Stay...Calm

Chapter 16

The next day, Mrs.Daniel got to take over teaching for the day. No one knew why yet, and when she was asked, she responded, "We have something new."

To which Timothy mumbled, "Why can't you not be vague for once?"

Mrs.Daniels let everyone sit on at the big table in the classroom, and pulled out her

laptop. As she set up the presentation, she asked, "So, who here wants to learn about the British Invasion?"

"The one in the 1600's?" Asha asked.

"No, this happened in the 1960's."

"Yay!" Buckley high-fived Pauline.

Three slides of a presentation and half-way through an Ed Sullivan Show clip later, Victorine heard a new voice. It was fairly high-pitched, but not to the point that it would be irritating. It sounded distant, coming from downstairs. She couldn't completely make out what was being said, but it sounded like, "Wow...big!"
She glanced over her shoulder. Everyone was distracted by the video. She tiptoed out the room, slowly opening the door so it didn't creak. But when she made it halfway down the hallway, she glanced behind her. Of course, Buckley was right behind her.

"Where ya going?" he questioned with a smile. Victorine beckoned to the stairs.

"Pauline!" Victorine rolled her eyes and kept walking. Once she was downstairs, she ever so slowly crept through the halls to the parlor. Even though the twins were behind her repeating,"What is it? What is it?"

When she turned a corner, the first thing she saw was the backs of their heads. The first was a short bob of raven black hair. The second was curly ginger hair that tumbled down to her shoulders. Ms.Kion was sitting on the opposite couch, conversing with them.

"Who's that?" Buckley exclaimed. Both heads whipped around. Dark brown eyes stared back at her with a slight grin. The other face felt a bit too plain to remember.

"Oh children," Ms.Kion said. "Why aren't you at lessons?'

"Who are these people?"

"I'm Opal," the blacked haired one said. "This is Gina."

"They are our new guests," Ms.Kion told them. "Children! Come down to meet our new guests!"

"Hell no!" Timothy yelled back. Ms.Kion rolled her eyes.

"Why," she softly lamented, before speaking up again. "Anything you would like to say about yourselves?"

"Well, I-" Gina began.

"We heard of this place," Opal interrupted. "And from the looks of it, it seemed to be our only hope."

"So-"

"So we got a ride here in a van."

"It wasn't-"

"It was a blue one, not a white one if you're concerned."

"Doesn't make a diff-" Gina muttered.

"Well, come this way," Ms.Kion said. "We'll show you around if some of our residents who be so kind as to come downstairs!"

The only person who obeyed was Melissa. The moment Opal laid eyes on Baby Beau, she broke out into a fit of incoherent squeals. It was so loud that Victorine flinched and swiftly jumped back. Opal immediately started gushing over how cute it is and tickling its belly. And all high pitched enough to give Victorine a headache.

After another loud round of calls, residents slowly became to make their way down. The first being Yolanda, who rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Of course more damn people. Just what we need right now."

Opal tried to greet everyone who came in (even if they didn't want it).

"Why the hell are you named after a rock?" Lee asked.

"It's my birthstone," she responded, shaking her hand for a prolonged amount of time. Lee yanked her hand away and muttered something along the lines of, "Why can't these white trash parents stop being so extra with names?"

Gina stayed back most of the time as people filed in and stomped out. She was barely spared even a glance. But she didn't seem to mind too much. She mostly just let her eyes wander around the room, noticing every fancy thing around it.

After Asha succeed in actually giving a pleasant greeting to both of them (hugs included), Ms.Kion assigned her to show them around. With a smile that was more than somewhat excited, she followed through with the task. They were off before Victorine knew it. After a moment of silence, Buckley asked, "Does this mean we could skip the rest of lessons."

"Sure, children," Ms.Kion sighed.

"Yay!" Buckley and Pauline speeded away, leaving only her and her caretaker. With clenched fists and strain in her voice, Ms.Kion told her, "Sometimes it feels like you're the only sane one in this house."

Once Ms.Kion sternly marched away, the stillness settled in. She was left to hear the echoes of the commotion before. Victorine sat on the arm of the couch, where there was a perfect view of the hall. She sat for a while and waited to see what would pass by. A few minutes passed by, and Parker and Jacey were the first to walk by.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked.

"You sure it's one thing?"

She gave him a sideways glare. "What do ya mean?"

"I'm just saying when you say 'one thing' it turns into a whole list of-"

"It's one thing this time. I promise."

"What's it?"

"Well..."

That moment-long pause cost Victorine her chance to figure out what the heck it was. She hit the softest part of the couch in frustration. She waited again for something to show up. That came in the form of an unmistakable high-pitched scream. It got closer and closer with the sound of thumping footsteps until they finally dashed by. Thelma was running from Buckley as he held out what looked like a saliva-covered retainer. Thelma shrieked out twenty "ew's" a second and he laughed his head off. But that came and went for a second.

The next thing came in a few minutes: Asha finishing up her tour.

"What do ya think?" She asked, excited.

"I think it's pretty," Opal commented. "How 'bout you Gina?"

"Well-"

"I really hope you'll be happy here" Asha interrupted. "I know that the rest of the world isn't too nice anymore."

"Thanks," Opal said, trying to be adorable. Asha took both their hands and led them away.

Giving up on the annoying B.S. of watching everything come and go and just gain something incomplete. She hopped off the couch and tried to follow the direction that Parker and Jacey went. It was the hallway by the pool entrance, where the view and some of the sound was blocked by a sandstone pillar.

She creeps in slowly, listening to what she could. From her stance, she couldn't make out every word. But the tone was as clear as could be. It was quiet but piercing. Bitter, worried, unpleasant. Victorine back away. It was like the area before it became almost something to avoid. Changing her mind, she went back to the couch.