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I went downstairs with Lip hot on my trail, "Hey, Fi," I said once I got into the kitchen, "Did you sleep here last night?"
She nodded, "Yeah," She was sitting at the counter writing something. She seemed lost in thought at the moment.
"And what are you working on there?"
She didn't look up at me, "A letter to Sean's wife," She tabbed her pen against the counter.
"What? Why?"
"Ask Carl."
Carl was stood next to the fridge, I noticed he was avoiding my gaze after Fiona said this, "And... Do you care to explain, Carl?"
"Don't want to talk about it," He replied. I let out a sigh and shrugged it off, watching as Lip walked over and handed me my coffee. I looked down at the mug, tracing my finger around the rim of it.
"I will just stand here in silence and drink my coffee," I said. Then Debbie came down stairs, carrying a suitcase. Fiona looked up from her paper finally and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Where are you going?" Fiona questioned her. Debbie sat her suitcase down on the floor, letting out a long sigh.
"To the commune with Queenie," She replied.
"And what about school?" I butted in. I was letting the 'bigger sister' part of me get the best of me.
"I need a supportive environment, not gonna get it here."
Fiona let out a loud sarcastic laugh, "That's it for high school, huh?" She put her pen on the counter, shaking her head in a disappointed manner, "Pregnant dropout at 15? Well played," Fiona rolled her eyes before she looked down at her letter.
"Debs, you have to graduate," I said to her, but she just shrugged her shoulders at me.
"Have you heard of 'unschooling?'" She asked, I tilted my head to the side. I knew what she was talking about, some how.
"That's that stupid shit where you learn from life instead of books, they say their math is measuring stuff for cooking, it's pathetic."
Debbie scoffed, "If I get desperate enough, I'll just get my GED, like Fiona did."
Queenie walked down the stairs with some more bags, "Queenie, are you going to support Debbie as she 'unschools' her way through life?"
"Ignore her," Debbie glared at Fiona before she turned her body to pick up another one of her bags. Queenie gave Fiona a smile as she approached her.
"I have so many friends in the commune who have never had a day of conventional education and they have so much worldly wisdom," She said in a cheerful voice, I laughed at her ignorance.
Fiona put her letter in an envelope and licked it, sealing it shut, "I can't stop you from quitting school. Enjoy yourself at... what is it?"
"Soaring Consciousness Ecovillage," Queenie told her, "A hundred acres, very peaceful," She smiled before she turned to look at Lip, "Oh, and Lip, I hope you never stifle your passion, ta-ta!" She patted his shoulder before she guided Debbie outside with the bags, leaving us all in the kitchen to stare at one another awkwardly.
