Daydream Believer

vi. yelling and arguing

vi. yelling and arguing

I had never heard Mommy and Daddy argue. Ever. They always seemed to get along perfectly. Until the night after my sixth birthday party.

I was supposed to be sleeping. I couldn't sleep though. I just wasn't tired. So I got out of bed and wandered around the house. I stopped right outside of Mommy and Daddy's room.

The door was closed, but I could hear their voices. "Did you even consider that McKenna might not have wanted a party?" Daddy shouted.

So they were talking about me. "Why would she not have wanted one?" Mommy said. "All kids like spending time with their friends."

"But you didn't need to invite the entire school," Daddy said.

"Neil," Mommy said. That was what she called Daddy when Noah and I weren't around. "McKenna needs to make some friends. She spends so much time by herself."

"Don't you like time by yourself too?" Daddy asked. "Introversion isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Introversion. That was a word I would have to look up in the dictionary later.

"Sometimes," Mommy said.

"Then why are we arguing over this?"

"Because it's unnatural. I just want McKenna to fit in," Mommy said.

"I didn't fit in, but you still married me," Daddy said.

"That's true, but there's one other thing that disturbs me," Mommy said.

"What?"

"We invited McKenna's entire class, but only two kids showed up, and that was because their parents made them go."

Aaron and Justin didn't even want to go? I felt a little bit hurt by that. Just a little. I still didn't like Aaron much, but Justin was nice.

"They both seemed like sweet boys though," Daddy said. "Quality over quantity, right?"

Mommy sighed. "Yes. I hope McKenna will make a few more friends though."

"It's not something to worry about though," Daddy said.

"Yes it is!" Mommy shouted.

"Calm down Janice," Daddy said.

"Neil, I know what's best for her!" Mommy shouted. She opened the door and I inched away. "McKenna, what are you doing out of bed?"

"I...was getting a drink of water."

"Oh okay. Go back to bed. It's late."

I headed back to my room. I could still hear Mommy and Daddy arguing, but I was worried they would open the door again. They would punish me if they caught me again. I got back in bed and cuddled up with Bronto and Strawberry: my two best friends.