Hello Little Girl

Chapter 18

A week had passed since the big fight that had shaken the Oliver house and everything within. Scott didn’t know what caused the conflict, or where Wendy had run off to afterwards, but he did know that when she got back, she didn’t leave her room for a very long time.

Scott stared at her door, wondering if he could peak in to see her. Usually she was fine with him coming in unannounced, but he wasn’t sure this time. She had never been so reclusive before.

Something serious had happened all those nights ago, because while Wendy stayed hidden in her room, Mary barely left the house, another sign of things being off kilter.

He hesitated at the top of the stairs, hugged tightly to the railing, and stared into his sister’s room. Worry was a funny feeling to the four year old. It was like a bucket of worms had gotten loose in his stomach and were crawling around, squirming endlessly. He didn’t like it.

Bravely, he released his grip on the railing and crept towards the door.

Wendy had never yelled at him to get out of her room before, but so much had changed lately he wasn’t sure what to expect. She could have died in there for all he knew.

Before letting himself in, Scott hesitantly pressed his eye against the crack of the door, where he could see a sliver of the space on the other side; Wendy was nowhere in sight.

Curious, he cautiously pushed the door open and crept inside.

Wendy was lying on her bed in almost the exact same position as seven days ago, when she’d gotten home from John’s and passed out in her room. For a week, she barely got up, she barely ate, and she barely did anything. She only stared at her ceiling, thinking and thinking and thinking until she was sure the weight of her thoughts would suffocate her.

Seven days ago she slept with John. Five days ago, she realized she was late.

Late.

Late was never good, but right now it was probably the worst thing possible.

Wendy refused to think of being…no, she couldn’t even wrap her mind around the word. It made her feel sick to even try, but that might be for more than one reason. THe nausea did nothing to calm her paranoia.

The door creaked, but she hardly noticed. It wasn’t until she felt something shift onto the bed before she sat up to investigate, meeting the curious gaze of her little brother.

“Hey” she croaked, reaching out to brush the top of his head. “What’s up?”

He blinked and sat crisscross apple sauce on her bed spread. “Is something going on?” He asked. Wendy forced a smile.

Yes, she wanted to say, I did something incredibly stupid.

“No, why would you say that?”

Scott looked away and fiddled with a button on his tiny shirt. “Mummy hasn’t been leaving as much and you won’t take me to the park anymore.” He said quietly.

The smallness of his voice made Wendy’s heart break a little, sending a wave of guilt crashing down her spine. “I’m sorry Scott.” She said. He crawled into her lap and she wrapped him up into a tight hug, kissing the top of his head.

This was ridiculous of her, moping around her room for days on end, making her brother worry. She didn’t even know if she was or not, and already she was acting as though her life was over.

Well it wasn’t. Mary had lived through it, and Wendy was not about to be out down by her own mother.

Should she tell her?