Learning How to Swim
In The Closet
“Kara!” I cried in delight, hugging her back as we stood up, giggling. “It wasn’t the same without you.”
“You didn’t steal any of my clothes, did you?” she asked randomly, picking up the photo on my dresser.
“No, why would I have?”
“Only a guilty soul needs a motive,” she whispered to me, sounding as though that was confidential business. She was acting like an FBI agent or something.
“I didn’t steal your clothes. Don’t be silly.” I rolled my eyes.
But then she started for my closet.
“Kara, wait!” I begged, grabbing her arm. “I didn’t take anything!”
“Oh.” She stopped, smiling at me. “In that case...” She jerked free suddenly, nearly tearing the door off of its hinges. “Aha! Oh... Well then...”
“Hello,” Steven said, waving politely. She slammed the door in his face.
“Why is Quigg in your closet?” she asked me, sounding entirely baffled. I laughed a little, praying she wouldn’t rat me out.
“Well, I broke a rule. He came over, so we were hanging out. One thing led to another and next thing I know I’m throwing him into the closet.” I shrugged.
She smirked, opening the door again. He stepped out, closing the door behind him.
“As I was saying: hello, Kara.” He extended a hand. Kara spit in her hand and offered it to him. He pulled his sleeve down, shaking her hand and forming some kind of pact I’m sure. He fixed his sleeve.
“Isn’t this odd?” Kara commented, rolling her eyes playfully at me. “I’ll be in my room. God, it’s been so long!” She skipped across the hall, closing the door behind her.
Steven and I glanced at each other, both of us laughing.
“You can’t say I didn’t tell you something like this would happen,” I told him, smiling as I sat down on my bed.
“Yeah.” He joined me. “But while I was in there I got an idea for a snack. What do you think of apples with peanut butter and cream cheese? Odd enough, I know, but some things that aren’t meant to go together are amazing together.”
I let him ramble on, but something else was on my mind.
I interrupted him suddenly, but he didn’t seem to care when I said, “Why didn’t my parents let me see her very much? Did your mother let you see Janice?”
He closed his mouth, a guilty look on his face. “I don’t know, Valentine. I’m sorry, but that was their decision. My mother... She let me go every time. I don’t know if Janice liked seeing me like that, but we don’t see much of each other anymore. She moved to Raleigh and we don’t talk much anymore.”
I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder. He chaffed my arm gently, telling me it’d be alright. She was home, and maybe everything would be okay.
But he also said that he wouldn’t lie to me and that everything might no end up so great...
“You didn’t steal any of my clothes, did you?” she asked randomly, picking up the photo on my dresser.
“No, why would I have?”
“Only a guilty soul needs a motive,” she whispered to me, sounding as though that was confidential business. She was acting like an FBI agent or something.
“I didn’t steal your clothes. Don’t be silly.” I rolled my eyes.
But then she started for my closet.
“Kara, wait!” I begged, grabbing her arm. “I didn’t take anything!”
“Oh.” She stopped, smiling at me. “In that case...” She jerked free suddenly, nearly tearing the door off of its hinges. “Aha! Oh... Well then...”
“Hello,” Steven said, waving politely. She slammed the door in his face.
“Why is Quigg in your closet?” she asked me, sounding entirely baffled. I laughed a little, praying she wouldn’t rat me out.
“Well, I broke a rule. He came over, so we were hanging out. One thing led to another and next thing I know I’m throwing him into the closet.” I shrugged.
She smirked, opening the door again. He stepped out, closing the door behind him.
“As I was saying: hello, Kara.” He extended a hand. Kara spit in her hand and offered it to him. He pulled his sleeve down, shaking her hand and forming some kind of pact I’m sure. He fixed his sleeve.
“Isn’t this odd?” Kara commented, rolling her eyes playfully at me. “I’ll be in my room. God, it’s been so long!” She skipped across the hall, closing the door behind her.
Steven and I glanced at each other, both of us laughing.
“You can’t say I didn’t tell you something like this would happen,” I told him, smiling as I sat down on my bed.
“Yeah.” He joined me. “But while I was in there I got an idea for a snack. What do you think of apples with peanut butter and cream cheese? Odd enough, I know, but some things that aren’t meant to go together are amazing together.”
I let him ramble on, but something else was on my mind.
I interrupted him suddenly, but he didn’t seem to care when I said, “Why didn’t my parents let me see her very much? Did your mother let you see Janice?”
He closed his mouth, a guilty look on his face. “I don’t know, Valentine. I’m sorry, but that was their decision. My mother... She let me go every time. I don’t know if Janice liked seeing me like that, but we don’t see much of each other anymore. She moved to Raleigh and we don’t talk much anymore.”
I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder. He chaffed my arm gently, telling me it’d be alright. She was home, and maybe everything would be okay.
But he also said that he wouldn’t lie to me and that everything might no end up so great...