Chapter 2

“ I’m not going.” I furrowed my eyebrows before stabbing my oatmeal with my spoon.

“ It’s non-negotiable.” There is something funny about the word “non-negotiable” because in reality non-negotiable means that my choice is subordinate when compared to others. I looked at my brother for help but he gave me a sad smile before looking down.

“ Dad’s right, this one’s non-negotiable.” My brother was a good son, never questioning our fathers rules even when he truly wanted to. I envied that.

“ I’m fine.” I argued before stirring my oatmeal.

“ Edith.” I looked at my brother, and even though he only said my name it was obvious he was calling my bluff. That was the thing about me, my eyes could never lie like my words could.

“ Ray, I’m fine.” I said hiding my eyes  

“ No, Edith, you're not.” I groaned before shoving a spoonful of oatmeal in my mouth.

“ Dad.” My father rubbed a hand over his face.

“ Edith, I’m not having this conversation with you.” He spoke before wiping his mouth with a napkin. “ You’re not eating, You’re not sleeping; these are clear signs of depression.”

“ I’m not depressed.” I grunted before pushing my oatmeal away.

“ And I’d be glad to hear that from Mr.Vens.” I brought my hands to my face.

“ He smells like cigarettes.” I complained, peeking through my fingers., but my dad simply smirked and Ray quietly laughed to himself.

I took my hands of my face,” Hello.”

No response.

“ Does anyone ever listen to me.”

No response.

“ Hey dad I’m going to go loose my virginity to Mr. Wilks down the street.”

No response

“ I’m pregnant.”

No response

“ Can I bring a friend.” And then, for some reason, they finally decided to look up.

“ A...friend.” Ray said quietly to himself.

“ Um,”  My dad breathed out, looking for something to say and for the first time in three years his eyes weren’t completely hard. “ I don’t see why not, of course I’ll have to ask Mr.Vens but I think he’ll be thrilled you're making friends”

Ray coughed.

No one said anything after that. Mainly because Ray kept laughing quietly like a mad man and my father stared at his toast like it held the answers of the universe.

Days go by slowly when you're an insomniac. You’re too tired to do things, but to screwed up to sleep. It’s like you're fighting with your own mind. You try to force yourself to sleep but your mind won’t let you. So you just lay on your bed and conscientiously wait for night knowing you'll feel even more alone when it finally rolls around.

But for the first time in a very long time I knew I wasn’t going to be alone. Because he would be there. He would be waiting for me on the street with dark green eyes and a permanent smile.

He wasn’t smiling when I got there, and his eyes weren’t lit up like I thought they would be. I guess that sleep does that to you. It sucks the life out of you if you refuse to let it in. Sleep is a drug, people say they like it, but they only say it because they fear life without it.

“ Do you ever try?” Was the first thing he asked me when we began walking.

“ Do I ever try what?” I said quietly scuffing my shoes on the pavement.  

“ Try to sleep.” I shook my head.

“ It usually just happens.” He glanced up at me before going back to watching his moving feet.

“ Usually?” I laughed a little.

“ I mean when I do, it just happens.” He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and I thought maybe it would be a good time to bring up Mr. Vens, but then the silence was over.

“ Will you try with me?” I blinked, my throat closing.

“ What?” I croaked.

“ Will you try..to sleep with me?” I looked at him amusingly, causing him to slap himself on his head. “ I mean, um wow, What I was trying to ask was-”

“ Yes.” He blinked.

“ What?” I smiled smalley.

“ Yes I’ll try to sleep with you.” He smiled before hugging me.

“ Thank you Edith.” And he said it with such sincerity I almost forgot what I was going to say. Almost.

“ Now will you do me a favor?” He let go of my waist before holding me out in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

“ Making deals now, eh” I squirmed uncomfortably which caused him to smile with tired eyes. “I’m only kidding.”

“ Oh.” I said quietly. “ Um, will you come to therapy with me?”

He looked at me, his eyes softening.

“ Therapy?” I laughed dryly.

“ My dad thinks I’m depressed.” Finn eyed me.

“ Well are you?” I shrugged.

“ Isn’t that what therapy is for?” He smiled as if to say touche.

“ Sure.” I felt my eyes gleam.

“ Really?” He didn’t drop his smile as he continued to walk down the road.

“ I don’t see why not, I’ve always wanted to meet a therapist.” I laughed before he bumped his shoulder with mine.

It was nice.

“ I think you’ll like Mr. Vens” He made a humming sound.

“ And why’s that.” I smiled to myself.

“ You’re both overly gregarious.”

“ Does he also have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.”

“ For a boy who accuses me of using big words, you seem to know quite a few.” He laughed.

“ Come on Edith, everyone knows that word, but not everyone knows words like ‘gregarious’” I nudged him

“ Well maybe someone should buy a dictionary.” He looked at me before holding a hand to a chest.

“ Are you excusing me of being idiotic.” I looked back at him, smiling slightly.

“ I don’t know am I?” He looked at me before smirking.

“ Well look who got sassy.” He glanced at me for a moment before taking my hand.

And we walked with our hands together for the rest of the night, and while he laughed and spoke I blushed and listened.

“ Don’t forget.” I said before walking towards the front door. “ Come here at twelve o’five.”, He smiled before nodding.

My father was fast asleep, unaware of the fact that I had been awake the whole night, Ray, on the other hand, was a different case.

“ Really Edith?”  Ray’s voice startled me when I walked through the door.

Finn walked me home around four a.m. and promised he would come by at twelve. But somehow we both were oblivious to the yellow light that was shining through the living room window.

“ Please don’t tell dad.” Was the first thing I managed to say to Ray whose body remained stiff.

“ I can’t keep staying awake every night until you come home, sure dad knows you don’t sleep but what do you think he’ll do if he finds out you're out patrolling the streets at night.” I sighed before shutting the door and joining Ray on the couch.

“ You don’t have to stay awake you know, you could sleep.” Ray turned around, his eyes hard.

“ I’m not going to sleep when my baby sister is walking the streets alone at night.” I smiled a little.

“ I was with my friend.” Ray smiled back, but his was more like he was sorry, but not for himself, for me.

“ Don’t get me wrong Edith, I like that you finally have a friend, but two girls alone at night does not me feel comfortable. Do her parent’s even know where she is at night.”I looked at him.

“ His parent’s trust him.” Ray looked at me for a second, then looked at his lap, then back at me.

“ Your new friend is a boy?” I held back a blush.

“ Yeah.” Ray was quiet for a few minuted before looking back at me.

“ Well, even though I like the idea of a boy, I haven’t meant the kid.”

“ He’s coming later today so you’ll have plenty of time to scope him out and see if he meets your standards.” I stood up.

“ Good Night Ray.” I ended the conversation before walking up the stairs.

“ Morning.” He corrected me as he followed.

Finn came over at eleven fifty, with nice dark jeans and a light grey tee shirt.

“ Hi.” I said when I opened the door, he smiled.

“ Hi.” He whispered before examining my eyes, “ You tired?”

His voice was still soft.

“ What do you think?” He laughed faintly.

“ Edith, who’s at the door?” Ray came down the stairs before opening the door fully.

“ You must be the friend.” Finn stood up straighter before holding out a hand.

“ And you’re the...father?” Ray didn’t even manage to raise his hand before bursting out into laughter, with me to follow.

“ I’m not that old.” My brother said before slapping Finn on the back. “ I’m the brother.”

Finn’s shoulders seemed to relax a bit more.

“ Edith didn’t tell me she had a brother.” Finn said walking inside.

“ I doubt she told you she had a father who’s on a tight schedule, either.” Finn stiffened at the sight of my father. He was glaring, his grey eyes hard.

“ Dad.” I squirmed uncomfortably, “ This is my friend, Finn remember.”

“ Your friends a boy?” Ray scratched the back of his head and I looked down.

My dad sighed.

“ Well Finn, I’d love to hear the story of how you met my daughter but we all have an appointment to catch, so I suggest we leave.” Ray was the first to leave and I soon followed him. My dad was one foot out of the door when he turned around and looked at Finn who looked just about ready to pee his pants.

“ That means you too son.” Finn blinked for a second before following the rest of us.

The ride was quiet, and awkward and Finn and I were squished together in the back seat because Ray decided to implant himself between us.

“ Sorry about that.”I whispered in Finn’s ear when we were finally out of the car.  

My dad refused to leave us until he saw that we were already in the office building. Then he told the security guard at the door that if Finn and I attempted to leave he had the right to handcuff us. After that Finn looked anxious.

“ It’s fine.” He replied shakily before offering me a smile. “ So, your dad’s pretty intense.”

“ Yeah.” I said breathlessly looking down.

“ But you’re lucky you know.” I laughed quietly.

“ How is having a dad watching your every move lucky?” I looked at him as he shrugged.

“ Some people don’t have dads at all.”