Mother fingered the leather, eyeing the corners, fingering the corners with reverence and then she literally sniffed it with a satisfied breath.
"This is old isn't it?" She sniffed it again, "Mmmm, first edition, this is literally worth its weight in gold. And the subject matter! Stoicism. I am impressed. I have enjoyed those meditations myself, but personally. I prefer not shrinking myself against some bigger picture." Mother said with a dismissive hand wave and a playful wink as she rested the book back down like a sweet baby.
He brightened, the squareness easing and losing some of its sharp edges.
"As a mother, I am sure the acceptance of death may feel as though it is rather impossible." He said.
Mother's grin widened, gaze sharpening, oh yes, she liked hearing that. More fancy words were on their way.
"Indeed, there were times good times, when men took it upon themselves to ensure the worries of a mother alone could never exist. Now worries loom overhead creating shadows of darkness over rugged seas, hiding jagged rock, waiting for a stable light to steer towards."
It was said with half open, near squinted eyes, and just the most unnecessary functional puffing up of her bottom lip. It was so nauseating it made Kate grab Griff's face and punch him in the gut. Which left him dancing in her grip. He tried to elbow but was too close to her and her hips swaying was really smooth. A knock on the door put a pause to everything.
A lady in her late teens with black lipstick and deep rings under her eyes stepped in. Pale skin and dark hair creating a goth vibe that was broken by a pale pink boyfriend T shirt that drowned her black jeans.
"Connie, please."
He flicked his wrist at the girl, a screen in Connie's hand became active, as she looked for it. She nodded and opened the door holding it for the kids.
To follow that girl out to walk the plank, and even the light of the sterile outside cut through, it created rectangle of light to rove her point.
Mother, watching waved them along.
Once out of sight…
"Why'd you hit me?" Griff complained.
"That was because mom was acting weird and I can't exactly touch her can I?"
He glowered, "No."
"Exactly."
"Ha, you guys are cute." Connie said.
There was a cute gruffness to Connie's voice.
"We don't try to be."
"I bet that's a lie. You are kids. It's your best weapon."
Kate pretended to laugh, apparently Connie, hadn't just seen their mother pull off the most incredible cutesy act the world had ever seen.
Oddly Griff was holding onto Kate. It explained why he'd taken that beating so well. Kate put an arm over his chest like a seatbelt and walked him, pelvis first, down the wide passages.
"Hey, can we start with his class, just so I know where it is." Kate asked.
Connie eyed them and edged a corner of her lip up into a smile.
"Sure."
Griff hugged Kate's arm, upon them stepping in front of a sticker heavy door.
Griff turned and eyed her, she kneeled down to his level and drilled her eyes into him.
"Go, have fun. Nothing will happen. Because I'm never far and now I know where this stupid class is. And if bad things happen to you, terrible things happen to them."
She fluffed his blonde hair until it puffed like there was an electrostatic generator stepped to his back. Then she rubbed the gash back down after licking her palms. He pulled a face and walked in with purpose. Kate retreated, and Connie followed after him entering with him. Leaving Kate alone in the cavernous passage. The silence was deafening and terrifying. She checked her watch.
Reset Step Counter.
0 Steps
1000 Steps
A few minutes later they were entering a class, her new home for the next year. The bell rang mid grand sheepish entrance, the entire class rushed out. To call it a bad look would have been an understatement. She just watched them pass.
Connie sighed, arms crossed.
"Okay, we'll spare a moment to introduce you to your homeroom teacher, you have your implants? No. You're too young. Fine, come."
First they met the grave but firm faced Mr Lee who looked like he should have been in a western, sun battered skin and a brutal squint. Kate would have killed to have him declare he had a bounty on her. But instead she got a nod. Then Connie did the talking and data transfers. It took surprisingly long. In the meantime, inside ambled the kids for the next class it took forever. Just how much time hung in the gap between classes? It was surreal. People eyed her and Connie. They watched as she wrapped up and the pair made to catch up to the rest of her class. It was hard to get over the colourless passages wide enough to jack-knife a truck inside of let alone park one. The eyes though, those were a nightmare, she couldn't even look at anything specific, because there was nothing there colourful enough to be specific. And there were the alien stares. They were all trying to identify her, measure her up. And thanks to her age there'd be nothing about her to look up. She was just a new being, an alien. And so she'd keep her head held high, not exactly pompous, that would be too far.
1800 Steps
They entered a math class which proved to be pretty far away. The school was huge! No wonder why Mother had chosen the principal as her target.