Better Off
...And Darkness Is Fading In
Raphe woke up to the sound of pounding on the door and Camdon's whimpers of hunger. She scooped the small boy up and headed toward the front door, shoving some baby food in the microwave on the way. She opened the door and blinked her eyes against the harsh sunlight, revealing a blurry Gary.
"Who is that? Can I have my keys? And why aren't you getting ready?" he asked quickly. She sighed and motioned for him to follow her, hearing the microwave beep. She got the food out and set Camdon on the counter, feeding him "Berry Bliss."
"Keys are in the basket. This is my brother, Camdon, and I can't go to school until I find someone to take care of him and a way for Amelia, my sister, to get to and from school," she explained.
"I thought you didn't have siblings."
"I lied," Raphe said frankly. "I didn't want to explain..."
"Wow, Raphe... I wish there was something I could do to help... I'll cover for you and bring you the homework, okay?" She smiled at the man.
"Yeah... Thanks, Gary." He smiled back.
"No problem, kid. I'd better get going now." He ruffled her hair and left, locking the door before closing it. She heard his old car leave the driveway, and she sighed.
"RAPHIE!" Amelia called.
"In the kitchen!" Raphe answered. She heard the sound of small feet rushing over, and soon Amelia attatched herself to Raphe's leg.
"Am I going to school today?" Amelia asked.
"No, honey. I don't have a way to get you there..." Raphe explained, wiping Camdon's mouth and setting him back on the floor, where he crawled into the living room.
"You should call the school, Raphie. They'll call Mommy..." Amelia's eyes filled with fear, and Raphe hugged her sister.
"I'll call. What's the number?"
After dialing five wrong numbers, Raphe finally was connected to the school.
"Hello, this is Mary Price, Secretary, how may I help you?" a nasal voice asked.
"Yes, hello, this is Raphaela Calin, Amelia's sister. She is under my care as of yesterday, and she will not be coming to school for a few days, until I find a method of transportation-"
"Hold on, I'll connect you to her teacher," the lady said, sounding bored. There was a click, and a warm voice answered.
"Hello?" the woman said.
"Hello, this is Raphaela Calin, Amelia's sister. She is under my care as of yesterday, and she will not be coming to school for a few days," Raphe repeated.
"George and Christina Calin's daughter?" the woman asked.
"Yes."
"Will Amelia be away from them?"
"Yes."
"Good. I've seen her come to school with the worst bruises, and... You take as long as you need, Miss Calin." Raphe smiled.
"Thank you, Mrs..."
"Miss Enders."
"Thank you very much, Miss Enders."
"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, the students are starting to arrive."
"Sure. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Miss Calin."
Raphe sighed in relief and slumped against the counter, resting her head in her hands. How long could she afford to miss work? And how was she going to pay for the kids? Shit, she was supposed to hang out with Frankie today.
She shook her head, falling off the chair when someone knocked on the front door. She laughed at herself and went to answer it.
She opened the door to see a concerned-looking Frankie. She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I was concerned when you didn't show up first or second hour, so I skipped Chem to see you." She ran her fingers through her messy red hair.
"That's sweet. Gary was supposed to cover for me. I won't be at school for a few days. I have some... stuff..." Frankie frowned, worrying his lip between his teeth. She smiled at the cute habit.
"What kind of stuff?" he asked warily. She shook her head, careful to not let her smile fade.
"Oh, it's nothing-"
"Nothing wouldn't keep you home for 'a few days.' What is it?" he interrupted. She frowned and looked away.
"It's just some family buisness, nothing much." He sighed and lightly gripped her upper arms, pulling her close.
"I wish you'd tell me, but I can't force you." He smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later, Raphe. Don't forget, homecoming is in three days." She smiled back.
"See you, Frankie." He made his way back to his car.
"Bye, Raphe."
"Who is that? Can I have my keys? And why aren't you getting ready?" he asked quickly. She sighed and motioned for him to follow her, hearing the microwave beep. She got the food out and set Camdon on the counter, feeding him "Berry Bliss."
"Keys are in the basket. This is my brother, Camdon, and I can't go to school until I find someone to take care of him and a way for Amelia, my sister, to get to and from school," she explained.
"I thought you didn't have siblings."
"I lied," Raphe said frankly. "I didn't want to explain..."
"Wow, Raphe... I wish there was something I could do to help... I'll cover for you and bring you the homework, okay?" She smiled at the man.
"Yeah... Thanks, Gary." He smiled back.
"No problem, kid. I'd better get going now." He ruffled her hair and left, locking the door before closing it. She heard his old car leave the driveway, and she sighed.
"RAPHIE!" Amelia called.
"In the kitchen!" Raphe answered. She heard the sound of small feet rushing over, and soon Amelia attatched herself to Raphe's leg.
"Am I going to school today?" Amelia asked.
"No, honey. I don't have a way to get you there..." Raphe explained, wiping Camdon's mouth and setting him back on the floor, where he crawled into the living room.
"You should call the school, Raphie. They'll call Mommy..." Amelia's eyes filled with fear, and Raphe hugged her sister.
"I'll call. What's the number?"
After dialing five wrong numbers, Raphe finally was connected to the school.
"Hello, this is Mary Price, Secretary, how may I help you?" a nasal voice asked.
"Yes, hello, this is Raphaela Calin, Amelia's sister. She is under my care as of yesterday, and she will not be coming to school for a few days, until I find a method of transportation-"
"Hold on, I'll connect you to her teacher," the lady said, sounding bored. There was a click, and a warm voice answered.
"Hello?" the woman said.
"Hello, this is Raphaela Calin, Amelia's sister. She is under my care as of yesterday, and she will not be coming to school for a few days," Raphe repeated.
"George and Christina Calin's daughter?" the woman asked.
"Yes."
"Will Amelia be away from them?"
"Yes."
"Good. I've seen her come to school with the worst bruises, and... You take as long as you need, Miss Calin." Raphe smiled.
"Thank you, Mrs..."
"Miss Enders."
"Thank you very much, Miss Enders."
"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, the students are starting to arrive."
"Sure. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Miss Calin."
Raphe sighed in relief and slumped against the counter, resting her head in her hands. How long could she afford to miss work? And how was she going to pay for the kids? Shit, she was supposed to hang out with Frankie today.
She shook her head, falling off the chair when someone knocked on the front door. She laughed at herself and went to answer it.
She opened the door to see a concerned-looking Frankie. She smiled as she leaned against the doorframe.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I was concerned when you didn't show up first or second hour, so I skipped Chem to see you." She ran her fingers through her messy red hair.
"That's sweet. Gary was supposed to cover for me. I won't be at school for a few days. I have some... stuff..." Frankie frowned, worrying his lip between his teeth. She smiled at the cute habit.
"What kind of stuff?" he asked warily. She shook her head, careful to not let her smile fade.
"Oh, it's nothing-"
"Nothing wouldn't keep you home for 'a few days.' What is it?" he interrupted. She frowned and looked away.
"It's just some family buisness, nothing much." He sighed and lightly gripped her upper arms, pulling her close.
"I wish you'd tell me, but I can't force you." He smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later, Raphe. Don't forget, homecoming is in three days." She smiled back.
"See you, Frankie." He made his way back to his car.
"Bye, Raphe."