Community Tuesday

Billie's eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. For a moment, she lay still in her bed, relishing in the quiet of the morning. The events of the previous night flooded her mind, but instead of feeling anxious or scared, she felt an unusual sense of calm wash over her. She couldn't quite explain it, but something about the morning light streaming through her window made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

As she sat up in bed, she noticed the date on her calendar: "Community Tuesday." A smile crept onto her face at the thought of having a day off from school. Community Tuesday only happened once every three months in her small town, and it was always a day filled with events and activities for the whole town to enjoy. Billie's mind raced with the possibilities of what she could do with her newfound free time.

She made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower, feeling the warm water cascading down her back. She tried to let the water and steam wash away the events of the previous night, but it seemed impossible. Despite feeling relaxed, she knew that the memories of it would linger with her for a long time. As she stepped out of the shower and quickly dried herself off, Billie made a decision to reach out to her friends. Maybe they could talk about the events of the previous night and make sense of what had happened.

She quickly got dressed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a Turtleneck t-shirt before grabbing her phone. Scrolling through her messages, she saw that Ivan had sent a text the night before.

"What the hell was that? what do we do now?" it read.

Billie's heart raced as she read the message. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even seen Ivan's text until now.

She quickly responded, "I don't know, Mate. Let's meet up and talk about it."

As she walked down the hallway, she could smell breakfast cooking in the kitchen. The sound of sizzling bacon and the clinking of plates filled the air. Billie's stomach rumbled, and she made her way to the kitchen. Billie entered the kitchen and saw her parents bustling around the counters and the stove. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food. Her parents were busy preparing breakfast and brunch dishes for the Community Tuesday event. There were trays of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns, along with platters of fresh fruit, croissants, muffins, and bagels.

Billie couldn't resist cracking a joke as she eyed the sumptuous spread. "Hey, can I just eat all of this by myself?" she said with a grin.

Her mother chuckled at her daughter's playful banter, "Well, you'll have to compete with the fifty people we're serving today!"

Her father chimed in, "But if you can manage to eat all of it, I'll be proud of you, honeybunch."

Billie rolled her eyes, "Ha-ha, very funny, Dad."

They all laughed, and Billie felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest.

As she ate her sandwich, Billie couldn't help but feel that something was off about her parents. They hadn't questioned her about the detention or her late arrival last night, which was unlike them. She wondered if it was because she was a senior now and had earned their trust, or if they had simply forgotten.

Just then, Simeon stumbled into the room, his hair tousled and his eyes half-closed. He climbed onto Billie's lap, nuzzling his head against her chest.

"Hey, Simmy boy," Billie said, kissing the top of his head. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

Simmy nodded, his eyes closed. "Uh-huh. Can I have some orange juice?"

"Sure thing, bud but you have to brush your teeth before that," Billie replied, reaching for the carton of juice.

Simmy grabbed the carton and took a long swig, ignoring Billie's protests about brushing his teeth first. She playfully hit his back, teasing him about his morning breath.

As Billie ate her breakfast, She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. She wondered if they had committed a serious offense by wandering into the woods without permission and if they could end up in jail for it. But then again, they were just exploring, and it didn't seem like a big deal.

The warning from the creepy lady Selena Moir kept playing in her head, and Billie couldn't help but feel uneasy. She decided to check her phone to see if her friends had replied to her messages, but there was still no response. It only added to her growing anxiety.

Billie sat at the kitchen table with her parents, as the breakfast dishes cleared away.

"Hey, I'm meeting up with my friends today" she informed her parents.

"That sounds like a good idea, honey. But could you do us a favor and watch Simeon for a bit? We need to run some errands, and we'll be back soon", her mother requested.

Billie's heart sinks. She wants to spend time with her friends and get their advice on what to do next, but she also knows how important it is to help out her family.

She reluctantly agrees, "Sure, I'll look after him. But you guys won't be too long, right?"

Her father reassured her, "No-no, we'll be back before you know it."

"And who knows, maybe Simeon will even let you have some peace and quiet to talk to your friends." He winked at her, and Billie smiled despite herself.

Simeon enters the kitchen after washing up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yay, I get to spend time with sissy!" He hands Billie a piece of paper, saying, "Look what I made for you!"-- It was a drawing of Billie as a pirate captain, with Simeon as her parrot.

Billie laughs and thanks him for the picture. "Oh wow, My brother is a Picasso. I like it a lot Simmy."

After a while, their parents leave for the service and the weather outside was cold as ever. They spend the next hour playing together, with Billie pretending to be the pirate captain and Simeon the parrot. They chase each other around the house, laughing and shouting.

But even as she plays with her brother, Billie's mind keeps drifting back to the events of the previous night. She checks her phone again, hoping for a response from her friends, but there's still nothing. She can feel her anxiety rising.

She decides to check on her friends to make sure they're doing fine. As she starts to gather her things, ready to head out and check on her friends, Simeon asks her to help him with his bath.

"Billie, I don't want to take a bath by myself," he pleads.

Billie hesitates, knowing that time is ticking and she needs to go. "Simmy, you're a big boy now. You can take a bath by yourself".

Simeon looked hurt and a little scared. "But I don't want to. Please, Billie?"

Billie's heart breaks a little at the sight of her little brother looking so vulnerable. "Okay, fine," she relents. "wait until I come, okay? I promise I'll be back soon."

Billie leaves her house, bundling up in a warm trench coat and a scarf to protect her from the cold morning. As she steps outside, she feels the snow crunching beneath her boots and the chill of the air hitting her face. She hops on her bike and pedals down the street, feeling the rush of the icy wind whipping past her.

As she rides, Billie can see her breath forming in front of her in small puffs. The snow on the ground is untouched and pristine, except for the tracks of a few cars and other bikes that had passed through earlier. Billie shivers, despite her warm clothing, as she rounds the corner and heads towards Miron's house, which is closer than Ivan's.

She reaches Miron's house and notices him just as he steps out of his front door. Billie calls out to him, "Hey Miron, wait up!" and pedals faster to catch up with him. Miron turns around and smiles when he sees Billie, "Hey, good to see you, Bill!".

Billie and Miron greet each other with a warm smile and a hug. Billie notices that Miron looks a bit worn out, and she asks him how he is feeling after the previous night.

"I'm okay," Miron responds. "My phone died, so I didn't get any of your messages until this morning. Sorry about that." Billie nods, understanding how frustrating it can be when technology fails.

Billie notices a small band-aid on Miron's forehead. Carefully running her fingers through it she asks, "Hey, what happened to your forehead? Did you get hurt?" Miron hesitates for a moment before responding, "Oh, it's nothing, just a small accident."

Billie knows that Miron's father has a history of being abusive, and she worries that he might be covering up for something more serious.

"Did that Jerk hit you again?" Billie openly asks him about it with a warm authoritative tone.

Miron couldn't help but laugh at Billie calling his father 'Jerk' but he can't lie about that not lifting his mood for the day.

He notices Billie's concern and reassures her, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Besides, I'll be turning 18 soon, and I'll move out of my father's home." Billie smiles, relieved to hear this.

"That's good, mate" she replied. "You deserve to have a safe and happy home."

As they approach the town square, the sound of music and the aroma of freshly baked goods fill the air. "It looks like a busy day," Billie observes, taking in the festive atmosphere.

Miron nods in agreement, "Yeah, I've got a lot of work to do today. I'm working at the bakery, and there will be a lot of orders to fill."

Billie nods, understanding his busy schedule. "I'll let you get to it then," she says, "We'll catch up later tonight." Miron smiles and agrees, "Definitely. I was actually on my way to check up on Ivan anyway."

Billie nods, "That's great. Well, I have to head back home now. My little brother is there by himself." She waves goodbye to Miron and hops back on her bike, pedaling towards home.

As Billie watches Miron walk away, she can't help but feel a sense of relief knowing that he is okay and that he has plans to move out of his father's home soon. She takes a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill her lungs, and takes one last look at the bustling town square.