UnReality

(Twenty-Four)

All day, I laid on my bed, sobbing quietly, clutching the letter and drenching it with my salty tears. The doorknob jiggled. "Rei?" It was Rosalie, who's voice was also a dead monotone. I didn't answer. "I know you're there." She said again. "...Leave me alone..." I sniffed. "Let me in...please." She begged in her new, monotone voice. ".....no." I sniffed again. I heard her sigh sadly and her footsteps walk away. Figuring mom wouldn't be home for a while, I sat up and wiped my face, practiced putting my 'nothing-is-wrong' face on and walked out with a deep breath.

I headed to the kitchen to see Roman reading instructions from a cookbook and Rosalie making the meal. "W-What are you doing?" I said, faking the smile. "Cooking...Mom isn't going to be home for a while...I called." Roman answered. Even they looked gray. I sighed, "Can I help?" I reached for an apron but Roman stopped me, "No...it's fine....Go take a walk." I looked at him and trudged out the door.

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I jogged for a few miles, listening to a bunch of sad songs when, "Reisen?" That voice sounded familiar. I opened my eyes to see Harvey holding me, concern in his eyes. "W-what?" I was confused. Why was Mr.Creep holding me? Was he following me? "You almost fell over a bike rack." He gestured to the long bike rack. "Oh..thanks I guess...." I sighed. He let me down, "You ok, you seem...down." Leave it to him to pay attention to my emotions. "Yeah...Just dandy." I said, fake smiling. "You're lying." He said, calling me out. "No...it's no lie..." I said. He gave me a look and shook his head, "Ok...I'll leave you alone. I'll see you tomorrow." He said, patting my shoulder and walking off.

"Wait!" I called after him. "Hm?" He turned. "Do you live around here?" He nodded, "Yeah. On Dayton Lane." He answered and continued to walk away. I decided to head back home to see that dinner was made and they weren't eating. "Hey..." I said, realizing my voice had turned monotone. Dead. They simply nodded and continued to play around with their food.

I took my seat at the dining table and looked at the dish. Spaghetti and meatballs...a childhood favorite. Then, the door opened to reveal mom. She was smiling and glowing with pride and happiness..unlike us lot, who had a gray vision of the world and people in it and had dead voices. Behind Mom was Suko, also smiling and glowing with happiness. We sat there, trying our best to be invisible when, "Children!" Mom rushed and hugged us. We didn't hug back. "Look what Suko got you all." She took out 3 things: She handed the newest phone to Rosalie, a whole bunch of books to Roman and the newest tablet to me.

"Thanks, Suko!" We said brightly with fake smiles and they bought it. "Anytime Kids." Suko beamed and I think his ego got bigger too. "Oh and Suko, Reese will not be able to make it to the Blue Carpet Fashion Run." Mom said and that only made Suko smile uncomfortably wide, "Oh? Alright. I'll let them and everyone else know." He took mom's hand and kissed it lightly, making her blush and giggle, "I'll see you at the Fashion Run." US kids just stared. Was Mom...OUR MOM blushing and giggling after dad was sent to rehab just a few hours ago and she was going to divorce him?

Maybe I was wrong...Suko was going to scoop her off her feet and was about to run off with her and there's nothing us kids can do about it...