the door, closing it after him. She looked up at him confused. All he did was shrug and look down at her with an understanding look.

He leaned towards her for a quick kiss and walked past her into the kitchen, after he received it. Claire followed him, hoping he had some explaining, despite his shrugging shoulders a second ago. "What was that about?" She asked, leaning up against the counters, crossing her arms in the process. Owen poured a glass of water and took a sip before speaking. "No idea" He said, leaning against the counters on the opposite side.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, before one of them spoke. "I think something happened at school" Owen said, followed by another sip of his water. "Why do you say that?" Claire asked, with a hint a hurt in both her eyes and her voice. "She was already upset, when she entered the car. Spoke one word and glared out of the window the whole way" He said, downing his water afterwards.

He left the room, but Claire remained by the counters, practically glued to them. She didn't move for 10 minutes, before finally deciding that Maisie had to talk about it. She would do her best to get her to talk and if it didn't work, she would wait half an hour, before trying again.

Even though Claire was slightly hurt and angry at Maisie's behavior, she wasn't going to just barge into her room, demanding that she spit out everything in an instant. Instead, she knocked as always and waited for an all clear to enter. She didn't get one. She knocked again without any answer. The third time she knocked, she decided not to wait for an answer. To let the knock be more of a warning. A slow awaited warning.

Claire opened the door and looked around, quickly spotting Maisie at her desk on her laptop. The girl didn't look up or away, didn't even blink. Claire remained in the door opening, wanting to give Maisie a chance, but without luck in the end. Claire took a few steps into the room and closed the door, never taking her eyes off of Maisie, just as the girl didn't take her eyes off the screen.