Two by Two

 

There is a small room behind the principal’s office, and inside is a molded plastic chair, which is orange, a chipped white Formica side table, and an eight-year-old girl with stringy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a neutral expression on her face. Her name is Anne, and she knows she is in trouble. How much though, she isn’t sure. She’s been trying to listen to the whispered discussion on the other side of the door, but its hard to hear, and she’s been told to stay in her seat until her mother arrives. It didn’t matter though, she knew what they were saying, plus she figured it was best not to add to the list of reasons why her mother was going to be lecturing her on the car ride home.

The moment the whispering stopped the heavy wooden door swung open, and there was Anne’s mother. She didn’t say anything, which was to be expected, the lecture wouldn’t start until they were alone, in the car.

Anne took her mother’s lead, and wordlessly fell in step behind her, as she turned and headed out of the office into the bright spring sunshine.

The first three stoplights between the school, and Anne’s house, were green, but the fourth one was red. That was when Anne’s mother spoke.

“Holding hands?” Anne’s mother said, while making eye contact with her in the rearview mirror.

Anne didn’t respond, she just looked away.

“And with three different boys, Tom, Lance, and Brian? Why would you do that, you know you’re too young!”

Anne continued to avoid eye contact, perhaps if she didn’t look at her mother.

“ANNE”

The scream caused Anne’s head to swivel forward. Her mother had turned in her seat and was now staring directly at her, no reflection in the mirror to soften the glare.

“I’m sorry mom, I just…”

“You just what?”

“I just wanted to find my pair, like Sarah, I thought if I could then maybe I could leave, and go be with her at The Station.”

The look on her mother’s face softened, but the sound of a car horn signaled the light had turned green. Her mother turned forward again and resumed driving toward home.

A few minutes later, she spoke again. “Anne, I know you miss your sister, but you are far too young to find your pair. Even if you did somehow manage to locate them, and hold their hand, a link wouldn’t occur, not yet. That part of your mind won’t even develop for another couple of years. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Anne looked up; her mother was watching her in the mirror again. Her eyes were glassy, as if on the verge of tears. Anne nodded.

 “Good,” she sighed, “and listen, when you sister is done with her year one mind control, we can go visit her at The Station. Does that sound good?”

Anne nodded again, but inside she was thinking “are you hearing this?”

“Yup,” came Brian’s voice in her head, “but she’s lying.”

“I know,” Anne thought in return.