Stop thinking about her.
Well, everything I wanted, almost.
5
Electromagnetic Waves
*Mona*
“Are you okay?”
I nodded, continuing to stare out the window at the flecks of white appearing, and then disappearing. We were in my room—the room I’d be staying in—which was the largest room in the house. It wasn’t, oddly enough, the room my parents typically used. My parents preferred the master suite on the main level in this house. I wasn’t sure why. I’d never given it much thought.
“Mona.” Allyn placed her hand on my knee, and I flinched, my eyes darting to hers. She looked concerned. Really concerned. “You, uh, haven’t said anything since Leo brought you inside.”
Her statement was accurate, so I nodded. Again.
Allyn’s expression grew pained and she did a squirmy little dance in the window seat where she sat facing me. I watched her, though it felt like she was behind some kind of filter, fuzzy, distant.
But then she blurted, “What happened? Why were you yelling? What is going on? Why aren’t you talking? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Abruptly, Allyn, the room, the cold, time, and my position relative to all four came into focus. Also in focus? The hot, leaden weight on my chest. It was an invisible weight, and I hypothesized that all dark matter were actually feelings, clustering and pressing upon hapless humans during the most inconvenient of times. Perhaps dark matter was attracted to heartache?
“I’m sorry,” I croaked, even though I’d cleared my throat before speaking.
She sighed, her head tilting to one side as she examined me. “The yelling? You have to tell me what the deal is with the yelling.”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t yelling.”
“What were you doing?”
Hesitating, I lifted my eyes to the tall, vaulted ceiling, and tried, “Growling?”
“Growling?”
“Yes?”
Allyn made a sound of confusion, and then asked, “Why do all your answers sound like questions?”