There Is No Love
Chapter 4
Little Brothers, Big Pains
Esther crawled into bed with her husband, Dib, who stared up at the ceiling, "Penny for your thoughts?" Esther asked wrapping her arms around him.
Dib sighed, "January's growing up. And she's growing up so fast.... she's so very smart.... and, unfortunately, so very curious," He looked to Esther, "Esther, she's gonna want to know more."
"You don't think I know that?" she paused, "Dib, I love my daughter, and I don't want her to be overwhelmed with all this crazy information."
"So what do we tell her, and what do we not?"
"Well, I'm not sure.... Just.... If she starts to question again.... answer if you think it's important," she stopped, "OK, but don't answer ALL her questions.... um..."
Dib nodded, "I get the idea." Dib returned his eyes to the ceiling, "Esther? Do you think January's OK?"
"OK? What do you mean by "OK"?"
"Well... she has no friends.... and that's the way I grew up, and it's terrible... It really is."
Esther frowned, "Oh..." Esther couldn't think of any other way to respond.
Dib continued, "She does have her cousin and her brother, but it's just not the same. January needs more, but the way she reacts with two different species bonding.... I just wonder if she'll ever find a friend."
January sat up, wide awake in bed. She glanced around her room and stopped at her mirror. Her mirror was always there to remind her that she was different. She gazed at her reflection for some time, remembering all the information her parents gave her. Thinking of questions she wanted to ask them, and questions they probably wouldn't answer. She quickly looked away from the mirror, then slowly looked back. No matter how many times she looked at herself in the mirror, she would never look like the rest of the kids at her skool. January grew enraged that she could never fit in, and that she would never be like this if those stupid Razerkens didn't take over her home planet. She threw her alarm clock at the mirror, and it shaddered with a loud bang, glass flying everywhere. A few small pieces of glass came flying towards her and scratched the side of her right arm.
"January!" Dib exclaimed rushing to her. He obviously heard the noise, and her daughter's small cry as she was cut. Esther also came running in, both of them hugging their daughter tightly, "January what happened?"
"I-- I didn't mean too, I'm sorry." she said looking at the mess she caused.
Esther looked over her small wounds. They were OK, and there was hardly any blood.
Dib looked at the broken mirror and the alarm clock, and put the puzzle pieces together, "January, are you OK?"
"I'm fine, I just need a little band-aid for this cut here," she said signaling to her small scratch.
"No honey, I mean not physically.... January, I know how it is to not have any friends--"
"Dad, please don't. I don't wanna get into this right now.... Can you just get me a band-aid so I can go to bed? I got skool in the morning."
Dib frowned, "Fine."
"Look here comes that peach-skinned girl," a girl harshly whispered in the halls.
January heard this and she felt like banging the girl's head against a locker door. But she simply took a deep breath and kept walking. Who cares what they said? Who cared?
She cared.
"January! January! Wait up!" her little brother called after her.
January stopped and allowed him to catch up with her, "Where were you this morning? Mom and Dad were worried."
"I left to skool early."
"That's what Dad thought, but they was still worried."
"When are they not?"
"January, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"What do girls like?"
January stopped, "What do you mean..."
"I kinda want to get something... for this girl in my class..."
"First of all, you're too young. Second, we're not of their kind."
"But---"
"Dib... forget her."
"But--"
"Forget the girl! Believe me, I'm older. I know things."
Chapter 4
Little Brothers, Big Pains
Esther crawled into bed with her husband, Dib, who stared up at the ceiling, "Penny for your thoughts?" Esther asked wrapping her arms around him.
Dib sighed, "January's growing up. And she's growing up so fast.... she's so very smart.... and, unfortunately, so very curious," He looked to Esther, "Esther, she's gonna want to know more."
"You don't think I know that?" she paused, "Dib, I love my daughter, and I don't want her to be overwhelmed with all this crazy information."
"So what do we tell her, and what do we not?"
"Well, I'm not sure.... Just.... If she starts to question again.... answer if you think it's important," she stopped, "OK, but don't answer ALL her questions.... um..."
Dib nodded, "I get the idea." Dib returned his eyes to the ceiling, "Esther? Do you think January's OK?"
"OK? What do you mean by "OK"?"
"Well... she has no friends.... and that's the way I grew up, and it's terrible... It really is."
Esther frowned, "Oh..." Esther couldn't think of any other way to respond.
Dib continued, "She does have her cousin and her brother, but it's just not the same. January needs more, but the way she reacts with two different species bonding.... I just wonder if she'll ever find a friend."
January sat up, wide awake in bed. She glanced around her room and stopped at her mirror. Her mirror was always there to remind her that she was different. She gazed at her reflection for some time, remembering all the information her parents gave her. Thinking of questions she wanted to ask them, and questions they probably wouldn't answer. She quickly looked away from the mirror, then slowly looked back. No matter how many times she looked at herself in the mirror, she would never look like the rest of the kids at her skool. January grew enraged that she could never fit in, and that she would never be like this if those stupid Razerkens didn't take over her home planet. She threw her alarm clock at the mirror, and it shaddered with a loud bang, glass flying everywhere. A few small pieces of glass came flying towards her and scratched the side of her right arm.
"January!" Dib exclaimed rushing to her. He obviously heard the noise, and her daughter's small cry as she was cut. Esther also came running in, both of them hugging their daughter tightly, "January what happened?"
"I-- I didn't mean too, I'm sorry." she said looking at the mess she caused.
Esther looked over her small wounds. They were OK, and there was hardly any blood.
Dib looked at the broken mirror and the alarm clock, and put the puzzle pieces together, "January, are you OK?"
"I'm fine, I just need a little band-aid for this cut here," she said signaling to her small scratch.
"No honey, I mean not physically.... January, I know how it is to not have any friends--"
"Dad, please don't. I don't wanna get into this right now.... Can you just get me a band-aid so I can go to bed? I got skool in the morning."
Dib frowned, "Fine."
"Look here comes that peach-skinned girl," a girl harshly whispered in the halls.
January heard this and she felt like banging the girl's head against a locker door. But she simply took a deep breath and kept walking. Who cares what they said? Who cared?
She cared.
"January! January! Wait up!" her little brother called after her.
January stopped and allowed him to catch up with her, "Where were you this morning? Mom and Dad were worried."
"I left to skool early."
"That's what Dad thought, but they was still worried."
"When are they not?"
"January, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"What do girls like?"
January stopped, "What do you mean..."
"I kinda want to get something... for this girl in my class..."
"First of all, you're too young. Second, we're not of their kind."
"But---"
"Dib... forget her."
"But--"
"Forget the girl! Believe me, I'm older. I know things."