Stray Story - 013

"No. I don't want this."

Caroline said.

"Get her to go away. I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to go home."

…

Me and Tayla both stared at her. I was somewhat at a loss for words. How could Caroline say that after Elis came all this way to see her?

Tayla spoke first, "Caro, couldn't you at least hear her out?"

"No," Caroline shook her head, "I can't believe that you two would do this. You should know that I don't want to talk to her."

Huh?

What was she saying?

Before I could react, however, there was a hand.

Or, more specifically, a hand hit Caroline.

Or, more usefully, a hand slapped Caroline in the face.

Elis had moved before either me or Tayla could react. Though, I don't think I would've stopped her even if I had.

"How can you be so disrespectful? Tayla and Alexander have done so much for you, they just want what's best for you. Whatever complaints you have about Alexander as a person, I know I do, he's let you stay here without paying for anything for an entire week! How could you be so disrespectful to him?"

Caroline had tears welling up in her eyes. This would be painful to watch.

Luckily, Tayla seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she tapped on my shoulder and motioned for us to head out the door into the hallway.

She closed the door behind us.

I started to walk down the hall, but Tayla grabbed my arm. I looked back at her with a quizzical glance. She put a finger over her lips in a hushing gesture, then sat down with her back against the wall next to the door.

I see.

She wants to listen in on what they're going to say.

I can't say that I'm not curious either. Even if it is in bad taste to listen in.

We probably would've been able to hear them from the room as well, thanks to the narrow walls in this house, but in the hallway there's only one such wall instead of two. It greatly increases the clarity of their conversation. In fact, you can practically hear exactly what's happening in the next room.

Caroline's still sobbing, but I can tell that she's trying to hold it back.

I hear Elis sit down on the couch next to her.

"I talked to Tayla before I came here," Elis began, "and I think I understand where you're coming from a bit better now. I wasn't going to come after I first heard that you were here because I just thought to myself 'she's being a spoilt brat like usual', but I get that's not really what this is. Well, you're still a spoilt brat but, I get why you act like that all the time now.

I didn't realise how hard it was for you. That you found mum and dad telling you to work harder stressful. I'm sorry that I didn't understand. I should've tried harder, no, we all should've tried harder."

"What do you understand? How could you ever understand?" Caroline cried, "you're smart, you're pretty, your mum and dad's favourite. How could you ever understand what I'm feeling?"

"Do you really think that? You don't realise just how lucky you are, Caro. I don't push myself so hard to do well at school because I want to. I do it because mum and dad force me to. They think because I'm smart, it would be a waste for me not to.

I'm so jealous of you, and Tayla too. Both of you are pretty smart, you're popular with both girls and boys. I wish I could have a boyfriend like Tayla, though I hope he's not anything like Alexander. The two of you are smart enough to get by at school, and still enjoy your life more than I ever have."

"Is that true?"

"I'm not here to lie to you. I just want to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yep. You're right that I can't understand all of your feelings, and maybe I don't know what's best for you, but I'm sure it isn't living in a dump like this. So, what do you say?

Will you come back home with me? If I'm there with you, on your side? Acting like a real big sister for once?"

I can't quite make out what Caroline's response was because the sobbing intensified. From the sounds I can hear, however, it sounds like they're both crying now, and I'd have to assume hugging on the couch.

How cute.

I guess we should just leave them to it for now.

I look at Tayla, and she smiles back at me and nods, as if she understands exactly what I'm thinking.

"Well, I'm glad that all worked out," I sigh. I speak lowly so that the two next-door don't hear. Though I doubt they would over all the noise they're making.

"Yeah."

Tayla snuggles in close to me, also breathing a sigh of relief that everything worked out in the end.

"How did you convince Elis to come get Caroline?"

"I just listened to what you told her, and then I explained what it meant. You know, you kind of suck at explaining things."

"I don't think I do. Maybe Elis just isn't good at reading between the lines."

"If you have to read between the lines, that means it isn't very clear. I mean 'it's tough having such a successful older sister', like who would understand that if you just say something like that? I only did because I know you so well."

"Okay fine, maybe I'm not great at explaining things, but I think at least some of that is on Elis, not me."

"Sure, sure."

…

…

"Hey, Tayla?"

"Yes, dearest?"

"Don't call me that. It makes you sound like your eighty."

"Yes, lover?"

Ugh, whatever.

"I was thinking about this just before, but… when would you say we actually started dating?"

"August thirtieth."

Guh. No hesitation.

Now I feel really bad for not remembering the day.

"Sorry I forgot."

"Well, to be fair, that's when I thought we started dating, but we hadn't made it clear that that's what we were doing then. So, I guess I can understand you not remembering the date."

That's right. I'd forgotten that had all happened. Me and Tayla went on a few dates when we were still uncertain of what our relationship actually was. Or at least, I had been. I guess she'd assumed that we were going out, without speaking about it at all first.

Now who's bad at explaining things?

Anyway, that wasn't the point.

"August thirtieth… so that would make our six-month anniversary… the thirtieth of February?"

"For some reason, I feel like that day doesn't exist."

"No, I don't believe so."

Hmm.

…

…

"What day do we celebrate it on then?"

"Hmm… I guess the first of March, right? It'd kind of feel like cheating if we celebrate on the twenty-ninth, wouldn't it? And we'd have to change next year, because there won't be a twenty-ninth when it isn't a leap year."

"True, but February is the sixth month after August. It wouldn't feel like a six-month anniversary if we celebrated on the seventh month, would it? It'd be like a six-month and a day anniversary."

"Well, that's an interesting problem. We'll have to think about it some more."

"Yeah."

…

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…

…

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…

"How long are you two going to keep having such a stupid conversation for?"

Elis yells at us from through the wall.

Oh right. Of course, if we can hear everything their saying, they can hear everything that we're saying. Even though we started out talking quietly, at some point, we must've gotten careless and started speaking louder without realising it.

What a foolish mistake.