Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.12
When Cady and Polly returned home, Alex was asleep, on his stomach, on the living room floor, Otto standing on his back. Otto’s fluffy tail was wagging excitedly at the sight of his owner. He used Alex as a springboard, launching himself across the floor and straight to Polly’s feet. Polly set down her bags and lifted the squirming canine off the floor and let him lick her all over her face. She’d be showering later anyway, at Cady’s request.
“Wha?” Alex grumbled and rolled onto his back, looking up at the pair and Otto. “Glad to see you’re finally home.”
“Oh, shut it, Lex. We were bonding,” Cady said with a sassy smirk and a flip of her hair.
“Bonding?” Alex asked skeptically. Cady skipped off to her room where she dumped her bags and returned within a few moments. Sure, it wasn’t that big of a house so it didn’t take the flitting girl long but it was strange to Pollyanna to see a person move that fast, without a real purpose. People running that fast were normally running so they wouldn’t be caught.
“Yes, bonding. You sound scared, Alex,” Polly said, setting Otto back down. He bounded off to the couch and made himself at home once again. Polly followed, bumping into Alex on the way. He chuckled and bumped back.
“How was work?” Cady asked.
“Suck-tastic.”
“Quit,” Cady replied. “I’ve been saying that for months now, Alex. Quit that fucking job. You hate it. You’re always dead tired when you get home. You never get enough sleep. And they treat you like crap!”
“We need the money,” Alex said with a resigned sigh. The siblings followed Polly and sat on the couches, Cady sitting with Polly and Alex with Otto.
“I know we do. God, I hate this.” Cady leaned into Polly who slung her arm over the smaller girl’s shoulders.
“I know you do,” Alex’s voice was quiet as he spoke. The pair grew solemn and Polly felt as if she were intruding on the moment. Especially when she coughed, and coughed, and coughed. Afterwards, she stopped and stared straight ahead. Her vision was dotted with little black dots.
“I’m tired,” she yawned suddenly. Curling up on the couch, she lay her head on Cady’s thigh and let herself drift to sleep easily with the comfort of her close friends in the same room.
“Wha?” Alex grumbled and rolled onto his back, looking up at the pair and Otto. “Glad to see you’re finally home.”
“Oh, shut it, Lex. We were bonding,” Cady said with a sassy smirk and a flip of her hair.
“Bonding?” Alex asked skeptically. Cady skipped off to her room where she dumped her bags and returned within a few moments. Sure, it wasn’t that big of a house so it didn’t take the flitting girl long but it was strange to Pollyanna to see a person move that fast, without a real purpose. People running that fast were normally running so they wouldn’t be caught.
“Yes, bonding. You sound scared, Alex,” Polly said, setting Otto back down. He bounded off to the couch and made himself at home once again. Polly followed, bumping into Alex on the way. He chuckled and bumped back.
“How was work?” Cady asked.
“Suck-tastic.”
“Quit,” Cady replied. “I’ve been saying that for months now, Alex. Quit that fucking job. You hate it. You’re always dead tired when you get home. You never get enough sleep. And they treat you like crap!”
“We need the money,” Alex said with a resigned sigh. The siblings followed Polly and sat on the couches, Cady sitting with Polly and Alex with Otto.
“I know we do. God, I hate this.” Cady leaned into Polly who slung her arm over the smaller girl’s shoulders.
“I know you do,” Alex’s voice was quiet as he spoke. The pair grew solemn and Polly felt as if she were intruding on the moment. Especially when she coughed, and coughed, and coughed. Afterwards, she stopped and stared straight ahead. Her vision was dotted with little black dots.
“I’m tired,” she yawned suddenly. Curling up on the couch, she lay her head on Cady’s thigh and let herself drift to sleep easily with the comfort of her close friends in the same room.