Stay...Calm

Chapter 14

 Victorine couldn't help but realize Anais slowly getting more...odd. Each time, it got harder to pull her away from the window. Depending on the time of day, Anais wouldn't respond right away. Some days, the only people who could get her out of her mind was Thelma and (more often) Timothy. And, sadly, Timothy didn't always know the best thing to say.

"All that staring makes you look like ya have something wrong in the head," he commented, loud enough for the other kids to hear.

"Shut up," was her response.

"I mean, what are you even thinking of?"

Nothing. Just distracted blue eyes.

"Hey! He asked you a question!" Horace shouted. "Listen, ya nutcase!"

"I'd rather be a nutcase then like you blind twits," Anais grumbled. The twins giggled.

"Well, ignore him," Timothy advised, seating himself right next to her, blocking her view. "I could safely say I have more dignity."

"Oh, suck a-"Horace began.

"And I think you need a bit of it," he said loudly, to overpower his brother. "Y'know, your face really...softens when you zone out."

"Quit being gross!" Pauline yelled.

"Quit being annoying!"

Anais fidgeting with her fingers. She couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Just leave me alone," she mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Asha asked.

No response. Just a blank stare. Asha glanced at the others for answers; she found none. Victorine made eye contact, with her, but couldn't give more than a worried frown. She crawled over, her bent legs dragging behind her. Slowly, she lifted her hand and touched Anais's knee with her fluffy bracelet. Anais shrugged it right off. Flinching, Victorine pulled the hand away. She moved back, frightened. The room grew oddly silent. It was like they were all observing, too. But it didn't stop Pauline from leaning in and whispering to her brother. Horace still scoffed and nudged Timothy on the arm, with Timothy slapping him back.

But Anais remained in her own little world, away from the others. Her lips moved slightly, letting out no audible words. And from the looks of it, nothing would break her out of the trance anytime soon. She just couldn't stop staring...

Thelma turned a corner into the room, her eyes going straight to her friend (-ish). Her eyebrows lowered, concerned.

"Not again," she muttered, distraught. She quickly walked to her side.

"How about we all just try to get her out of this too-" Thelma began to announce.

"Nope," Horace interrupted. "Don't care for that crap. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna clear all the probably-dead-people out of my contacts."

Horace pulled out his phone, leaned back, and started scrolling through. Most heads turned to him, giving off expressions of a mix of annoyance and expected disappointment. Thelma leaned over his shoulder.

"Who's 'little crap?'" Thelma asked.

"Buckley," Horace whispered.

"And who's 'ugly donkey?'"

"No one. Just some girl from my school who called me fat once."

"Who's crying emoji? And who's the eggplant emoji?"

"Stop looking at my phone!"

Horace turned so that the back of his phone was in front of Thelma's face.

"Lemme see!" she demanded, nudging him.

"You're not mature enough," Timothy called out.

"I'm twelve! I could handle it!"

This fact confused about half the people in the room.

"How?" Horace questioned. "You act like a baby!"

"Well sorry, I'm not a jerk like you guys!"

"Wait, are you one of those sad, sad people who doesn't watch PG-13 movies until they're actually thirteen?" Pauline asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Oh," she stated. "...oh."

"Children," Ms.Kion called as she walked by. "We have an announ-"

She noticed Anais, sitting in her place by the window once again. She slowly knit her eyebrows.
"How long has she been like this?" she asked.

"Eh..." Horace groaned. "We...kinda just left her alone."

"Well, have you tried to talk to her?"

"Doesn't work," Buckley shrugged. "'Cept for Timothy Pickle."

"I thought were over that!" Timothy yelled.

"Hush!" Ms.Kion interrupted. "Try leaving her alone for a while. Maybe it'll pass over."

"Isn't that what you said when the protests started?" Buckley asked.

"Once again, hush! For the rest of you, I have news."

"Good news?"

"Not exactly."

"Aw..."

"To continue, we have reports from the outside world. These reports include: terror attacks in what's left of North Dakota, new bases opening up in the Appalachians, the government in Ukraine collapsing, and-"

"Wait, what does this hafta do with us?" Timothy asked.

"I agree," Asha chimed in. "Don't we already have enough coverage?"

"And you're just gonna get these sad saps more paranoid!" Horace pointed out.

"WOULD YOU STOP-" Timothy shouted.

As that turned into a catfight, Victorine turned her attention to the girl by the window. It was hard to tell whether she was listening or not, but it was apparent that she didn't want to hear it. Anais shook out her hair so it would cover her ears, and continued to just kept gazing away. Stare in the opposite direction of all the fighting and all the noise. When Victorine tried to give some sympathy, it just got turned away. Victorine slumped down on the floor and pulled in her legs. She watched as the family argued for about the hundredth time.