Daemonophobia; The Fear of Demons

~|| Tuesday Night||~

xxGatexxKeeper28xx : boo
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: did u flinch? did i scare u?
~whitedarkness~: No. I'm only jumpy at school, remember?
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: oh. yep. it all comes back 2 me now.
~whitedarkness~: I note a hint of sarcasm ^-^.
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: there is a note of sarcasm to hint at. what's new with u?
~whitedarkness~: Well... The sky is falling.
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: ~whitedarkness~: I note a hint of sarcasm. ^-^
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: direct quote :)
~whitedarkness~: Thank you... Very funny. Since when have you been funny?
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: we r all different out of school.
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: oh gtg. c u 2morrow
~whitedarkness~: Good night.
xxGatexxKeeper28xx: thankx. u2

xxGatexxKeeper28xx has signed off

I think over what he said, about everyone being different. It is so painfully obvious of a statement that I roll my eyes.

"Well, duh." I say under my breath.

However, in the silence of Mikey's room, he heard me speak and looks up from his English paper.

"Wha sa 'Duh'?" He stammers over the words, delivering a smile at the end.

Essay writing has always stolen his speech ability. I smile at him, amused at his murdering of the English language.

"Nothing, Mikey. Just something someone said." I smile at him. "It was dumbly obvious."

"'Kay, ifa ay so." He sticks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, pleased and irritated by the sentence of gibberish he'd just said.

"Supper!" Mrs. Hale yells up to us, " And I Have a Surprise!"

Mikey runs half way down the stairs with me at his heel. And by half way down , I mean he stops dead in the middle and I plow right into him. But Mikey doesn't notice, he's staring at the 'surprise'.

"DADDY!" Mikey gives out a happy yelp that is generally not made by teenage boys, before skipping down to meet his father.

I do mean skipping. I watch from the stairs. Yes. Mikey skips...shamelessly.

"Hey! Kiddo 1!" Mr. Hale laughs as Mikey slams into his side, and the two embrace.

My feet are rooted to the spot on the stairs. I watch down at the two parents and their happy child sandwiched in between.

I envision a veil of glass framing the picture. I also feel myself on the outside of that greeting card front. However, a voice cracks through the pane of glass and reaches me on the stairs.

"Gry! Get down here, Kiddo 2!" Mr. Hale invites me into the picture.

I smile and hop down the stairs, joining with everyone in the group hug.

"How was your trip?"I ask, giving a soft smile. Mikey cuts in with excited babble, "Whatcha see? Did ya bring back pictures?"

"What!? Don't I get a 'How are you, Father?' or a 'Are you hungry, Father?'" Mr. Hale scolds his son with amusement. "Of course I have pictures; . . . And presents."

At the end, Mr. Hale lowers his voice, whispering to us, making us lean in close to catch his words.

"Hey. Hey. Dinner First. Presents After." Mrs. Hale breaks the silence.

As we walk to the table, Mr. Hale spins us his tale of Montreal in the summer. He also tells us about how his next trip is to a small town outside of Tokyo, Japan. his departure is going to be next Monday.

One of his longer stays at home. Six whole days.

Mikey pouts for an instant before smirking. "Bring home an octopus."

"Why not two octopuses...?" Mr. Hale asks.

"Octopi?" I say.

We all break down laughing and carry on with dinner. At the end, Mr. Hale looks up and says with a smug look.

"Well, what ever they're called, I'll try to bring home sixteen additional legs."

Dinner ends and Mikey and I sit around and hear more on the trip. We listen and laugh, enjoying the stories.

"Oh my! It's almost 11!" Mrs. Hale shrikes and shoos us up to bed after good nights are said.

Mikey ruffles my hair gently as we part ways at the top of the stairs. I smile and hug him. His arms move around me and comfort me.

"'Night, Gry."

~ + ~

~|| Sunday Night ||~

Today, the day before Mr. Hale left, we all went to the zoo. We come into the living room, Mikey bouncing around with a lime green stuffed monkey around his neck.

My own monkey dangles from my hand. It's tie-dye tail brushing against the ground. I watch as Mikey leaps around the room happy with his chance to act at least ... ten years younger.

"GRY! Wear it 'round your neck!" Mikey bounces in front of me, smiling like a lunatic. Then his face falls into a pout, "pwease.

I let out a soft laugh and finally let the tie-dye monkey loop around my neck. I put my hands up in a sign of surrender.

"Happy now?" I ask with a smile.

"YES!" Mikey yelps and throws his arms around me, earning another soft laugh.

RIIIIIIiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg...

Mrs. Hale narrows her eyes, but picks up the phone. As I watch from my place on the couch, where Mikey had plopped us down, the phone is past to Mr. Hale, who talks at a whisper.

"Kids, come eat something." Mrs. Hale beckons us into the kitchen, and we obey.

I hear Mr. Hale on the phone. His voice, has risen a note higher. Mikey and I look up as the phone crashes down into the cradle and Mr. Hale walks into the kitchen.

"I have to leave tonight." He says. "They said that the business transaction can't go on with out my signature and that transaction can't wait any longer. It's postponed till I get there."

"Okay, Okay." Mrs. Hale kisses him, and pats his comfortingly on the shoulders, "I'll help you pack."

I watch silently as they leave the room. I look up at Mikey, who looks slightly toointerested in his stuffed monkey.

He looks up and meets my eyes. A smile spreads over his face and his eyes focus in on mine. His green eyes are a soft mix of blue and green.

I imagine that if my pale eye and forest green one were ever mixed together they would look like Mikey's. A beautiful sea foam green that seem to welcome you to get lost in in their stormy depths.

"Wanna hear a joke?" He asks, as the smile spreads into his eyes.

"No. I've heard all your jokes." I don't add that I think they're all bad.

"And they're Awesome!" He smirks.

I roll my eyes and stand up from my barstool. I walk to the fridge, but reaching to open the door becomes impossible.

Mikey has his arms wrapped around me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. His chin rests on my shoulder. I twist my head, looking at him as he gives me puppy dog eyes.

Come on... you know you love my jokes." He smiles, "And the knock-knock jokes are your favorite."

I let out a huff of air, I reach behind me and ruffle Mikey's hairs. He laughs and let's me go. I turn and face him.

"You know I love your knock-knock jokes, huh?" " You love my knock-knock jokes." Mikey smiles me.

"Well, you seem so confident." I throw my arms out in defeat, "I'll just have to believe you."

"Good." Mikey leans forward and kisses my forehead, " Now move over so I can get to the fridge."

I laugh and step aside for him, just as Mr. Hale comes back into the kitchen. He looks ready to travel and a little annoyed.

"Come give me hugs good-bye, Kiddos." He opens his arms and Mikey barrels into him. I follow at a much slower, and less violent, manner. "Sorry I couldn't see you two off to school tomorrow, but duty calls."

Good byes are said and Mikey's parents leave to go to the airport. I hear Mikey sigh and I turn to look at him.

I know you hate to see him leave. I also know that you smile and shake it off for me. I know you shake it off because I had my parents walk out on me.I know you put on a brave face so that you are strong for me. Thank you, Mikey.

I smile and hug him. His arms slip around me as he hugs me back. We pull apart and I lookup into his sea foam eyes and smile. I point a finger at him, gently letting it tap the end of his nose.

"No knock-knock jokes." I say, struggling to hide my smile.

Mikey tries to keep a straight face, too. He gives up and we laugh together before flopping on the couch to watch a movie.