It Is Just A Child's Game

The sun rose high in the sky on the hot Arizona day. It has been a week since Cahlen and Frankie have arrived and yet they still haven’t stepped out of the Anderson house. There was no need to though. She didn’t really want to see anyone. No one aside from her parents knew she was back. She would have to tell her brother though once he gets home. Well, he would find out once he gets home. Cahlen was completely content with spending her days in her parents’ house with Frankie while they worked.

She was currently lying under the Arizona sun on a plastic beach chair in the backyard. She was trying to add color to her ever white skin. She knew she was just going to end up red and freckled. Her skin was never meant for the sun. Despite growing up in Arizona, her skin never really got tan. You could give her an A for effort though.

Frankie was splashing around in the pool. Around him was an inflatable donut that Cahlen used to use when she was his age. He happily floated from one end of the pool to the other, enjoying the sun he wasn’t used to seeing.

It was just the two of them that afternoon. Cahlen’s parents have left for work leaving the two of them to relax on the sunny autumn. Despite the fact that it was the middle of autumn, it was still burning hot compared to what Cahlen and Frankie were accustomed to.

“Hey Frankie,” Cahlen said, calling out to the toddler. “Are you tired yet?”

“Nooooo!” Frankie replied as he happily played with the water.

“Well, I think it’s time we go back inside. You’ve been swimming for almost two hours.”

“Fine, but can I swim again tomorrow?” he asked her, his sea green eyes staring into her bright blue ones.

“Of course hun,” she said as she wrapped a green towel around his tiny body. “You can swim again tomorrow just like what you did today, and yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that.”

“Awesome!” he said as he fist pumped the air.

Cahlen let out a soft laugh as she pulled on her floral sundress that fell right up to the middle of her thigh over her bikini. She rested her left hand on Frankie’s should as she led them back inside the house.

“I need to go to the loo.” Frankie said as soon as they entered the house.

“Okay, go ahead.” Cahlen said with a smile and watched as he walked to the bathroom.

As the bathroom door closed, she let out a contented sigh. Everything was going to plan. She was safely back in Arizona and nobody aside from her parents knew.

The doorbell rang throughout the whole house and Cahlen started making her way to the front door. Her bare feet were quiet as she moved and she carelessly opened the front door without checking who it was first.

It could have been a murderer. She would have actually preferred that instead.

“Good afternoon Mrs. Ander—“ the two boys on the front porch were abruptly cut off when the door slammed in their faces.

Cahlen stood there with wide eyes as she just stared at the door in front of her. She wasn’t expecting that or well them.

“Cahlen?! Is that you?!” She heard one of the boys say from the other side.

“Annabelle Cahlen Anderson!” She was pretty sure that was the younger one of the two.

She slowly opened the door but only wide enough so that they could see her.

“Hi Kennedy, hi Garrett.” She said softly, not looking at either them.

“What are you doing ba—“ they started in unison but stopped as someone joined them.

“Who are they?” Frankie asked as he wrapped his arms around Cahlen’s leg.

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Cahlen.” Kennedy said harshly as he glared at her.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you!” Cahlen snapped. Memories from her senior year of high school were suddenly flooding her.

“You still do, Cahlen. You never told us anything.” Garrett said, his tone much softer than Kennedy’s.

“I didn’t tell you anything because you weren’t talking to me!” Cahlen said, anger boiling inside of her.

She saw both of them wince. Good, it was supposed to hurt.

“Please don’t fight.” Frankie said softly as he pulled on the hem of her dress.

“I am sorry, hun.” She said, trying to control her anger. “Why don’t you go and pick a movie for us to watch?”

“Oooh, can we watch Edward Scissorhands?” He asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Again?” Cahlen asked with a soft chuckle.

“Yup!” He exclaimed, jumping up and down.

“Okay, put it in. I won’t be long.” She said and watched as he ran into the living room, almost tripping over one of his toys that was lying around.

“Already got him watching Edward Scissorhands?” Kennedy said with a small smile, trying to lighten up the mood.

Cahlen looked at him but merely shrugged.

“We’re sorry, Kay.” Garrett said.

“No, it’s okay.” Cahlen replied with another shrug. “It wasn’t like we were friends or anything.”

They winced again. Cahlen knew she was being harsh but in all honesty, she felt that they deserved worse. She wouldn’t do anything to them though, but still.

“Come on, Kay. We’re really sorry.” Kennedy said, his voice soft and laced with guilt. “Let us make it up to you. Please.”

“Whatever,” She replied with an eye roll. She knew she can’t leave Frankie waiting too long. “Come in”

The two boys stood there, shocked but they eventually snapped out of it and stepped inside before she could slam the door in their faces again.

Cahlen quickly closed the door behind them and led them to the living room where Frankie was patiently waiting for her.

“Hey Frankie,” She said, catching the attention of the little boy. “This is Garrett and Kennedy.”

“Are they your friends?” he asked innocently.

“I knew them in high school.” She replied, not knowing the answer to that question herself.

“Okay,” he said, accepting the indirect answer.

“Go ahead and play the movie, Frankenstein. I’ll just prepare the popcorn.” She said.

“Yay!” he yelled before pressing play on the remote.

“You can take a seat, guys.” She said, pointing to the many available seats in the room.

She swiftly turned around and walked into the bright yellow kitchen. She pulled out the box of microwavable popcorn and stuck one of the packets into the microwave.

“How old is he?” Kennedy asked as he entered the kitchen.

“Hello Kennedy.” Caheln replied, completely ignoring his question because she knew what he was going to assume once she told him the answer.

“Hi Cahlen. Look, I am really sorry and I really want to make it up to you. I just need to know. How old is he?” He asked, his chocolate brown eyes trying to catch her blue ones.

“Three almost four” she softly replied. If she was lucky, the sound of the popcorn popping could’ve been louder than her voice.

“Is he his?” Kennedy asked, frustration slightly evident in his voice.

“What does it matter to you?” She asked with a pointed eyebrow.

“He needs to know.” Kennedy replied.

“No, he doesn’t. Frankie isn’t John’s. He isn’t even mine.” Cahlen replied as she ran her hand through her copper hair.

“What?” he asked, obviously confused.

“It’s a long story, Kennedy but trust me. Just look into his eyes as in really look. You’ll see that they’re nothing like John’s.” she said, turning around to get the popcorn from the microwave. She lowered her voice for the next part so that only she could hear herself. “I do that all the time just to make sure he isn’t John.”

“What?” Kennedy asked, still a bit confused. “Are you going to tell me the story?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story.” Cahlen replied as she poured the popcorn into a bowl. “I wont tell you now.”

“So are you saying that you will tell me?” He asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

“No, but you never know.” Cahlen replied with a shrug as she carried the bowl and left the kitchen.