The Butterfly Girl: A Star is Born

#60 The Glowstick

[Sophia]

Days passed since then. To heal and collect our thoughts on this new information. We didn't go back to the tree house for a while. And during that time, since the Twins didn't have anywhere else to go, we let them stay on our couch. We've practically gotten used to them by now. Sometimes they ask a lot of questions about things they don't understand and sometimes it's a little exhausting to have to explain everything to them. And we're trying our best, but there's still a lot that they don't understand. And that's okay. Sometimes they go out into the backyard and look at everything and sometimes they try to look over the fence despite my warnings. But they're just curious and I can't blame them for that. Reminds me of when I was young and curious and didn't completely understand everything. A part of me still is. But I've grown since then.
Sometimes the Twins follow us around and observe us, and I've gotten used to it. A little at a time. I never liked having someone look over my shoulder. But I know they're only observing me, not judging me.

At one point, they watched me walk around the house and asked why I was walking so strangely. I explained to them that it was just my wounds and sore muscles. Usually after a days worth of fighting, Apollo and I come home with scratches and sore muscles and sometimes we walk around all stiff-like because even doing simple things hurt when you've got three bruises on your leg, five on your arm and maybe a twisted ankle. Maybe more, maybe less. Don't worry about it too much.

Later during the night, I was sitting at my desk, lights off, laptop open, playing a game late into the night. Somehow, the twins managed to sneak up behind me and almost gave me a heart attack when they asked what I was doing. I swear, I almost knocked Flyboy in the head with my elbow. I told them I was playing another video game, and of course they asked me what a video game was, and I, more or less, explained to the best of my ability about the game I was playing. Although, I swear I thought I already told them what a video game was sometime before.
Look, explaining what a video game is to someone is a lot harder when they don't even know about the internet. Or technology.
And after how long it took for me to explain it to them, my mouth was dry tired and I felt like it was about time to turn it off and call it a day. But the Twins seemed so interested in watching me, I ended up playing way longer than I should have. Mostly because I felt way too awkward to ask them to leave because I wanted to sleep.
What ended up happening was I kept playing my game until I noticed the Twins both fell asleep on me. Basically trapping me in-between them so I couldn't get up or adjust my current position. And it made me feel even more awkward because now I was too nervous to wake them up. I was tired, and my back ached, and I honestly hoped they would just get up by themselves, say goodnight to me and leave.
But they didn't.
So what'd I do?
When I noticed they were asleep, I turned my brightness down every so often (trying to be subtle) until I turned off my laptop and fell asleep on my desk. And I hoped that when I woke up again in the middle of the night, they'd be gone and I could finally get some sleep. But they didn't leave until I woke up later that morning. I heard them shuffling quietly and closing the door behind them as I felt the sun peeking through my blinds and grazing my face. Just seconds after they left, I immediately got up, fell in my bed and rolled myself up in my covers. My back and shoulders felt relieved as soon as I got up and sure, it may have been four hours of actual sleep that made me tired and a little delirious when I woke up again, but it was worth it. I can't really blame them. They were just having fun watching me and I just couldn't ask them to leave.
(Because that's what happens when you're socially awkward, like me.)

When I woke up later, I pulled on my blanket cape and went downstairs. Turns out I was the first one up. Apollo was still in his room and I saw the Twins passed out on the couch. I didn't want to bother them so I just sat in the table in the kitchen and looked at my phone until I got hungry and made a bowl of cereal for myself. I was surprised that they didn't hear me laughing at stupid videos on Youtube while I was in the kitchen, so out of boredom and not wanting to bother anyone, I went upstairs and changed into the new outfit that I bought a couple days ago.
Blue shorts and a white shirt with a little printed strawberry in the corner. But when I put on the shirt, I realized the tag was still on it. I looked around on my desk for my scissors, but I couldn't see them anywhere. Then I remembered that I must've left them back at the tree house on the desk. I needed them for something and forgot to bring them back with me. So I decided to head out and go get them. I put on a jacket and slipped into a pair of sandals. I slung my satchel over my shoulder and quietly headed back downstairs and slipped through the backyard door. I carefully climbed over the fence and made my way through the thick trees while stepping on leaves that didn't crunch underneath me, which was kinda unsatisfying. When I finally walked up to the tree house, I pulled myself up on one of the branches and hoisted myself up onto the platform and walked inside. I found my scissors in one of the drawers and adjusted my shirt so I could cut off the tag. When I pulled it out, I shoved my scissors back in my bag and jumped down from the platform of the tree house. And just as I was about to head back, I heard something and spun my head around to see what it was.