I finished the little homework that I had and headed out to the local pharmacy. I didn't know how much the Sphere would help, and though it had barely been twenty-four hours, I really wasn't liking the colour my foot had taken. Even if Mimpi had promised the Sphere would completely heal the wound, I wanted to avoid the need for extra injections. I much preferred the natural, human way of healing. The moment I opened my bedroom door after returning from the pharmacy, something fell at my feet. A pair of crutches, left by Andrews, no doubt. I bent forward to pick them up, biting back a smile. I would forever deny the warmth that filled my chest. I've never, and never will understand why he's always so nice, or how he put up with me for so long. We usually did get along, but I wasn't afraid to admit that I've been a little testy since the start of the Terpilih thing. Adding stress and lack of sleep to my natural state of grumpiness, didn't help make my presence enjoyable. Nevertheless, Andrews stuck around, even offering me his home when I lost mine. As annoying as he was, I really ought to be nicer to him. His intentions were good. He meant well. Before leaving, I left a small thank you note on his door.

     The crutches saved me from a very long and painful walk. I'm sure it'd have taken me twice as long without them.

     Book bag filled with a very expansive purchase of random infection fighting products, wearily I made my way to my old backdoor. There was no way I was making it into Bella's window, today. I'd have to chance getting caught.

    The kids must have been really troublesome lately if mom didn't get the chance to change the lock on the backdoor. The house was a complete mess, and screeching howls bellowed from the living room. The loud argument that preoccupied the five worked in my favor. I made a dash for Bella's room, without a glance shared in my direction.

     I had had time to read all the children's books on Bella's shelf, before anything interesting happened. I was putting away my third Christian tale of the night when I was startled by the relentless ringing of the doorbell. What fool would test Laine's patience that way? I heard wretched coughing and the taping sound of a cane against hardwood floors, and everything made sense. Only one man could rightfully fulfill the position of that idiot: Mr. Welf. Mom had run out of babysitters, again? The kids probably scared the others off.

     A few minutes passed, before the front door was open and closed again, marking my mother's departure. I didn't like the idea of where she might be heading at this time of day.

     Following her exit, the kids gradually grew quieter, eventually reaching a state of complete silence. Something wasn't right. I risked a trip downstairs, knowing all too way that mom would be gone for a few hours.

     I found them all in the living room. A gigantic pile of yesterday's candy on the floor, Isaiah was sat reading a book, while the three younger kids huddled around a sleeping Mr. Welf. Their tiny bodies shook as they retained giggles.

     Isaiah saw me first, and he obviously wasn't expecting me. He jumped in his seat, book falling to the floor and losing its bookmark in the process.

    "Shit," he muttered, desperately trying to find his last page. My jaw almost joined the book on the floor. Isaiah, swearing? I've only been gone a few weeks. How did so much changed already?

     Three heads swung his way, as surprised by his outburst as I was. He rolled his eyes and smiled at the three. "We've got a visitor."

     There was no hesitation. Markers and stickers bounced on the floor, as Bella and the twins rushed towards me. Having abandoned my crutches to avoid worrying them, my injured foot wasn't strong enough to handle their weight. The four of us tumbled to the floor, and Tyler had to place his hand over Bella's mouth to ensure her giggles didn't escape. Though they were unsuccessful in being quiet, the old cranky man didn't wake.

     We headed upstairs, just in case, but I doubted Mr. Welf would have heard us anyways. He was so far gone that I was worried the kids added something to his long-abandoned tea. Hoping to avoid questions about my limp, I let the kids go up in front me. As planned, Bella and the twins ran up as fast as they could, but stubbornly Isaiah remained by my side.

     "Are you ok?" he asked, frowning at my slow pace and death grip on the stair railing. You'd swear he was Andrews' brother, rather than mine.

     "Oh, yeah." My foot totally doesn't feel as though it might fall off. "I tripped on a Halloween decoration walking back to Andrews last night. No big deal."

     "So, that's where you went after you left?"

     I hummed my agreement. I did go to Andrews after, I may have had a small detour to get my ass kicked by a creepy Asian man, but that wasn't important. Isaiah didn't buy it.

     "Don't worry about me," I told him, reaching the top of the stairs. "I can take care of myself."

     "I know you can." He wasn't easily fooled. "But just because you can, doesn't me you should have to handle everything alone."

     We had reached the twins room, but Isaiah wasn't ready to go in. He paused, hand frozen on the doorknob. I tried to keep a straight face as he reached forward to remove my sunglasses. I willed my face not to reveal anything, as he continued to watch me in a scrutinizing matter. I expected surprise or fear when he revealed the colorful state of my face, but his face didn't so much as twitch. Though his expression never changed, I swear I could see the wheels turning behind those green eyes. The sense of confirmation dancing across his pupils made my heart plumet. He couldn't know...

     He awaited an explanation, but I offered him none. There was no explanation that would do any good. I kept my lips pressed into a firm line until he gave up, sighed, and placed the glasses back atop my sharp nose. His timing was perfect too. Seconds after he took a step back, a loud crash was heard on the other side of the door. I'm not sure whose idea it was to hangout in the twins' room, but I was sure we were going to regret entering the room in which Gupakie was created.

     Tyson was standing on his bed, hands still outstretched towards the shelf above him. He stared wide eyed at the box on the floor in front of him, a box that I couldn't help but notice, had what I could only describe as air-holes. Tyler was conveniently on his knees, a few feet away from the box, searching under the bed for what I assumed had escaped the cardboard box. And Bella... Was standing in front of the opened closet, holding a stick with a string attached to the tip in one hand, and a bag of dried bugs in the other. I didn't particularly believe I wanted to know what they had accidentally let loose. So, I didn't ask.

      "Am I risking my life by taking a seat?" I asked instead. Sitting on Tyson's bed, I kept a wary eye on Tyler still on the floor. You'd think my question was easy to answer, but the twins shrugged and looked towards Bella for an answer.

     "No," she answered, only with slight hesitation. My brows shot up in a mixture of curiosity and concern.

     "It's not poisonous," she clarified.

     "But I am at risk of being stung or bitten?"

     Bella nodded.

      Usually, I'd have left the moment the smallest inkling of hesitation was shown, but she had promised that pain and not death, was a possibility. Sadly, that promise was better than what I was offered these days. Despite the presence of a snake, rat, or possible tarantula, I made myself comfortable on the small hot-wheel bed.

     Mr. Welf didn't wake the entire time I was home, and I truly believed I was correct to assume that his tea had been tampered with.

     Despite the late hour at which I chose to leave, mom still wasn't back. The twins and Bella were fast asleep, and I was told that it wasn't the first time Mom was out this late.

     "Is she drinking, again?" I asked Isaiah.

     "I don't know," he admitted. "Probably," he added, in a tone that made it clear that he couldn't have cared less.

     "I expected this from the others—"

     "Don't," he was quick to interrupt, knowing where the conversation was heading. The 12-year-old was too smart for his own good.

     "I'm just asking you to give her a break."

     "The same way she gave you one?" he asked, wryly. Obviously, the question was rhetorical. I wasn't given the chance to answer. "I'll treat her in the same manner she treated you."

      My god, was this entire family stubborn? "I appreciate you defending me," I answered sincerely. "I won't try to change your mind, but I know you. You'll come to your senses, and the kids will follow you in doing so... Laine is a good mother, though flawed, she's a very caring woman. She's doing what she thinks is best, and I hope you'll soon remember that."

     Isaiah was not a hateful person, he would forgive her soon, or so I hoped for her sake. Hopefully, it was before the full reappearance of her drinking problem.

     "I'm going to get going, before she does come back. I'll try to come back next week." I stepped out of the back door. I had already pushed my luck; I stayed much longer than I should have. With my recent track record, I knew it was time to go before my luck did run out.

     Though I explained that I could lock the door myself, Isaiah followed me to the back porch, bearing witness to my abandoned crutches.

     "Clara?" he stopped me, as I hobbled down the steps.

     I turned around, and like Bella a few weeks ago, his face said it all. There went my last inkling of hope that he might be less observant that I thought. He knew. Kids really ought to be given more credit for being so perceptive.

     "Be careful," he supplied.

     There was a lot of swearing that night. It probably wasn't a great idea to use ten different products on the same wound. Nevertheless, it's what I did, and I was left to suffer with the burning commotion created by my stupid actions. I was sure I had seen Mimpi appear during my last episode of swearing. I was positive I had seen her face from the corner of my eye, mid-way during my fit and I had to admit that she was growing on me. It was kind of reassuring to know that someone was checking up on me, even if she was literally located on the other side of the world and probably going to be the death of me.