Perfect School

Krissy:

I turned the marshmallows over and over until they were golden brown then pulled it out of the fire. I showed her how to pull it off the skewer and sandwich it between chocolate and gram crackers. I took one of mine and gave it to Michael, they were cooked just the way he liked them. I would burn my next one.

“Jonah?” I offered a skewer out to him. He smiled his thanks and joined Kira. I didn’t like the boy, but he was Kira’s friend, so I could be polite.


Jonah:

I sat beside Kira and prepared my marshmallow, stabing it perfectly through the center and holding it into the fire.

Watching her make the s'mores I got the gist and made mine almost the exact same. I waited until I saw Michael take a bite before I tried mine. It was incredibly gooey and got all over my fingers. But I loved it. A ghost of a smile danced on my lips as I shifted into a sitting position to enjoy my treat better.

While eating I watched Jonah, curious if he'd ever done this before. He didn't speak often about his family but I knew he'd had one at one point in time. Or perhaps one of the numerous girls who flocked around him had shown him.

Jonah:

I felt her eyes on me and looked up to meet them.  Her mask was off.  She seemed young.  She seemed like a regular sixteen-year-old.  I smiled with light in my eyes then looked down at my plate as pulled my toasted marshmallow and prepared my s’more.  

“I went to camp when I was a foster kid.  I went a couple years in a row before the school discovered me,” I explained, noting how she was looking at me and my s’more making technique.

"Oh. I went to a camp once. But it was with a bunch of soldiers and I was learning from them. We ate from MRE's." Shrugging I finished my smore and tried to make my own without help. This time I had some trouble, burning my marshmallows but since Krissy had eaten hers like this I decided to just make it like this.

Krissy:

After we finished making s’mores we wished Kira and Jonah goodnight and cleaned up a bit before bed. I showered after Michael then snuggled up to him in bed. “She held my hand,” I said quietly with my head on his shoulder and my hand splayed out on his chest.

Michael:

While Krissy was in the shower I took one last walk through the house. I made sure the doors were locked, that the dogs had one last trip outside for the night, and that the fire was starting to die out. When I returned I stole a kiss from my freshly clean wife before curling up with her in bed. Gently rubbing her back I simply enjoyed her company until she quietly said something.

Raising my head from the pillow with a start I gazed down at the top of her head in surprise. "She did? What did you both say? I'm assuming that's a good thing. But..." I shook my head and a soft smile overcame my expression. "I'm so happy for you Krissy."

Krissy:

I smiled and squeezed him in a hug. I told him about our conversation outside and how she had reached out to hold my hand for a minute. “I feel like it’s not hopeless anymore. I think we have a chance,” I said softly. I tilted my head to look at him and put one hand on his cheek. “I know this hasn’t been easy, and I’ve made it harder than it needed to be. I’m sorry for that, but thank you for being so supportive to me. For always being exactly what I need.”

"It's both my pleasure and my honor to support you my love. I know what you can't say in the moment, and know you meant well even when everything else in your head was all jumbled up." Leaning my head down I pecked her lips with my own. "I love you Krissy Night."

Krissy:

“I love you too, Michael,” I murmured and leaned up for a better kiss. This wasn’t the way we thought our lives would go. Trying to get to know our nearly grown up daughter. But we would make it work. If he was at my side, we could do anything.

Kira:

I had trouble sleeping that night. Something about being here, in a place I'd never expected to be made it trouble for my brain to shut off. In the end after an hour of tossing and turning I got up and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Sipping on it while walking back I blinked at my door which had been pushed further open than when I'd left it.

Prepared for a possible ambush I crept into my room then huffed a laugh at the sight that greeted me. Three heads raised from the bed and more than one tail wagged. Shaking my head I closed the door and set my glass on the dresser. Climbing into bed with three big dogs was a feat of acrobatics, but once I settled in and they adjusted I was comfortably warm and sleep seemed to come easier after that.

When I woke the next morning, I wrinkled my nose at the smell assaulting my nose. Opening my eyes I was treated to a large muzzle open and each snore was punctuated by a deep exhale. As cute as dogs were, and how much I had enjoyed petting them. I could see at least one downside now. Doggy breath. Wiggling my way into a sitting position woke the trio and all but Angel crawled out of bed with a good stretch.

I changed into clothes to work out in under the watchful stares of three pairs of eyes. And after opening the door the trio surged out of the room to go check on the rest of the house. Smiling faintly I followed after them and turned to go into the basement rather than search the house with them. I wanted to get my workout done.

Jonah:

“Good morning Kira,” I said when she came down the basement stairs. I was laying on the mat after finishing my workout. Dispite having slept some on the plane, my internal clock was off. I had been up and working in this room for over an hour.

"Morning. You are up early. Couldn't sleep? Or jet lag?" I moved to the mats first, starting to stretch. I had slept well all things considered. And I was used to flying all over the world for Marie. After a while you learned to deal with the jetlag and just wake with the sunlight. Plus it helped when you took plenty of cat naps throughout the day.

Jonah:

“Jetlag,” I answered. “And I was feeling restless.” I said up and watched her. “How does it feel to be out from under Marie’s thumb?” I asked, even if it was temporary. When I first came down here in the morning I had done a sweep of the room, searching for cameras and mics. I had found none, and unless these people were extraordinary and hiding them, I figured there were none.

"No different than any of the times I was out from under her thumb. I haven't always been directly under her care and her eyes. I've spent time in the wilds, time with Zero, and now here. Plenty of places exist where she does not." I finished my stretches then started through a workout routine.

Jonah:

I chuckled. “Kira, you are aware that if me and Zero had not covered our tracks here was Marie would come collect you, and likely punish you severely for this? Not only have you snuck away to spend leisure time with your parents, but you have brought me along as well. She doesn’t want us together. Not unless she explicitly orders me to touch you,” I said

I stopped and looked at him. "If I get punished for it, that's what I deserve. I'm breaking the rules by being here. I broke the rules by bringing you here. I don't need you to lecture me on that." I shook my head and returned to my workout. "For someone who hates being under her thumb you bring her up a lot."

Jonah:

“I do, don’t I? Perhaps it is because I don’t blindly take orders. I have to question her decisions. Believe me, there is much to question.” I laid back on the mat and looked up at the ceiling. Despite it being a basement, it was remarkably well kept. My guess was that Michael was in charge of cleaning.

For someone who thought himself very smart and good at reading people. Jonah I was coming to find out wasn't very good at learning when it was better to let a subject go. I sighed through my nose and stopped my workout again. "You're right. There is much to question. Questions as to what makes someone think they are so much more important than everyone else. Why they think they have all the answers." I folded my arms and stared down at the mat. "Why do they seek to control every thing around them even when they hate it when that control is exercised over them. How they lie, manipulate, and charm their way to get everything. And flippantly believe that the rules don't apply to them."

I dropped my gaze to him on the mat. "I shouldn't have brought you here Jonah. That is a mistake I wont make again." Without another word I walked out of the basement.

Jonah:

I followed her. “Alright, I’ll drop it Kira. I’m sorry, okay?” I said. “I shouldn’t have pressed it. Not here. You’re right after all, I do want control. I’ve got to make up for a deficit in the first half of my life. Same thing you’re doing here, except yours is clearly love.”

"Jonah...your deficit as you call it. Is called being a kid. Any of those cheesy movies I've had to watch with the team, any of the stories one of you handed me between missions, even just existing in life has told me that." I turned to face him at the top of the stairs. My mask was firmly in place, locked in place by ice.

Jonah:

I shrugged. “You’re chasing what you’ve always wanted. Tell me why I should chase my desires? I’m not hurting anyone I’m not paid to hurt. I’m not hurting you, I may annoy you, but I’m not hurting you. Am I Kira?” I asked, stepping up the stairs until my eyeline was level with hers.

"I'm sure Emily would disagree with that statement Jonah."  I met his gaze without flinching, knowing that my words were a low blow.  "My life is not a game for you to play with at your leisure either.  How long will be before you grow bored or lonely and take up another girl?  This time are you going to make me watch in the hopes that it gets to me?  You know what you do and why you do it.  And yet you don't know what I'm doing or why." I kept my voice pitched that only he was able to hear.

Jonah:

My eyes squinted for a fraction of a second. “Emily is not around to disagree with anything. She’s gone because she couldn’t control herself. I’d like to point out, she raised her knife at me before it ever pierced her heart,” I said coolly. “Are you worried that I will find another girl? Do you hope that I’ll get to you? Is that why I frustrate you so much? Kira, I know what your body wants, but you yourself have to say something if that is what you want.”

"The situation with Emily was born of your greed of control and power." I had caught the little reactions. The squint to his eyes, the drop in temperature of his voice. "I don't care if you find another girl Jonah. And it's easy to see just what I am to you. A body, a show piece, a nice little sword to play with and put up on the wall. Good to see you focus so much on one thing." I turned away from him and snorted. "You are disappointing Jonah."

Jonah:

“You’re disappointing too if you think that’s all you are to me. Disappointing that my closest friend sees no merit in me,” I said. Mostly it was to make her feel even a shred of guilt, but there was some truth to it. Kira was the closest person to me. I liked her because we were the same in many ways. I wanted her to be as screwed up as me. That she was healing some of her long existing wounds bothered me. The best way to get her attention back on me was to antagonize her.