Chapter 2: So Far Away Yet So Close
Mora and her brother never really spoke since his break down. In fact no one had really had a conversation with Giovanni since his breakdown. Gio really only kept to himself. He locked himself in his room, had his nose in a book or his fingers on the remote control. For the past five months his only friends had been books and cheesy television sitcoms.
"Gio," Mora began as she stood there watching him watch the dust particles float above his face as he lie there on the bed looking up at the ceiling, "Gio."
"Yeah? It's midnight. Go to bed. You've got school," Gio didn't even have to look at the clock. He had and impeccable sense of time.
"So, Gio you can't tell me what to do. I wanted to talk to you about something,"
Gio sat up and looked at his sister. She was dressed in her usual black and gray. Gray beater, black pajama pants with some sort of cartoon all over it. She had navy blue flip-flops on and for some reason her arms were covered in nearly every bracelet she owned. Gio never understood how she could sleep like that but he didn't really care. "Come on, sit down. I wasn't going to sleep anyway. Up for a little Crash Team Racing?" He turned on the Play Station.
"Yeah sure!" Mora's face lit up as she sat next to Gio on his bed and grabbed a controller.
"Mom's getting a little over zealous isn't she?" Gio asked quietly.
"Yeah she's way out of control. I'm not wearing that stupid outfit," Mora paused. School wasn't what she wanted to talk about, "I was watching the 11 o'clock news,"
"Ooookay.and?" Gio raised his right eyebrow, he did that all the time and at time instigated his little sister to violence. But Mora was far too tired for violence so her mood settled on sheer annoyance.
"So, that virus thing, you know, that we were talking about at dinner?"
"Yeah,"
"It got worse, they can't stop it,"
"So?"
"So, they say it's already spread to Australia and adults, people over the age of around 20 are getting really sick. They showed all these pictures of really old people, but they say that they're not really old. That they've just caught the virus and some of them are as young as 23!" Mora's voice was starting to break, tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Breath," Mora took a breath, "Okay, now lets think about this," Gio paused the game and set down his controller, "People are catching this thing in New Zealand and Australia right?"
"Yeah,"
"On the other side of the world,"
"Yeah, but."
"It's spreading, I know, however we have nothing to worry about. I know that sounds really selfish but it's true. Those scientist will have this all figured out before it's too late. So don't bug out about it," Gio looked into Mora's eyes. Both Gio and Mora were half Puerto Rican and black. They're grandmother had these amazing hazel eyes that Mora inherited. Mora just happened to inherit every good physical quality that their families could possess. But as far as mentally, well, both of the Teaman children were far from well adjusted.
"Thanks Gio. Are you gonna drive me to school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, just wake me up 10 minutes before it's time to leave, okay?"
"Okay," Mora sat there for a minute, looking at the frozen screen, "I don't want Mom to catch that virus Gi,"
"I know, I know,"
Mora and her brother never really spoke since his break down. In fact no one had really had a conversation with Giovanni since his breakdown. Gio really only kept to himself. He locked himself in his room, had his nose in a book or his fingers on the remote control. For the past five months his only friends had been books and cheesy television sitcoms.
"Gio," Mora began as she stood there watching him watch the dust particles float above his face as he lie there on the bed looking up at the ceiling, "Gio."
"Yeah? It's midnight. Go to bed. You've got school," Gio didn't even have to look at the clock. He had and impeccable sense of time.
"So, Gio you can't tell me what to do. I wanted to talk to you about something,"
Gio sat up and looked at his sister. She was dressed in her usual black and gray. Gray beater, black pajama pants with some sort of cartoon all over it. She had navy blue flip-flops on and for some reason her arms were covered in nearly every bracelet she owned. Gio never understood how she could sleep like that but he didn't really care. "Come on, sit down. I wasn't going to sleep anyway. Up for a little Crash Team Racing?" He turned on the Play Station.
"Yeah sure!" Mora's face lit up as she sat next to Gio on his bed and grabbed a controller.
"Mom's getting a little over zealous isn't she?" Gio asked quietly.
"Yeah she's way out of control. I'm not wearing that stupid outfit," Mora paused. School wasn't what she wanted to talk about, "I was watching the 11 o'clock news,"
"Ooookay.and?" Gio raised his right eyebrow, he did that all the time and at time instigated his little sister to violence. But Mora was far too tired for violence so her mood settled on sheer annoyance.
"So, that virus thing, you know, that we were talking about at dinner?"
"Yeah,"
"It got worse, they can't stop it,"
"So?"
"So, they say it's already spread to Australia and adults, people over the age of around 20 are getting really sick. They showed all these pictures of really old people, but they say that they're not really old. That they've just caught the virus and some of them are as young as 23!" Mora's voice was starting to break, tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Breath," Mora took a breath, "Okay, now lets think about this," Gio paused the game and set down his controller, "People are catching this thing in New Zealand and Australia right?"
"Yeah,"
"On the other side of the world,"
"Yeah, but."
"It's spreading, I know, however we have nothing to worry about. I know that sounds really selfish but it's true. Those scientist will have this all figured out before it's too late. So don't bug out about it," Gio looked into Mora's eyes. Both Gio and Mora were half Puerto Rican and black. They're grandmother had these amazing hazel eyes that Mora inherited. Mora just happened to inherit every good physical quality that their families could possess. But as far as mentally, well, both of the Teaman children were far from well adjusted.
"Thanks Gio. Are you gonna drive me to school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, just wake me up 10 minutes before it's time to leave, okay?"
"Okay," Mora sat there for a minute, looking at the frozen screen, "I don't want Mom to catch that virus Gi,"
"I know, I know,"