Maddie whispered to me as she worked, talking about her mom and the board games they played this week and about what Trisha, her older sister, said about birds, like how they barfed into their kids' beaks. Jessica wrinkled her nose, “Gross,”
“Right? I called her a liar cause birds aren’t gross but then she showed me her tablet, and it’s true!”
Class continued like that for a few hours, then it was lunch time. Jessica followed Maddie out to the lunchroom which had a big opening to the gym. The girls scanned their wrists and a tray with PB&Js, celery and chocolate milk appeared, along with a cup of water that we had to drink before we could play. Jessica wondered how the doors knew that the water hadn’t been drunk. If you threw it away then the doors wouldn’t open, and if you snuck out with another kid you both got detention.
Jessica drank her water first. She wanted to climb. She then ate quickly, talking with Maddie about the boys, like Timothy. Timothy was super smart, like Jessica, he was always finished with the problems quick, though he played games instead of drawing. Then the girls dumped their trash and went to the gym.
They ran a quick lap and then went to the climbing wall. They only had access to the short wall, but that was ok. It was still super high up. Jessica scanned her wrist and a rope with a vest dropped down. Jessica wrap the vest over her chest and clicked it between her legs then waited for Maddie to do the same. They then stood at the base and chose the race mode.
A countdown of 5 seconds started, “Loser has to kiss Michael,” Maddie said.
“What!?” Jessica cried as the countdown hit zero. Maddie leapt up and began to climb. “Cheater!” Jessica screamed and followed her.
Jessica caught up easily enough, she was a monkey! Then she hit the green button on the top and let go of the wall. The rope slowly dropped her to the ground and Maddie hit the ground a second after. “How? I was so close?”
Jessica laughed, “Now you gotta kiss Michael!” She laughed. Maddie cried out and covered her red face.
“No, don't make me. He’s gross! He always breaks the rules and he’s always crying!”
Jessica looked for Michael, and a yellow glow from her glasses showed him sitting alone. He was reading. “Double or nothing!” Maddie said suddenly.
Jessica looked back, “What?”
Maddie grinned, “Double or nothing! If you win a second time I’ll give him a hug and kiss him, if I win then you have to.”
Jessica thought about it, “Fine, but what’s ‘Double or Nothing’?”
“It’s when you lose a bet, and then make another bet that’s bigger for a chance to win.” Maddie said proudly, she was so smart, “My sister taught me that,”
Jessica stood back at the climbing wall, “You have the coolest sister. I wish I had a sister.”
The wall was set to level 2 now, that meant some of the handholds wouldn’t be there, meaning you could get up part way and have no way up. Jessica looked at the wall, she wasn’t very good at “Pathing”. That’s what Daddy calls it. She was fast though, so it wasn’t too bad. She jumped and climbed fast, then stopped, and went back down. Then up, then down. Jessica looked over and saw Maddie was higher. Darn. She climbed up, then realized the next hold was just a bit too high. She couldn’t go back down again, so she jumped.
Hanging by on hand was hard, but it worked. Jessica laughed. She climbed and when she was stuck she jumped. She shot past Maddie who cried how she was cheating. “I’m not cheating! I’m a monkey!” Jessica replied as she jumped again, and missed.
She screamed in surprise as she fell to the ground, unable to grab back on. Maddie hit the button and fell back down. “Ha! I win!” Jessica groaned.
Maddie danced and sang about how she had to kiss Michael. Jessica punched her a bit, and Maddie laughed and stooped. “Go on! I want to see it.”
Jessica undid the vest, red faced. She was embarrassed now. “Not fair, I almost had it!” Maddie just grinned.
Jessica turned back to Michael. He was always getting into trouble, and then he cried. He shouldn’t be crying when he knew he was breaking the rules. “No, I don't want to”
Maddie laughed “You have to,”
“No I don’t! I won’t. If I have to, I'll give your invitation to Michael!” Jessica threatened.
Maddie’s eyes went wide. “What? No fair!” Jessica just crossed her arms, “Too bad, Life’s not fair. Mommy told me so!”
Maddie grumbled and then the bet was forgotten. “What are you doing for your birthday?”
Jessica shrugged, “Daddy said it was a surprise, but I think we’re going to Romeo and Juliet on Ice. I really want to go.”
Lunch was over and they went to class. It was more of the same. Some history of the wall, of the council, and then writing and career building. She returned the tablet to her backpack and plugged her glasses back into their place above her cubby. She scanned her wrist as she left and hugged Maddie goodbye. Then she was waving to Maddie as she got on the bus. Mommy usually came a bit after the buses left. she simply sat and drew, the bird was looking good.
Mommy pulled up and Jess got into the car. Mommy didn’t speak, she wasn’t on her tablet but her head looked busy so Jessica was silent. Jessica watched running man as she thought about her Birthday. When she got home Jessica scanned her wrist and took the apple that came out. Daddy was out back and Mommy was in her room. Jessica ate her apple while finishing her homework. Her tablet turned on the moment it touched the table, her homework already open. She had gotten some of it done at school. Then Daddy came back inside. He kissed Jessica on the head and asked, “You seen mommy?”
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“She’s in her room.” Jessica didn’t look at Daddy. Mommy would sometimes lock herself in Mommy and Daddy’s room. It didn’t happen all the time but I knew it hurt Daddy for some reason.
Daddy took a deep breath, “What’s today’s problem?” He sat next to me at the table.
“I’m solving word problems.” She pointed at the paragraph. “Danny ran an apple stand, he had 10 baskets of apples, each basket had 14 apples in it. He sold a basket to Ms Bailey, and 7 apples to Mr Rich. How many apples does Danny have left?”
Jessica then showed Daddy how to add 14 together ten times, then she subtracted the 10 and 7 apples and was left with, “One Hundred and Twenty-Three apples, that’s a lot of apples.”
“That it is princess.” Daddy agreed, “That’s a lot of apples.”
He was a bit distracted, but I didn’t talk about it. She asked once, and Daddy just got sad and said that it wasn’t something she needed to think about. Jessica told secret bear about it, and how she didn’t like how sad it made him. Jessica finished the last math problem and then the next chapter of her book popped. Daddy ruffled her hair. “Alright, do your 30 and then we’ll watch some TV. Alright?”
“Can Mommy watch with us?” Jessica asked, “I asked her in the car on the way to school, and she said yes.”
Daddy smiled, “Did she? Well, I’ll see about getting her. Go to the couch.”
Jessica walked out to the couch, tossing the apple core away and sitting down. It was called Shia: Lost Princess. A young girl taken from her family by savage raiders and forced to be a slave, only to be rescued and brought back to her kingdom, where she was a princess. Right now the princess, Shia, was riding out into the city. She had taken from the stores her family was hoarding and was handing them out to the people of the city, who were safe, but very hungry since the King, Shia’s Daddy, was a big eater and kept the food for himself. Gluttonous is the word, but Jessica alway messed up the last part of the word so she just said Glutton.
She knew how the story would end, the king would be exiled after the princess helped the people rise up and a council of the wisest in the kingdom would ensure the kingdom functioned, keeping people safe from both the bandits outside of the wall and fed within the walls. It was the same for every story the school made her read, though this was the first one without pictures. Jessica was pretty sure the council just wanted people to like them, which she could understand, everyone wanted to be liked. The book itself was kinda boring though.
She read for thirty minutes then the tablet shut off. She put it back in her pack and walked it upstairs. She took off her dress and put on a comfy shirt instead. She was going back downstairs where Daddy was sitting on the couch. He was worried about something, what with his leg bouncing like we were playing horsy. I almost made it down when Mommy walked past me. I froze.
She just turned and looked at Daddy, her gaze said she was not happy. I didn’t speak. I didn’t dare. “What?”
“You told Jess that you’d join us for Captain Buck,” Daddy said softly. Mommy rolled her eyes, “I said maybe, I have work to do, actual work Carl.”
Daddy didn’t say anything for a bit, then. “I sure hope you finished well then.”
Mommy got mad. Her mouth went tight and her face went a special shade of red. “What is that supposed to mean.” Daddy stood, “Means I think you should go back to Dr Abrams, since you little ‘you times’ have become a habit again.”
“Fuck you Carl” Mommy hissed, Daddy gave a sharp point upwards to Jessica’s room. Jessica slid down and made herself small. Mommy must have been really mad if she used a word like that.
“Dammit Mirian! I’m serious. It’s getting to the point of ignoring your own daughter. For the third time mind you! I’m sick of it! I’m right here but god forbid you ask!”
“Men only want one thing huh?” Daddy stood slowly, “Actually, I would much rather you act like a mother.”
“I’d like it if you acted like a damn man.”
Daddy winced, “That’s not fair and you know it.” Mommy shrugged, “What is it you do all day? Sit around, maybe pull weeds?”
“Try keeping this house together, keeping our daughter from noticing her mother playing with herself in the next room! Cleaning this place top to bottom. Doing what I can when I can to contribute since I was, ya know, injured?” Daddy raised his pant leg, showing a robot leg. It was cool, but it meant Daddy couldn’t work anymore. The council sends Daddy a check every month.
Mommy scoffs, “Not my problem you were cheap. Cleaning bots aren’t expensive.”
“No, but hover cars are, and it seems those payments just get bigger every year. Tell me, where do my checks disappear to? Not bills, not our joint account, certainly not a trade school fund for our Daughter! It seems to go fast huh?”
Mommy laughs, “Really? You’re accusing me of taking your petty cash? I’m the one bring in the money dumbass, I don’t need yours.”
Daddy sits down again, rubbing his face. “Mary… You need help. You spent 2 hours in there,”
“Working!”
“That’s not what your history says.” “What the hell are you looking at my history for?” “I was locked out of MY room. I wanted to know why.” “Mind your own damn business,” “I’m still confused, I thought this was over. You told me that I was enough. That you were satisfied yet you always want more.” “So what?” “So what? You act like the universe owes you. That your daughter is a fucking burden. That I’m some guy you got Bound to like a fucking entity instead of someone you fell in love with.” “As if you’re still the person I married. The Carl I knew had a spine and left leg” “For fuck’s sake, you act like that was my fault!” “Wasn’t it?” “What part of combat injury doesn’t get through your thick fucking skull” It was getting louder and louder, jessica covered her ears.
“I never asked to take care of you. You sit in this house like a damn bum while I work my ass off. Do you have any idea how hard being a principal is?” “No, you only wax poetic about every night!” “Then find a new job! You could make more money as a secretary than a principal!” “Please, that’s below me and you know it.” “No, I don’t. Why would any work be below you if it means more money? What kind of logic is that?” “Maybe you should get a fucking job, see how hard it is?” “I can’t be hired. I would lose my benefits, including this house. You think we could afford this on your salary?” “Maybe we could if you stopped being a lazy ass. Hell, we could even afford a fucking upgrade” “There it is, the entitlement. Always wanting more.” “I deserve more!” Mommy screamed. “I don’t deserve to be stuck with a snooping cripple for a husband. That’s what you wanna hear right? That you’re little petty fears were right all along? Fuck you Carl, grow a fucking pair and maybe I’d actually want to sleep with you!”
Daddy just stared at her, “You’re such a cunt.”
Mommy threw her tablet, it hit Daddy in the head. Jessica screamed. She ran upstairs as the fighting started anew. She hid under her blankets, and began to sob. She didn’t understand half the words. She didn’t know why they were screaming. It was terrifying. It was a long time before Daddy came in. He sat on the edge of her bed. His large hands pressed against her back. Slowly, Jessica turned over and lowered her blanket. Daddy wore a bandage on his head. He smiled, but his eyes were very sad. “Hey princess. Wanna go watch Captain Buck?”
Jessica shook her head. Daddy nodded, then rubbed his eyes with a hand. “Jessica, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have seen that. I shouldn’t have started it. Mommy and I knew better than to fight like that. Especially where you could hear. I was wrong, and I’m so so sorry.”
Jessica nodded, “I forgive you Daddy.”
They sat in silence for a bit, then Jessica spoke. “Why does mommy make you sad when she locks the door?”
Daddy doesn’t answer, not for a while. Then he sighs. “To put simply, mommy has a small problem. She’s just a little sick and doesn’t want to see a doctor.”
“Why not?”
“Because she doesn’t want to be sick. She wants to be healthy and going to the doctor would mean admitting that she’s sick.”
Jessica slowly nodded, “I guess that makes sense, but… that’s not it, right?”
Daddy looks into her eyes, then laughs a bit. “You’re really smart, you know that?”
“It’s because it makes it feel, makes me feel, like mommy stopped loving me. That hurts, because I love your mommy so much.” Daddy sobs a bit, wiping his face. Jessica hugs him tightly. She began to cry too. Daddy hugged her back, and they stayed like this for a while. It was eventually decided that they would have a sleepover. Daddy read a book, a mystery where Detective Alex Rippen solves a series of robberies around the city. It was nice, and Jessica held tightly to her Daddy, until finally she fell asleep.
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“Jessica” A deep sonorous voice echoed around. Everything was dark but lit up. She was bright, but the room… no it was too big to be a room. The light didn’t reach an wall.
“Jessica.” Something big was out there. Jessica looked around, catching movement in the corner of her eye. She looked but nothing was there. Then warm wind pressed into her back. IT was a breath. A sigh of something massive. Jessica turned and saw something massive, so utterly massive she could only see bits of it.
Wings, four pairs that ran down it’s length, six legs, massive sharp claws, two pairs of eyes the size of beach balls. A mouth that could swallow Mommy’s car, no, the whole house if it wanted to. Then in an instant it was smaller, then smaller again. No longer mountainous, it was more the size of a house, it’s long body moving, swimming through the dark, completely wrapping around her, until she was eye to eye with the monster.
“Hello Jessica,” the voice said, out of the monster’s mouth.