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"Apo, are you sure you're okay?"
"Fine mom. It's only til 10, I'll be fine." Apo sighed, looking down at the backpack on their lap and started to fiddle with the zippers at the sides. "Besides you and dad already drove here and I said yes. I can't exactly leave."
"I know I'm just worried about you, you know that." Apo's mom turned around from the passengers seat, set on putting her hand on Apo's leg, but Apo flinched back and further melted into herself.
Hurt flashed in her mother's eyes and Apo felt the dryness in their throat as she swallowed and looked back out the window. They knew their mother didn't mean any harm, Apo just can't help the vile reaction.
The guilt claws its way through her stomach forming knots, just like the hunger does. She misses the hugs, she misses the comforting touches, she misses the way her mother and father would hold her when she was a kid. Shes misses it all, but every single time there's something that strikes fear into her mind and she pulls away.
Apo takes a deep breathe, trying not to let the thought turn into something uncontrolable. They have a job to do, and so they turn their head back to face their parents. Their mother turned around in her seat and their father is looking at them through the mirrior with sad, but kind eyes.
"You know we love you right, apple pie?" He murmured.
Apo nodded, "I know."
Her father gave her a weary smile. One that bore tiredness and old age. Apo gave a small one back. Careful not to show the sharper canines in her mouth that threaten to poke out. She shivered at that.
"You have Martyn's parents numbers in case anything goes wrong?"
"Yes, dad. I made sure they were in my phone. You have asked me this about 20 times. I'm not twelve." They grumbled.
He let out a warm laugh. It was a lovely to her ears. "Just checking. Let us know when his parents are on the way back and I'll come pick you up, okay?"
Apo dipped their head, "Promise?"
"I promise." He gave her a small salute.
They returned the gesture and opened the car door, hefting themselves out into the setting sun, casting the sidewalk in a nice orange hue. They swung their bag over their shoulder and closed the car door behind them, the slam of it echoing on the empty street, only the sound of the breeze whispering in their ears.
She winced and walked forward a few steps before turning back around to face her parents. They two of them gave her supportive looks and urged her forward up the driveway. She waved and hiked her backpack up even further. As she turned back around to face the house, she heard the screech of car tires as her parents pulled out of the driveway and down the road.
They heaved a lifeless breathe as they sauntered up the rest of the driveway. They often forget that they don't need to breathe anymore. It's just natural instinct to blend in and pretend that they are still human. Pretend that the scars on their arms or the pinpricks on their neck don't exist.
The house was quite nice. A lot better than her and her parents small townhouse with its moss covered bricks, dirtied wood, and cracked sidewalk. This house screamed home. It t was well kept as if it was brand new. It was tall and white with big windows ,which Apo is sure let in so much natural light during the day.
The driveway showed no signs of decay, the concrete perfect and pristine as if it had never been driven on or used. The taste of grass hung in the air as if the lawn had been freshly mowed that morning. There was even a small garden of flowers in the patch of dirt next the front steps.
Apo skipped up the two steps and made her way over to the front door. It was painted a nice black that went with the white surrounding it. She pressed a finger to the doorbell and sat back as it rang. As the doorbell rang out into the house, a very loud and persistent barking started up. Apo flinched back even more as a loud voice started shouted.
They stood there on the front steps, shuffling their feet as the tried to tune out the squabbling coming from inside the house. After what felt like hours, standing out there in the rapidly cooling night air, the lock unlatched and the door was pushed open as the light from inside came tumbling out.
Martyn's father, a man with long blonde hair , wearing a really nice black tuxedo, answered. He let out an awkward laugh. "Sorry, dog's upstairs now. Hope she didn't scare you. It happens when ever someone rings the doorbell. Should have warned you."
Apo waved him off. "It's alright. I understand. She didn't scare me, I was just was startled." She assured him.
He nodded and held the door open further. "I'm sorry I've been awfully rude, come on in. It's much warmer in here than it is out there. You'll turn into a popsicle."
They couldn't deny that they felt cold. Whether that was from their own body or from being outside they couldn't tell. They dipped their head in appreciation and ducked inside as Martyn's father shut the door behind her.
"Martyn's upstairs but he should be down here any minute. He's most likely bothering his sister." He chuckled lightly, all though his laugh and an edge of sadness to it.
"There's another?" She asked, concerning lighting up her gaze. She wasn't told she'd have to watch someone else.
"She's our oldest." Martyn's father clarified. "She's about your age actually. She got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago and has been recovering at home. She shouldn't bother you at all, but if you have any problems with her let me know."
Apo nodded, taking in his words with careful consideration. "I see."
"Normally she would watch him, but I don't want to put more stress on her right now. Dealing with her brother while trying to recover herself can be quite a lot, so I thank you for watching him." He sighed heavily, shoulders sagging a bit.
"It's no problem. My parents said this would be good for me and I'm happy to help." They admitted. In a way, they meant it. Their parents thought this would be good for them. A way for them to earn some cash and get them back on a bit of a routine, as if this would help what happened to them.
They can't tell them and they know they probably never will as much as their parents want to know. Their parents are only trying to help in the best way they know how. They can't blame them for attempting to try. Maybe who knows, maybe they'll like babysitting. It's something that takes their mind off the incident for awhile.
"Feel free to put your bag down and take your shoes off, make yourself at home!" He grinned.
"Oh, of course." Apo awkwardly placed her backpack down by the coat rack, carefully sliding her shoes off afterwards and placing them by the shoe holder next to the front door.
"Martyn's finished his homework for today, he just needs to read which he does 30 minutes before he goes to bed at 9:00pm. Don't let him trick you into staying awake longer than that. He knows the rules." Martyn's dad lightly rolled his eyes and Apo had to suppress a laugh.
"Dinner is normally at 6:30 which is about 40 minutes from now. Just ask him what he wants. He normally picks from the same 5 meals when we're not home to cook and we have ingredients for all of them to make." He instructed. "After dinner he is tasked to help clean up than is allowed free time until 8:15 when he has to get ready for bed. All clear?"
Apo dipped their head to him. "Understood."
He clapped his hands together which made Apo flinch and shrink in on herself a bit. If Martyn's father noticed he didn't say anything. "Fantastic! I'll go get him."
Martyn's father walked halfway up the steps before calling out, "Martyn! Apo's here! Come down please! And stop bothering your sister how many times have we told you?"
As Apo heard some muffled grumbling and shifting from upstairs, they took this opportunity to look around a bit to get familiar with the place. The stairs were right in front of them, covered in a light gray carpet which which fit nicely with the wooden floors beneath their feet.
To her left was a formal living room. The room had a nice off-white couch and armchair, which she was sure were most likely just for show or formal settings, and a nice oak coffee table with books placed on it and a nice fake plant on top.
Just beyond that was a dining room from what they could see. It had black wood table and a matching set of chairs. It seemed that the table was already set up and ready as if the family would dine there. Apo didn't have anything fancy like that in their family's home. At home they had a simple table with 4 matching chairs that sat in the corner of the kitchen. More often than not though they ate at the island.
She noted that there was also a nice chandelier over the table that she thought was pretty, but hey, she always thought chandeliers were pretty having never have had one. This was a smaller one than the one she saw at Pyro's house, which hung over the whole family room lighting it up. It was always far too bright for her sensitive eyes though.
To their right was a small door that was closed shut. Apo assumed it was a personal space or used as an office. Apo and their family had an extra bedroom in their house that their father often used as his office when on work calls or working from home. Apo remembers they were never allowed in there when they were a kid, their father telling them that there were valuable things in there that they could break.
She was snapped back into reality with the thumping of footsteps as they pounded down the carpeted stairs. "Nice of you to finally join us." Martyn's dad joked, climbing back down the stairs after his son, ruffling up the younger boy's hair.
The younger boy, Martyn, shooed his dads hands of his head and smoothed his hair back down, fixing his bandana that had gotten knocked off center. Martyn's father stood in between the two of them as he gestured toward Apo.
"Martyn, this is Apo." He then gestured toward his son. "Apo, this is Martyn. We're all going to get along, yes?"
Martyn gave them a curious glance over before looking over at his father and nodding. "Atta boy!" He grinned at him, patting him on the back. "Alright, your mother is waiting for me in the car. Love you little man, be on your best behavior. I don't want any texts that you're being a little terror, yeah?"
The smaller blonde boy grumbled, crossing his arms. "Yeah, yeah! Love you too or whatever. Just go."
"Text me if you need anything!" Martyn's dad called from down the hall before the door, to what Apo assumed was the garage, slammed shut.
Apo suddenly found her feet much more interesting to look at, dropping her eyes to the floor instead of at him. She's babysat younger kids before, like her cousins, but she's never babysat anyone over the age of 8, and she's never been paid for it before.
They were used to watching their cousins at family gatherings, just to make sure they werent at each others throats and to make sure someone wasn't acting up. Sometimes it sucked being the oldest among the grandchildren. It always lands you on guard dog duty.
"So uh, dinner?" Apo looked back up at Martyn and gave him an awkward smile. "Are you hungry?"
"Uh huh." Came the very disgruntled reply.
Compared to adults, younger kids are not quite good yet at masking their displeasure, she could tell that much. She looked up to see Martyn's lips were drawn downwards in a small scowl and his brow was furrowing.
They let out a forced puff of air. This was definitely going to be a long night. They fidgeted with their hands, picking at their cuticles and the loose skin around them. It was a nervous habit they picked up when they were a kid and just could never put an end to. Recent events didn't make the habit any better.
"Right, okay." She thought for a second. "What do you want to eat?"
"Nuggets?" He asked, responding rather quickly. He put his hands behind his back and bounced a bit on his toes.
"Nuggets?" They repeated, although it came out more of a question than a statement of fact.
"Isn't that what I said?" He mumbled faintly, rolling his eyes at her.
Of course. She thought. This kid kid is definitely going to be a real peace of work. Surely he can't be worse than her youngest cousin though. Apo shivered, she was a nightmare to deal with.
"Where's the kitchen?" They asked him. If they were going to be here more than once, hopefully if the Littlewoods let them come back, they would need to know where everything is. They're already slacking, regretting not asking beforehand.
Martyn turned around and pointed to a door in between the living room and dining room, cracked open ajar. "Through there."
"Thank you!" She said politely. He's being kind, but the kindness is masking the bitterness she can hear behind the words. The thought further tightened the knot in her stomach. The one that's been building for two months now.
Does he know? He can't. Kids are perspective like that, god she knows. They know Truffle already sees it in them whenever Pyro drops the guinea pig off every other weekend. The way her beaded eyes seem to know, but still let Apo hold her gently.
Apo made their way over to the kitchen, Martyn in tow behind them. The first thing she noticed was how big and spacious the kitchen was. The luminous lighting on the ceiling, tall, white cabinets lining the walls. The big island to cut and prepare food on, and the smooth, black marbled counter tops.
It was nothing compared to the small cramped space back at her house only made for one cook at time, with its wooden countertops and cabinets, a small pantry to one side, and a single door-ed fridge tucked into the other.
Apo made their way over to the fridge, scanning it before pulling on the freezer, drawer, opening it. They looked back up at Martyn, who had grabbed a tablet and was sitting on the island, and than back down at the contents of the drawer.
"What kind do you want?" She asked.
Martyn gave a sort of grunt back, which to Apo, was likely his way of saying "Huh?"
"There's regular nuggets and there's dino nuggets. Which one do you want me to make?"
"Dino." Came his one worded response.
"Got it."
She grabbed the package and kicked the freezer shut behind her. She skimmed the back of the package for the instructions. Nothing she hasn't done before. Apo misses eating regular food. She misses spicy food and the way the burn felt on her throat. She misses the salty taste of her favorite chips. She misses the creamy sweetness of her favorite soda. She misses all the things she can never have again.
The food turns into ash when it hits their mouth. The smells of their father's cooking once warm and inventing, making them run for their place at the dinner table, turned sour. Like the smell of watermelon when it rots. They've been reduced to that of an animal. A predator that searches for meat and blood and is never satisfied no matter its kills.
Her hand drifted away from the package, leaving it on the counter as she went to turn the oven on. "Do you know where the oven trays are?"
Martyn pointed to the cabinet next to the oven. Apo reached in and pulled one out, starting to pile a good amount of chicken nuggets on the plate. Some extra on just incase he was still hungry.
While they waited for the oven to heat up, they took a seat on the kitchen island and pulled out their phone to check their messages, although taking a quick peak at Martyn to make sure he was still there. He was, entranced by something on his tablet which was fine by them.
She opened her messages to a lot of un-reads from the group chat for her dorm hall. She dropped out just over a month ago, she doesn't know why she's still in there or why they haven't kicked her from it yet, but it's nice to see what others have been up to. Especially her old roommate, Pyro.
They missed Pyro a lot. They were still best friends, but Apo knows things aren't the same anymore. After noting their multiple attempts at trying to get him to stay away, to do anything but go outside, he came to them. They can't deny that it was nice. The two of them hanging out in their room, Pyro trying to get them to laugh again, just like he'd do doing exam week.
Sometimes they'd also bring Truffle by, leaving her with Apo over the weekends. They said it was just for comfort since Truffle brought him comfort, but Apo knows the real reason. It's so she'd get out of bed. Apo had mentioned it to them because she trusted them and it seems they really took what she had said to heart.
Apo opened up their messages with each other. One unread message from about 20 minutes ago.
🐀 The Rat: so hows it going. idk if youre even there yet
Apo: I don't think the kid likes me
🐀 The Rat: lol
Apo: Don't laugh at me! It's not funny!
🐀 The Rat: its plenty funny
Apo: Shut up
🐀 The Rat: no <3
Apo took a deep breath before furiously swiping her fingers across her phone's keyboard.
Apo: I'm making him nuggets right now. Anyways, exam week is coming up, how are you feeling?
🐀 The Rat: i think ive got this. you want a truffle picture?
Apo: Yes please, I think I need it
As quick as her reply came, a picture popped up on her screen. A small, multi-colored guinea pig sat in Pyro's lap, seemingly sniffing the camera, as if she knows who the picture is being sent to.
Apo: I miss her :(
🐀 The Rat: you want her this weekend? i can drop her off
Apo: You need her more than I do. Maybe when you come back for winter break?
🐀 The Rat: sure thing. ill bring her over and we'll party
Apo: Thanks. I gotta head out, see you later?
🐀 The Rat: ofc! gl
Apo put their phone down and glanced over to Martyn who quickly sat back down in his chair, eyes drawn back to the screen. The words were out of their mouth before they could stop them. "Has anyone ever told you that looking at someone else's messages is rude?"
"Sorry." Came Martyn's half-hearted response, not sounding sorry in the slightest.
She rubbed her temples before standing up, going to check on the status of the oven. Seeing as it was hot enough, she put the tray in before setting a timer for 10 minutes on her phone.
"Soooo.." They drew out the word, not sure of what to say. They weren't given too much information about Martyn and the things that he likes, so they weren't sure how to talk to him, and didn't seem very keen on wanting to talk to them either.
Martyn looked backed up at her, raising a brow. It felt as if he was staring into her soul and Apo didn't particularly like that look. "You got a dog I hear." Nice. Great going Apo. Lovely response.
"What are you a cop?" Based on his flat tone, Apo couldn't tell if he was joking or if he was dead-serious.
"What-? No!" Apo sputtered and Martyn laughed. "Do you know what a conversation is?"
"Her name's Rusty." He answered, going back to whatever he was doing on that screen. "She likes my sister a lot more than she likes me."
"I see." They paused. "Whatcha workin on?"
"Stuff and things." He was tapping away at his tablet, not looking back to face them, which was fine by Apo.
"You play games?"
"Yeah."
"What kind?" She's trying to learn something, even if Martyn seems like the type of kid to not give her the time of day.
"Minecraft. Although sometimes my sister gets me to play Sonic or Mariokart with her."
"Must be nice to have a sibling." In a way Apo meant it. They grew up an only child with just their parents and an old cat, who didn't really like them, for company.
A lot of her friends from school had siblings and so did all of her cousins. She seemed to be the only one who was alone. She wonders what it'd be like to have that bond with someone. Pyro's the closest she's got, but that's also her best friend.
"Eh." He shrugged, running a quick hand through his hair. "She's annoying like all older siblings are, but I don't know what I'd do without her."
They remembered what his father said about Martyn's sister coming home from the hospital not too long go, the question about what had happened was on the tip of their tongue, but they thought better than to ask.
No need to pry into a stranger's life. She knows she wouldn't want people to pry into her life, her behavior and what happened to her, if they ever happened to find out. Hopefully they never will. The two scabbed over pin pricks on her neck itched and it took everything in her to suppress a shudder.
The two fell into a bit of an awkward silence, the only sound was the shuffling of Apo's feet along the tiled floor and the slight hum of the refrigerator. When the timer went off, Apo pulled the tray out of the oven and onto the stove.
"Where is uh-?" Apo trailled off, hoping Martyn knew what she meant.
"Top cabinet to the right of the stove."
"Thanks." They pulled one out and put about 9 on the plate before handing it to him. "There's more if you want more."
Martyn nodded, beginning to eat and keeping his eyes glued to the screen. "You sure you don't want any condiments with that?"
He shook his head, not looking up at her. "No I'm okay."
"Alright." Apo shrugged and pulled out their phone again, leaning against the counter. There's nothing more they can do right now so they'll just wait til he's done.
In the midst of her doom-scrolling, Apo's ears perk up as she hears the opening of a door from upstairs, and the pitter patter of paws on the carpet. Curse here supernatural hearing. She should not be able to hear that from where she's standing.
A small brown and white dog, looking like what appears to be a jack russell, comes rushing through the open doors of the kitchen, yipping. She instantly circles Apo, sniffing them quite intensely before backing away and growling under her breath.
Apo can't help let dread crawl into their stomach and head. Of course she's growling. Animals don't like her now. It's as if they smell what she is and decide that she's a threat. She wouldn't blame them. She knows she's a monster.
"Rusty!" A soft voice calls, and they can hear the heavier footsteps of another human being as they make their way down the stairs.
The dog instantly darts away from her place beside Apo, collar jingling as she disappears around the corner, returning just moments with a young woman about Apo's age.
If Apo still had a heartbeat they're sure it would stop right then. The forced breath they let out in the mimicry of being a human catches in their throat. Apo thinks that she's the most gorgeous person they've ever seen in their life and that they think they might fall over.
The young woman was perched against the doorway in such a way that Apo knew her face was probably dusted pink. Her skin a fair bit darker but Apo thinks it makes her look extremely pretty. Her hair is dark brown, down, and curling around her face, framing it in such a way that adds to her beauty.
There's strands askew and Apo's hands itch to smooth them down, but they think there's an edge of charm to it that internally makes their dead heart grow wings and soar. She's dressed down in pink, plaid pants and a white shirt that rides up a bit in her lean on the door, exposing a small patch of dark freckles and a fang catches on the inside of Apo's lip.
Her most noticeable feature, that would draw a normal person's attention to her instantly, is a bandage around the left side of her face, going down the entire side of it. She also notes a hearing aid placed in her left ear, but she thinks it fits in with the rest of her attire and makes her look even lovelier and the slightest bit badass if she's being completely honest, wondering what happened.
Her bright, airy laugh is what makes Apo snap out of their daze. With the way the other woman was looking at them, a small smirk on her face, she definitely knows Apo was checking her out. Get yourself together. You're better than this and we all know it.
"Hey there." She greets, her voice low and coming out with a slight hum to it, as if she had just woken up from a nap.
Apo clears her throat and her reply still comes out scratchy, "H-Hi."
They hear Martyn snicker behind them and their whole face burns as they slide their phone back into their pocket, standing up a bit straighter, trying to seem more presentable.
"Hope I wasn't rude for not coming down." She gives Apo a smile as she goes over and ruffles Martyn's hair. "I remember being told there was someone coming but couldn't remember when."
"Not at all! It's alright!" Apo's response is rushed, her mouth feeling dry and voice gravely. Great. She sounds pathetic.
"Good." The woman nods and heads over to the fridge, grabbing a drink and something else out of it. "I'm Cherri. Nice to meet you."
"Uh, Apo." They state back plainly, like the looser that they are.
"Cool. I'll see you around. Have fun!" She waves as best she can before leaving the room, the dog on her heels.
The second she's out of sight, Martyn bursts into laughter, putting his head in his hands. She whips her head around and faces him with a harsh glare.
He pokes an eye out at them and their expression only makes him laugh harder, coughing slightly. Apo groans and sinks into an chair at the island. This was not the best way their night could but definitely not the worst.
The person she's babysitting has an older sister.. who happens to be really fucking pretty and Apo cannot wrap her head around it. She's dead. She's so dead. Not that she isn't already.
They can still her Martyn giggling beside them and they put their face against the counter, mumbling out. "Shut up and eat your dinner."
"You want the door open or closed?" Apo asked, as if she's asking a 5 year old who was scared of the dark. He might as well be.
"Closed." Martyn replied, lamp on and book open on his lap.
They nodded and closed Martyn's room door behind him. While he's not the best kid they've watched, he's not the worst. They'll also admit that the way his room is decorated is pretty cool. Probably better than theirs. His room was different.
It was full of life in the way that hers wasn't. A contrast It was decorated after his favorite game. One that she'd gotten him to speak about a little bit. Sure it was small response, sometimes one word answers, but his eyes seem to light up a bit and that was enough for her.
They still weren't sure if he fully disliked them or if he was just being cautious. They would understand either one. They wouldn't like themself either. Not that they do anyways. Just look at the state of them. They think back to the state of their room back at home.
Pyro always called her bedroom dark and moody, just like her soul. She could laugh at the irony of it now, noting the comforting heartbeat that shes feels no longer is there. No longer a sharp reassurance of life, just a reminder about her lack of one.
They're sure their room definitely matched them now. The way the curtains were always drawn over the windows, Apo refusing to let any light in. Unlike most stories you hear about vampires, the sun doesn't make their skin burn, but it sure does make them itch and it is not a comfortable feeling.
Nothing was ever in the right place. Clothes and other items strewn all over the floor as Apo never had the energy to clean up anymore. It all left her that day. The day that he did that to her. The way her cornered her and the way he turned her.
Turned them into someone they don't recognize in the mirror, and so they stopped looking. Not wanting to see the face of something unrecognizable staring back at them. It's not them and it will never be them again. Not their body nor their mind.
There were a few things that still gave them joy though, a bit of comfort. There was a trans flag that hung behind her bed, which her parents got her when she came out as a younger teen to show their support, which she appreciated as not all people like her who come out are treated the same way.
There was also a specific plushie that Pyro gave them from Pokemon, their favorite game, something that they both liked and had bonded over the first time they met. They remembered him handing them that plush and saying it reminded him of them. They could tell why. It had the colors of the trans flag on it. They punched him in the shoulder for that one but they appreciated it nonetheless.
They were two things that still brought her a bit of joy knowing who they were gifted to from. She won't tell Pyro that she's slept with that plush tucked in her arms every night now, or the weird kind of rest state she gets put in. Apo doesn't know if she properly sleeps anymore. but she knows that the world goes black at some point and she still wakes again every day.
They need to stop getting into their own head all the time, but it is way to easy to. Just like the way droplets start to fall before a downpour. Apo sighed and made their way back down the hall, pausing halfway down.
The room she was stopped in front of had a sign on it, one she'd seen when she'd come up but hadn't had a good look at. She did not want to get another laugh out of Martyn about his sister. That was not how she was ending her night.
The sign simply read "Cherri" and had painted pink flower petals on it and cherry blossom trees. They thought it was really pretty. They wondered if Cherri had painted it herself, and if she did, Apo wondered if she drew too. Maybe they could see them one day.
As quickly as the thought bubbled up, she popped it and shook the idea from her head. No way that would ever happen. Who would ever love someone like her? She's not special, she's not pretty, she's not even human. Nobody wants a dead thing and that's what she is. She's weak and she's pathetic.
They're only here to babysit, to watch and nothing more. They shouldn't get attached to silly things or ideas they know would never come true. Not in this life or another. They heard shuffling coming from inside the door and they quickly made their way back down the stairs and to the family room.
Her standing there was already awkward enough, if Cherri came out and saw her there, she doesn't know what she'd she say. She'd have no excuse. The other women would probably just think she's weird, but she probably already thinks that with what happened earlier.
Apo burrowed themselves into the couch, pulling out their phone to doom scroll for the next hour. Hoping to let themselves get lost in the screen and forget every single thing about tonight, and maybe the past few weeks while they're at it.
Martyn's parents got home right around when they said they would and she's grateful. She gets paid and her parents arrive not long afterwards. As she stands in the doorway waving goodbye, she catches Cherri's eye from the balcony inside as she waves.
They can feel like the way their face gets hot, a stark contrast to the bitter cold outside, nipping at their ears and nose. They note the motion of her face as she laughs and it's a sound that Apo wants to hear on repeat over and over again, for as long as they might live.
Apo shyly waves back before jumping off the steps and sprinting down driveway before she can think too hard about it. She opens the passenger side door and slams it shut before she can even properly sit down.
"Slow down there!" They hear their father say. "What's got you in a rush? Everything go okay?" They watch his brow furrow in concern.
"Everything's fine! Great! It went fine!" She blabbers, buckling her seatbelt and burrowing her face in her backpack. "Can we just go?"
"Sure thing sweetheart."
They hear the engine start up and they don't lift their head up until they are sure they are a good distance away from the neighborhood.
She turns to face the window and she hears her fathers deep breathes beside hers, alive. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
Now able to steady themselves and think a little easier, Apo nods their head. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just ready to go home ya know. Tired."
"I understand." He paused. "Martyn's father asked if you'd come back next week on Friday."
Apo froze, her body going rigid. "I mean uh, yeah I can come back if they need me. A job's a job. It gets me out of the house more like you and mom said."
"Cool. I'll let him know when we get back."
The rest of the drive home was quiet and Apo decided to put their headphones in to try and drown out the thoughts with noise. They were so sure this night could not get any worse but it just did and they weren't sure they could change the outcome of it.