Silent Genius

Chapter 12

January 2011 continued

‘Happy birthday, Claire,’ I yell as I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.

Tom snaps a photo and starts laughing. Dad runs in with the cake. Mum’s nowhere to be seen.

Since Claire’s birthday party on the weekend, Mum’s been avoiding the family a lot. She goes to work early, comes home late and then preoccupies herself with chores for all the time she has to be at home.

I drop Claire back on her bed and she stares up at me smiling. Dad scoops her up and hangs her upside down by her knees. Her face turns purple with silent laughter as she tries to keep her nightie from falling.

Dad puts her down again, sitting beside her on her bed. We give her all her presents; a set of acrylic paints, a new dress, a bow for her violin and a book of Disney songs for the piano. She insists on playing them while Tom and I get ready for school. I started grade eleven on Tuesday and Tom started grade twelve on Monday. I’m wearing my new senior uniform. Instead of wearing a light-blue blouse, I wear a white blouse. The only change to Tom’s uniform is the senior badge pinned to his tie.

While I’m doing my hair, I listen to Claire playing “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. It sounds amazing. I go out and watch her. Her fingers move across the keys with such precision. I close my eyes and listen. I feel like I’m listening to a CD.

‘She’s amazing,’ I jump as Tyler wraps his arms around my waist.

‘She is,’ I reply, turning around to kiss him, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘What, do I really need an excuse to want to walk my girlfriend to school?’ he laughs.

‘Of course not,’ I reply, and then look down to see Claire tugging at his shorts.

He picks her up.

‘Happy birthday, Claire Bear,’ he laughs.

She hugs him before gesturing to be put down again. She takes his hand and leads him over to the piano. She places her fingers over keys and gives him a questioning look. He looks back at me, giving me his own look.

‘Pick a song,’ I reply, pointing to the Disney book.

‘Well,’ he picks up the book and flicks through the pages, stopping at “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, ‘I always loved Mary Poppins,’ he laughs.

She smiles, sets the book so she can see it and starts playing. He jumps up from the seat and pulls me too him. He puts one hand on my waist and holds my hand in his. He spins me around the room, laughing as I trip over my untied shoelaces. Tom walks into the room, camera in hand.

‘Do you just carry that thing around hoping to catch me in embarrassing situations?’ I laugh.

‘You know you love the camera,’ he laughs back, setting off the flash.

Dad walks in, his tie knotted around his neck. I laugh at the look on his face.

‘Your mother ties my tie for me,’ he sighs.

Tyler lets me go and I walk over to Dad.

‘I don’t own a tie but even I know how to tie them,’ I say.

He rolls his eyes. He then walks over to the case beside piano and pulls out his trumpet.

‘Claire Bear, you got “Bear Necessities” in that thing?’ he asks her.

She flicks through the pages and sets the book up again before nodding. She starts the song and Dad joins in. Tyler pulls me back into our dance and Tom walks around the room taking pictures. The song somehow moves into “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and the dance continues without pause.

‘What are you doing!’

The music stops and we all turn to look at the front door. Mum stands in the doorway, leaning heavily on the frame. Dad puts down his trumpet and pulls his car keys out of his pocket and throws them at Tom.

‘Tom, drop Claire at school. Have a good day guys,’ then he walks over to Mum, takes her hand and pulls her back to their room.

Tom picks up his bag and Claire’s. Tyler grabs our bags and I pick up Claire. We hurry out to the car. I lock her into her car seat and sit beside her. Tyler sits in the front passenger seat. The drive to Claire’s school goes by in silence. Maria greets us at the door. I say a quick goodbye to Claire before running back to the car. The drive to our school is even more awkward. I want to say something but I don’t know what to say. Tom shoots me looks in the rear-view mirror to keep silent. Tyler stares out the window.

Tom parks the car and we all go to our lockers in silence. At the beginning of the year, Tyler had managed to get a locker beside mine. He unpacks his bag, watching me from the corner of his eye.

‘You ok?’ he asks, shutting his locker.

‘Yeah,’ I drop my folder, disproving my point.

He picks it up and puts it in my locker for me. Then he takes my bag and unpacks it for me. I lean on the locker and slide down to the floor. I pull my knees under my chin. Tyler shuts my locker and sits down beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I lean my head on his shoulder.

‘No,’ I say.

He sighs and kisses my forehead.

‘Wanna talk about?’

‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ I reply quietly.

Then the bell goes. He takes my hand and stands up, pulling me to my feet. He walks me to homeroom. I go in and sit down next to Grace, putting on a smile.