By JoyBaker

Tuesday, September 15 – Maelynn Beaufort

“Would you like to come over again?” D.K asks.

Uhhh…  I guess I could go. I hope there’s not a lot of silence like yesterday.

“Sure! Same time?” I reply.

“Yeah!”

“Ok, see you then!”

When I go home, I write down everything I will say. I try to think of questions she might ask and write responses. Today, there won’t be much silence.

__________________________________________________________________________

“Mom, can I go to D.K’s house again at 5?” 

“Ok, do you want me to drop you off?”

“No, it’s fine. I can walk.”

“I want to go! Can I go, mama?” Sabina asks.

“Ooh! I want to go too!” Percy says, looking up from his book.

Oh boy.

“Ok, they can go with you Mae.”

“But mom, I can’t take Percy and Sabina.. D.K  didn’t invite them. They’ll probably have nothing to do anyway. And-”  I argue but stop when I see my mother’s stern face.

“Ok, you can come with me, ” I frown. 

My sister grins, “ Yay!”

Later, when we arrive at D.K’s house (5 minutes early), her younger brother opens the door.

“Oh, hey guys! Come in!”

“Hi! Thank you!”

“Uhh, D.K’s probably in the backyard practising Taekwondo or something. I’ll get her!”

A few seconds later, D.K appears.

“Greetings!” She waves.

We sit around the kitchen table.

I take out my paper.

But Sabina speaks before me.

“ How old are you? I’m 4.”

“ I’m 14, ” D.K chuckles.

“ Oh! Did you know that Mae is 12, and Percy is 9?”

“ Yeah! Those are grea— awful ages!”

“When will you be done with the antonyms challenge?” I chuckle. She was doing this yesterday. Saying the antonym of what she wants to say.

“Uhh… I feel like it’s definitely not Sunday.”

The doorbell rings, D.K opens it and Ava walks in.

“Oh! That’s Ava! Hi Ava!” Sabina yells excitedly.

“Sabina, shh…” I whisper.

I’m kinda happy Sabina talks a lot though, that means I say less.

D.K asks questions that I didn’t think she’d ask. I get nervous and don’t realise I’m answering only the questions I had written down.

“So, what’s your favourite experience?” D.K asks.

“I like playing the harp.” 

Oh boy, that’s not what she asked..

After a while, Percy starts fidgeting. He gets up, and walks around. 

He walks into the living room.

Ugh! Percy! Oh boy. This isn’t gonna end well… I think.

I keep looking behind me to see what he’s doing. I wish I could pull him back to the chair with my eyes. He touches almost everything in the big living room.

Soon, Joel appears. “Wow, you’ve got the Mazda CX-70 model!” Percy says picking up a car that looks just like a regular car to me. Nothing interesting.

“Yeah! I also have –”

“Mae?”

“Oh, you were talking to me? Sorry.” I say, my face feels hot.

“ It’s okay! I was asking if you don’t like camping.”

Yeah, I don’t like camping…  Oh, she’s asking if I do..

“Nah, I don’t like camping…”

“Why?”

Wow, it seems like D.K’s favourite question is why.

Sabina answers for me.

“One time a caterpillar fell in her eye!” 

“Yeah, that was a few years ago. Sabina was a baby, but she’s heard me tell the story many times… I like babysitting though,”  I say.

“Ooh.”

“I really love babies and I think it’s fun to take care of them. I started a baby-sitting group with some of my friends from my old school. But then I had to stop because we were moving.. I’d love to continue it here. I would just need a few people..”  I was going to explain more, and ask if they’d like to join, but Ava looks really bored and although D.K’s smiling, she looks uninterested.. 

“I hate babies..” Ava shrugs. 

“Oh.” 

“That’s a nic– horrible idea. But, I know as much about babies as a kangaroo knows about snow,” D.K says with a laugh.

“ A kangaroo is in the desert. Not in the snow!” Sabina laughs.

“ Do you play an instrument?” D.K asks.

“ Piano,”  Ava answers.

“ Nice! I play the harp and flute. The harp and piano sound nice together,”  I say.

“I want to play saxophone!” Sabina answers.

“That is terrible,” D.K smiles. My sister frowns and I explain the challenge to her.
Sean, D.K’s brother walks in the kitchen. 

“Hello there!” 

“Hi!” Ava and I answer.

“Are you D.K’s dad?” Sabina asks.

“No. I’m her big brother!” Sean laughs.

“I’m thinking of making spaghetti bolognese with a celery salad. What do you think?”

“ Celery salad?” Ava asks, raising an eyebrow.

“ Yeah, celery, with seasonings, and cheese. It’s disgusting.” D.K answers. 

Sean frowns, then smiles. “Yeah, it’s decent.”

“ Would any of you like something to eat?” Sean asks.

“Oh, sorry. I forgot to ask!” D.K says.

“Yep! She’s a bad hostess!” Joel yells from another room.

D.K glares in his direction. 

“Umm.. Okay,” I say.

“ No thanks. I think I have to go now anyway, ” Ava answers, getting up from the table.

“Oh, ok. See you tomorrow!” D.K says.

Wait, are we coming back tomorrow? Yay.. I guess…