Listen, Kid

Where are we going?

Chapter 12

Saturday, 3:50 pm

In the bunker

Sam's POV

Sam: No. You've already had way too much coffee, today.

We usually let Jayla have coffee until around 2. It's almost 4, and she's very clearly had too much coffee. We're lucky she's not literally running up the walls, with how much coffee she's had today.

Jayla: No, I haven't.

Sam: Yes, you have. No more coffee for you. Not until tomorrow. If you have any more today, you're not gonna be able to sleep, tonight.

Jayla: I'll be able to sleep, just fine.

Sam: You're not getting any more coffee, today.

Jayla: I'm 15 years old. I can decide how much coffee I can take.

Sam: You should also be able to tell when you've taken too much.

Jayla's already pretty hyper, so when she's had too much caffeine, it's like 1000 times worse. She can't handle caffeine. But of course, being a teenager and not wanting to listen to what the adults have to say, Jayla thinks otherwise.

Jayla: I can tell when I've had too much. And I don't think I've had enough. I think I should be able to have more, without being judged for it.

Sam: I'm not judging you, Jay. I'm just saying that this much caffeine isn't healthy.

Jayla: How would you know?

Sam: I don't. But I'd assume that that much caffeine in such a small period of time isn't good for you.

Jayla: So, what you're saying is that your entire argument is based off of an assumption? Which makes it pointless?

Great. Now she's trying to use her mind games on me. They never work, but she keeps trying them.

Sam: Kid, I'm getting a little tired of arguing with you about this. How about you go-

Jayla: Hey, can I go outside?

This is good. Maybe she's forgotten about wanting more coffee. Maybe now she can go run around outside and burn off all that caffeine.

Sam: Yeah. You can go outside, but it's supposed to rain later, so you might have to come back inside, in a little while.

Jayla: What if I wanna play in the rain?

Sam: Then you're gonna have to bring a towel with you. Because you're not coming back in here, soaking wet, drenching the floors. If you wanna play in the rain, bring a towel.

Jayla: Ok.

She heads to the bathroom for a towel, then runs to the front door. Sometimes she's like a dog. Are little siblings supposed to be like dogs? Are they supposed to have all that energy? Or is it just mine? She goes outside and now, for the first time since she woke up this morning, it's completely quiet in here. There's no sounds of running up and down the halls, which we keep telling her not to do. There's no sounds of her tripping and almost falling because she was running in the house. There's no random yelling. She yells random things, sometimes. I don't know why, but it doesn't hurt anybody, so I guess it's ok.