I hopped off the bus steps and waited on the sidewalk for Pip to maneuver herself down the steps. I
carried her bag for her as we crossed back over the street to my house. On the days Pip came home
with me the bus driver dropped us off opposite my house, being the caring considerate man he was,
but if Pip wasn't on the bus, then not a chance, I always had to walk back from the next stop. I
walked up my garden path, looking back over my shoulder at Pip as she tried to check her cell
phone messages while walking on crutches. I wouldn't be surprised if she landed in my mom's
flower garden, it had happened before. My mom was quick to beat us to the door today, swinging it
wide open. She was wearing brown harem pants and an orange tunic. Her wildly red curly hair fell
over her shoulders and she shook it back. She held up her arm with a plate sitting on top of her flat
palm, eagerly awaiting us. I had become her human guinea pig and had to sample everything she
made. I wasn't keen on half of it, some of it made me gag and every so often some of it made me
sick. Most nights I asked for rice, even then she'd add every flavoring she could get her hands on.
“Hi, girls,” My mom greeted us with a wide smile.
Her slim figure and her youthful face made her look years younger, she could probably pass for my
older sister.
“Hi, Lynn,” Pip said, climbing the steps onto the porch. “What you got there?” she asked, referring
to the plate on my mom's hand.
I looked at the plate, it had strange looking pieces of...I didn't even know what it was.
Pip picked up a piece straight away to sample. She loved my mom's creative cooking.
I looked at the plate and hesitated. I wasn't sure if it was sweet or savory. My mom pushed the plate
in front of my face and I reluctantly took one and quickly popped it into my mouth. For once, I was
pleasantly surprised, it was sweet and rather moreish.
“I've just put the dinner in the oven. You girls come in and relax.”
Ever since my mom's accident she had taken a more laid back attitude with-well-everything.
Cleaning gets done when she feels like it. Our house is what my mom likes to call the safe zone
where I can tell her anything, and no matter what I tell her, she'll still love me. At this point I think
it's true, I think I could tell her I murdered the next door neighbor and she'd be cool with it. All her
parental authority pretty much went out of the window when she started smoking pot. Oh, yeah, she
does that. A lot! It's what adds to her somewhat bizarre behavior.
I dumped my bag next to my desk and sat down in the chair. Pip sat on my bed and wedged her
crutches against the end of it.
I switched on my stereo, pulled out my homework and got stuck in. Pip busied herself texting and
flipping through a magazine. After an hour of mindless chatter and me trying to finish my
homework in-between her constant talking, her cell phone pinged, and she started jumping around
on the bed excitedly.
“What?” I said, knowing the bouncing was to get my attention.
“Katie just texted me.”
“Katie?”
“Yes, Katie from Drama Club. Apparently Sean Roberts is throwing a massive party at his parents'
house next month.”
“And?” I said, not excited one bit by this information.
“And we have to go. Lane will be there.”
“Of course, he'll be there, idiots like that tend to stick together.”
“Alex!”
“What? It's true. He's just a dumb quarterback. He's hardly spoken to you all year.”
“That's not true.”
I gave her a pointed look.
“He's only spoken to you twice this year, once to ask to borrow a pen and the other time was when
you stuck your crutch on his foot. He's not worth all your attention.”
“He's hot!”
“Just because he's hot doesn't make up for the fact he's a dumb-ass, like the rest of them.”
She was right, though, he was hot. He was one of the hottest boys I'd ever laid eyes on. He was
about 6' 2'', hazel eyes, blond hair, toned stomach (I accidentally caught a glimpse one time when he
was removing his hoodie and happened to pull his T-shirt off as well). He looked older than us and I
had to admit I did love his taste in footwear, red
All Star Converse
that he wore every day, but he
was still an idiot for hanging around with those douchebags.
“He's not dumb.” she said.
It was true, out of all his buddies he was the one that got the best grades and actually had a clue, he
was the smart one.
“Well, maybe not right now, but all the weed those boys smoke will fry their brain cells. You have
met my mom, right?”
“I like him, anyhow, I'm going to this party.”
If she said she was going to this party, it meant I was going, and I didn't have a choice. I was the girl
known for going everywhere with Pip, I was her best friend, support system, rucksack carrier, and
party escort so she didn't have to go alone. Pip always got invited everywhere, she didn't have to
ask, she was the one girl they wouldn't refuse entry to because it would look bad if they said the
one-legged girl wasn't allowed to their party. I never got an invite, I only got in if I showed up with
her, because everyone knew me as Pip's best friend. The weird one.
“C'mon on. It will be fun,” she said.
“A bunch of drunk teenagers is not my idea of fun. And Marcie will be there. She hates me.”
“No, she doesn't. You just have to give her a chance.”
Yeah right!
“I think I'd rather rip out my own fingernails than be friends with any of them.”
“You're wrong, they're all really nice to me, especially Katherine.”
“Because you're the principal's daughter and you have one leg...”
“And Lane is the sweetest guy I know.” she talked over me.
I shook my head and went back to my homework.
Lane Walker was not the sweetest guy. But I couldn't say that to Pip... it would break her heart.
I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying what I wanted. Lane was known for being a
player and had been working his way through the cheerleading squad. Pip wouldn't think so highly
of Katherine if I told her what really happened last year. I had to sugar-coat the whole thing and tell
her it was just a rumor, but the video had been passed around school, and I happened to see it.
Katherine losing her virginity to Lane Walker in the back of Eric's van, how romantic. He dumped
her two weeks later and they had only been going out for six weeks. Katherine was stupid for giving
up her virginity so fast and Lane was a user, I just wish Pip would figure that out on her own.
“Girls!” Mom called.
I shut my textbook and chucked my pen on my desk, and waited by the door for Pip. She had her
nose in her iPhone.
“You know mom will confiscate that thing if you bring it down to dinner.” I said.
Pip didn't respond and was scrolling down the screen.
“Pip?”
“Um, yeah, sorry. I was just reading the latest on the bats.”
“Ugh! Can we please not talk about that. It's all I keep hearing, and we don't even own a TV.”
“There have been new reports of a breakout in Brazil now.”
“And,” I said dryly.
“And it's spreading, they don't have a name for it yet, but it's been confirmed all these people have
come into contact with a bat.”
“C'mon, stop reading that. Unless it's happening on my doorstep, I'm not interested.”
She stood up and grabbed her crutches, still scrolling down her screen.
“Oh, wait a minute,”
“What now?”
“Apparently someone was admitted to hospital suffering with symptoms... in Nevada.”
I crossed my arms around myself.
“It's spreading-”
“Pip. Dinner. Let's go. Put that down.”
“Fine.” she said, tossing her cell onto the bed.
I jogged down the stairs and mom walked out from the kitchen with a plate and handed it to me. I
carried it over to the table and placed it down.
“Where's dad?” I asked.
“On his way.” Mom replied, placing a pitcher of water on the table.
I pulled out a chair for Pip and sat down on the other side of her.
I heard my dad's truck pull up outside, heavy rock music blaring out the windows.
Mom rolled her eyes and I smiled. I helped myself to a glass of water while mom brought a few
extra dishes through.
Dad walked in and grabbed my mom around the waist and playfully kissed her neck. She shooed
him away and he smiled over at us. Dad pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Hi, Neal,” Pip said.
“Hello, Pip, and daughter. How was school today?”
“Blah,” I said.
“It was okay, Mrs. Oakley is moving in a few days and there was a farewell assembly this
morning.”
“Let's hope she's not moving to Mexico.” Dad said, trying to be funny.
I smirked, I was used to the way my dad's mind worked. Mom frowned at him and forcefully
dolloped something brown onto his plate.
“What? It was a joke, she got it.” Dad said, grinning at me.
“Well, I don't think it's appropriate considering what's going on.” Mom said, giving him another
warning with her eyes.
“They quarantined another thirteen people today in Mexico, and there have been new reports of
people getting sick popping up everywhere-”
“Let's not talk about it at the dinner table, honey.” Mom said.
Pip nodded and helped herself to whatever was in the center bowl. I was still sussing out what was
edible.
My dad looked at me a little guilty and I just shrugged, no one appreciated dad's humor like I did.
My dad was like me when it came to our morbid sense of humor. My dad was the sort of guy
everyone loved... once they got over his scary exterior. My dad was tall and kept his hair shaved
short, and had biceps bigger than my legs. He spent his days either at the gym or at the gun range,
and just recently he'd got into tattoos and already had a full sleeve up one arm. Mom and dad were
nothing like each other, but they'd fallen in love when they were young, and mom fell pregnant with
me right after high school.
I was still deciding how to tackle my food, it was so runny. I opted for a spoon and was about to get
stuck in when I noticed dad wasn't eating, he wasn't doing anything.
“Dad? You okay?”
“No, I'm good, I was just thinking about Tony-”
“Tony?” Mom interrupted.
Tony was one of my dad's high school friends, they lived on the other side of town, the rougher
side.
“Louise wasn't feeling well today, so I sent him home to look after her. He was worried about her
taking care of Jack.”
Jack was their two-year-old toddler. More like two-year-old terror. Last time they brought him over
to our house he found my mom's lipstick and left a creative mural all up the stairs.
“Oh, I'll have to pop by tomorrow, see if there's anything they need.” Mom said.
Dad nodded, but still looked troubled.
“What's wrong with her?” Pip asked, shoveling another mouthful in.
“I don't know, she was feeling sick this morning.”
“Did she have a temperature?” Pip asked.
“I'm not sure.” Dad replied.
“Sore neck, dizziness, tiredness, confusion, loss of appetite, seizures?”
I looked sideways at Pip, wondering where she was getting all that from. Then I realized she had
probably memorized that information from the internet. Those were some of the symptoms of the
people getting sick from the bat bites.
“I don't think Louise was bitten by a bat.” I said, lifting my glass to my mouth.
“Doesn't Louise's younger brother volunteer at the nature reserve?” Mom mumbled, and we all
looked up at her.
“Do they have bats there?” Pip asked.
“I think it's more ducks and birds.” I said, not liking where this conversation was headed.
No one said anything after that and we all sat in silence as we finished our food.
For dessert, mom had made chocolate cake. My mouth was watering at the very sight of it, we only
had chocolate cake on special occasions.
“Yummy!” I said, grabbing my plate from mom and digging in.
“This is really good, Mrs.. err.. Lynn.”
“Thank you, Pip.” Mom smiled, and I noticed she was smiling at me.
“What?” I said. “What is it?”
Mom glanced sideways at dad and rested her hand on top of his.
“What's going on?”
“I was going to wait to tell you tonight, but Pip's practically a part of this family so I might as well
just tell you now.”
I lifted another forkful into my mouth watching dad, who was busy attacking his own cake.
“Alex, honey, you're going to have to clear out the spare room with your dad.”
“Ooo..kay? Why?”
“Because I'll need somewhere to put the crib.”
I nearly choked on my mouthful.
“You're pregnant!” I looked at dad for the answer. I couldn't believe he would even allow this, mom
was already living on another planet, how much more would a baby upset the apple-cart.
“Well, don't be too excited, Alex.” Mom said.
“I'm sorry, it's just... a baby, really? Was it an accident?”
Pip snorted into her glass and dad laughed.
“Alex!” Mom squawked.
“Well, I'm just trying to figure out why you'd plan to have a baby.”
“Because I'm not getting any younger and I think it will be good for us. You know it gets a bit
lonely here all day when you're at school and dad's at the gym 24/7.”
“Why not take up a hobby?”
“She already did.” Dad joked
“Smoking pot and cooking Indian food aren't hobbies. I meant taking up yoga, pottery class-”
“Pottery class?” Mom frowned.
“I dunno, knitting... something. A baby!”
“I thought you'd be pleased. When you were little you always wanted a little brother or sister.”
Mom said.
“Yes, when I was little, I'm nearly fully grown, I'm off to college in a years time.”
“I already know that, and I'm secretly dreading it. My little girl all grown up.”
I pushed my chocolate cake around the plate, no longer hungry.
The idea of my mother having a baby was not something I was comfortable with, she couldn't even
look after herself some days. Then I thought about our pet budgie, Crackers, we hadn't had him very
long, I came home from school to find mom high as a kite and she'd let the frickin' bird fly free.
“You have to stop smoking pot.” I blurted.
“God, Alex, you make it sound like I'm an addict or something.”
I looked at dad for support, and he nodded at me. He obviously knew he was going to have to be the
authority on the subject.
“How far along are you?” Pip asked timidly, afraid to interrupt our family discussion, but she was
trying to divert the conversation from turning into a heated row.
“I just missed my period last week and I took a test yesterday.” Mom answered.
“Maybe not tell anyone else yet.” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because it's early stages and... once everyone knows we're gonna get some funny looks.”
“Funny looks?” Mom said.