Theories of Global Warming

~Daryl~

 I stood over Arum, watching her laugh. Whenever she smiled, her top lip would almost curl inside her mouth, causing her teeth to look larger and her grin to look more genuine. All my stresses about school always washed away temporarily when we hung out together.

Not wanting to stare, I turned on my heel and went back to my pole.

"Dessert is ready!" I heard Arum's uncle call from upstairs before I could even touch it. Arum leapt up and sprinted up the stairs, not waiting for Anne and I.

My eyes locked with Anne's as she shrugged.

***

While Arum was disappointed about the pudding being strawberry flavored, she still indulged herself in it. I, on the other hand enjoyed the banana pudding more, so I ate that. Unlike her, I took my time and took little bites, savoring the artificial taste. Anne had already finished her pudding and was asleep on the dinner table, her tangled hair was down and draped over it like the roots of a tree.

After I had thrown away my empty banana flavored pudding, I asked Arum, "Could you help me with the Math homework?" That's right, I was a freshman in high school, forced to retake 8th grade advanced math, since Algebra and Geometry were too difficult for me. Luckily, Arum was in 8th grade and she did well in all her classes, so she was usually able to help me out.

"I left early before she could discuss it with us, remember? I have no idea what is going on," I sighed in response. "Let me see it though. I might be able to figure it out."

I pulled a folded up, crumpled sheet of paper and slid it over to her. She wrinkled her nose at it and eyed me suspiciously. Without wasting much more time, she unfolded it and smoothed it out.

Arum sat there, staring at my homework for a solid ten minutes. It was hard for to concentrate on one thing at a time. I had never been too sure why. All I knew was that she had some sort of mental disease that caused her to have to do that.

"I get it," although her motionless face would have argued otherwise. She pointed her finger at a keyword and continued to explain it to me, often times skipping and coming back to it, causing me to be a bit confused, but in the end, I understood it enough to be able to pass the next test.

"Daryl, it's time to go. We have to get up bright and early tomorrow to go to you Grannie Nan's house," My mom sang. I sighed as I stood. Grannie Nan's house was always a dull experience. All we would do is sit on the sofa, watch Fox News, eat cookies, watch more Fox News, and sometimes, if I got lucky, she would let me watch Shrek.

"Well, thanks, Arum," I heaved, hugging my math binder to my chest.

She tilted her head and blinked, "Where are you going?" she asked softly. I paused for a moment. So, she hadn't heard my mom? I thought she was speaking loud enough, anyways.

"I'm going home," I answered.