Brian was lost.
Everything he had done was wrong. Everything he had ever said was disgusting, or disgraceful, or just unethical.
And now, maybe the world had just gone crazy.
It was like time had just stopped, and no one was themselves anymore. They had become embarrassed of themselves, become self-conscious. Angela refused to open the door for him anymore. He was still the same person: heartless, like everyone thought.
But Sabine had still talked to him.
He had seen her, heard her, but didn't understand a word.
"A party..at our house, okay?" she had asked, her head tilted sideways, so that her eyes could bore directly through his temples.
"Yeah, okay. But, like, I have this thing..."
"With your parents? Don't worry about it. Just come. Syrus will deal with the parent thing."
"Yeah, ok."
Brian had just said yes to something. He wasn't sure exactly what.
Sabine walked away.
And Jordan said yes.
The male twin had asked him.
He had forgotten the guy's name
But he understood that Angela was coming: and that was enough.
"Any problems with the parentels?" asked Syrus.
"Pa...what?"
"Parents, dude. Any problem with the parents?"
"Nah, I mean, no."
"All right, see ya there." He gave Jordan a pat on the shoulder and left.
Rayanne was invited.
But still she didn't know about this.
Though it was a party, she didn't feel right about going.
There was something about these people that intimidated and scared her. Yet...there was something that drew her to them. She wanted to be their friend, she wanted to know what they knew. That's what it was....they knew something that no one else in the town did. She decided she was going to go. She wanted to figure it out.
Ricky had been invited. He had never seen these kids before, but instantly he liked Sabine. She hadn't shaken his hand, she hadn't looked at him with a weird stare, she hadn't seen anything different about him. She had just seen him. She had hugged him after inviting him, and winked saying, "I'm sure we'll have a good time."
Ricky liked her spirited nature.
Night of the Party
Everyone was quiet. They felt like something needed to be said before any of them could talk. They sat on wine red chairs in the middle of a dark blue room: the soft candle-light lamps placed soft shapes on the walls, making the night almost glitter with magic. It wasn't spooky or domineering. It was only strange.
Suddenly Ricky leaned over and whispered to Rayanne.
"They live by themselves...."
"Yeah, I heard that their parents abandoned them in South America and when they were five they were flown to America by missionaries who rescued them and taught them how to speak Swahili...."
"Swedish, actually," said Sabine who had just walked into the room. She laughed. "Where do you get those ideas Rayanne? They're wonderful! Don't answer....I already know. It's your inner child. Yeah..that's it."
"Yeah," said Syrus who was right behind her. "That's it! Inner child...I've figured it out Bean...I've figured it out."
The two sat down.
"Some party," said Jordan.
The others looked at him with a glare.
"Let me ask you a question, Angela," said Sabine, suddenly turning to her friend. "When was the last time you disobeyed your parents? When was the last time you got in trouble for something you were really proud of? Something that made you feel good? When was the last time you felt good? Have you ever been free before? I haven't felt any freedom since we've moved here."
Syrus was looking at Angela seriously. So was Jordan.
Angela put her hair behind her ear, her habit when she was nervous.
"I dunno...I mean, I guess...."
Syrus nodded at Sabine.
Sabine turned to Rayanne and asked the same, then of Ricky, then of Jordan, of Brian....none of them could answer.
Everything he had done was wrong. Everything he had ever said was disgusting, or disgraceful, or just unethical.
And now, maybe the world had just gone crazy.
It was like time had just stopped, and no one was themselves anymore. They had become embarrassed of themselves, become self-conscious. Angela refused to open the door for him anymore. He was still the same person: heartless, like everyone thought.
But Sabine had still talked to him.
He had seen her, heard her, but didn't understand a word.
"A party..at our house, okay?" she had asked, her head tilted sideways, so that her eyes could bore directly through his temples.
"Yeah, okay. But, like, I have this thing..."
"With your parents? Don't worry about it. Just come. Syrus will deal with the parent thing."
"Yeah, ok."
Brian had just said yes to something. He wasn't sure exactly what.
Sabine walked away.
And Jordan said yes.
The male twin had asked him.
He had forgotten the guy's name
But he understood that Angela was coming: and that was enough.
"Any problems with the parentels?" asked Syrus.
"Pa...what?"
"Parents, dude. Any problem with the parents?"
"Nah, I mean, no."
"All right, see ya there." He gave Jordan a pat on the shoulder and left.
Rayanne was invited.
But still she didn't know about this.
Though it was a party, she didn't feel right about going.
There was something about these people that intimidated and scared her. Yet...there was something that drew her to them. She wanted to be their friend, she wanted to know what they knew. That's what it was....they knew something that no one else in the town did. She decided she was going to go. She wanted to figure it out.
Ricky had been invited. He had never seen these kids before, but instantly he liked Sabine. She hadn't shaken his hand, she hadn't looked at him with a weird stare, she hadn't seen anything different about him. She had just seen him. She had hugged him after inviting him, and winked saying, "I'm sure we'll have a good time."
Ricky liked her spirited nature.
Night of the Party
Everyone was quiet. They felt like something needed to be said before any of them could talk. They sat on wine red chairs in the middle of a dark blue room: the soft candle-light lamps placed soft shapes on the walls, making the night almost glitter with magic. It wasn't spooky or domineering. It was only strange.
Suddenly Ricky leaned over and whispered to Rayanne.
"They live by themselves...."
"Yeah, I heard that their parents abandoned them in South America and when they were five they were flown to America by missionaries who rescued them and taught them how to speak Swahili...."
"Swedish, actually," said Sabine who had just walked into the room. She laughed. "Where do you get those ideas Rayanne? They're wonderful! Don't answer....I already know. It's your inner child. Yeah..that's it."
"Yeah," said Syrus who was right behind her. "That's it! Inner child...I've figured it out Bean...I've figured it out."
The two sat down.
"Some party," said Jordan.
The others looked at him with a glare.
"Let me ask you a question, Angela," said Sabine, suddenly turning to her friend. "When was the last time you disobeyed your parents? When was the last time you got in trouble for something you were really proud of? Something that made you feel good? When was the last time you felt good? Have you ever been free before? I haven't felt any freedom since we've moved here."
Syrus was looking at Angela seriously. So was Jordan.
Angela put her hair behind her ear, her habit when she was nervous.
"I dunno...I mean, I guess...."
Syrus nodded at Sabine.
Sabine turned to Rayanne and asked the same, then of Ricky, then of Jordan, of Brian....none of them could answer.