Quarantine

Chapter Nineteen

"You ok?" He asks, looking up at me as I stand over him.

Nodding silently, I tuck some hair behind both ears as I stare down at him, incapable of speaking.

"Thanks.." I finally mumble and move away to the chair beside the window.

I pretend to be busy on my phone until Hero settles back into the sofa and picks up a random book from the coffee table.

Several minutes have passed when suddenly my screen changes from the game I had been playing to a picture of Anna, smiling.

"Oh hey! It's Anna!" I call over to Hero as my phone buzzes into life.

I literally cannot accept the call quick enough.

"Hey Josie!" Anna's friendly and familiar face appears on my screen, beaming at me.

"Are you okay? Where's Hero!?" She says excitedly.

"Oh! He's.." I turn to look at him and try not to frown when I see him make a sign with his hand by his throat, waving it side to side as if to say: "No, I'm not here."

"He's... Right here." I say nonchalantly with a smug smile, turning the camera to face him.

He quickly stops waving his hands around and instead pretends to itch the back of his neck. "Hey Anna!" He smiles.

"Hero, what's up?" She asks.

"Oh, not much.. Just reading. You?" He asks with an air of interest although still clearly a little nervous or camera shy; one of the two.

"Same! I've just been writing where I can.. And baking!" She laughs. "Lot's and lot's of baking!"

"Wow, you so need to show me!" I say excitedly, turning the screen back around to face me.

"I will, I have lots of photos don't you worry! I will send them over shortly." She laughs. "But.. First? There's something I need to talk to you both about.." She says a little hesitantly and I notice the way her facial expression has become serious.

"Okay?" I say wide eyed and ready to hear whatever it is she has to say.

"Um, Hero can still hear me right?" She asks before going any further.

"Uhh, two seconds." I say quickly getting up and plonking myself on the sofa beside him.

"Er, ever heard of personal space? What are you doing.." Hero frowns at me but I ignore him, jabbing him playfully in the side and taking the book he was reading out of his hands.

"Okay, go!" I tell Anna, smiling.

I watch Anna as she sighs. For some reason it looks like she is having a hard time trying to compose herself.

"Anna is there something wrong?" I say, my eyebrows now knitting together.

"Well, as a matter of fact.. Yes. There is." She looks up at us through the screen.

"Oh my god are you okay?" I clasp my hand to my mouth

"Josie, stop being so dramatic.." Hero rolls his eyes and takes the phone from me in order to hold it steady.

"Anna, whatever it is.. It's ok. You can tell us. Right Jo?" He turns to me, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

I look back at him before finally lowering my hand and nodding my head a little, turning back to the screen.

"I.. There's no easy way of saying this." She begins.

I turn to Hero, watching him lick and purse his lips, his body language willing her to hurry up and get this over with.