Mel’s was just a dead weight against Kassie’s shoulder. Without Abraham's voice in her ear, it was completely silent. It was somehow worse than the frantic crying. 

She detangled herself from Mel and groaned as her back seized up. Her body did not appreciate the position she held for the last ten minutes. Maybe she should take up yoga. Mel said nothing; she just slumped against the car door. 

Kassie drove back home. 

***

Kassie was lying on the kitchen floor. She really needed to clean the baseboards under the cabinets. She needed to get up and fix some problems, but she couldn't find the will to get up. It was 5 a.m. now. After she drove home, she tucked Mel into her bed without a word. Well, without a word from Mel. Kassie said many words. In fact, she couldn't stop saying words. She word-vomited all the way home. The longer Mel was silent, the more words came out of Kassie's mouth. She was filled with nervous energy, and she just wanted Mel to do something. But she didn't. She sat silently, walked into the house silently, and curled up in the middle of Kassie's bed silently. 

And now Kassie was giving up on life on the kitchen floor. 

Planned Parenthood didn't open till 9:00. She would call them for Mel and see if she could walk in, and if not, make her an appointment. Kassie was still pretty unclear about what happened, but she figured that was a good place to start.

She had time. She would dissociate on the kitchen floor a little longer. 

She was alone for a few minutes before someone shuffled into the kitchen. 

She continued to gaze at the ceiling. Her eyes were unfocused, and the lights blended prettily together. 

Clarke huffed out a soft, “huh” before shuffling over to her and lowering himself to the kitchen floor. She heard his knee pop as he lowered down next to her in a sprawl. He was still for all of 40 seconds before he started to fidget, wiggling on the floor. 

She turned her head and focused on his face. He had his hair up in a horrible man bun, and his lips were pressed tightly together like the silence physically pained him. Kassie felt the familiar flare of childish affection for her brother. Amid all the inconsistencies in her life, Clarke was always a constant presence. An annoyance in a way only a big brother could be, but never a hindrance. 

His eyes were filled with their usual mirth, like Clarke was in on some big cosmic joke the rest of humanity wasn't privy to. 

“You're home early.”

He shrugged. “The job cleared up sooner than expected,” He replied as vaguely as possible. “What’s happenin’ Kassie-bear?”

Her shoulders were hunched up in an inelegant shrug. “It’s a mental health day.”

Clarke propped up on his elbows, looking her over with a critical eye. Gone was the laughter from his eyes. His face was serious. It made him look older. Sly instead of warm. “Mental health day for you?”

Kassie felt a twinge of guilt. Clarke was the one who sat at her bedside after her battle with depression took a turn for the worse. Clarke was the one who visited her after her parents had her committed to a discrete inpatient program. The rest of her family acted as if Kassie's rough years had never happened. But not Clarke. 

“Mental health day for Mel. I’m just the support staff.”

Clarke relaxed, but just slightly. She knew he cared about Mel, too. 

“You girls need anything?” He asked. He nodded when she shook her head. He got up with surprising grace for someone whose knees were popping the way they were.  “Hit me up if you need to hide a body or need to be bailed out. You know, the important stuff.”

Kassie watched her brother grab a coffee and leave the kitchen. She wallowed a little longer on the floor before dragging her tired body to the couch. She could afford to nap a little before facing the rest of the day. 

Kassie woke up uncomfortably warm. She tried to wiggle out from under the blankets, but they were unyielding and heavy. She tried to roll over, not ready to give up on sleep, but was stuck. 

Mel was a complete dead weight on her. Her face was smushed against Kassie’s. She could feel Mel’s warm breath on her ear. It was miserable.

She used her shoulders and knees to push Mel off her and onto the floor. She ignored Mel’s whining and checked her phone. It was 9:30, and she had slept longer than she planned. Kassie also had multiple missed calls and texts. She ignored them for now and called the clinic. Unsatisfied with her whines being ignored, Mel dramatically sprawled back on top of her. She pressed her face against Kassie’s and listened to the call with the clinic. The woman who answered the phone said they could walk in, but they might have to wait. After the call, Mel remained quiet, face buried in Mel’s neck. She checked her missed calls. She was shocked to see two from Derek. She checked her texts and saw a handful from him. 

Derek: Hope you're not sick or whatever. 

It was finally happening. She had befriended Derek. Never mind that they slightly made out yesterday. 

Derek: Everyone is acting suspicious as hell. 

Derek: I ain't never seen Abe be a dick, but he is acting dickish today. Spill the tea. 

Kassie:  If Abe is being a dick to you, I would take it personally. Mel and I needed some time, no tea. 

“Since when are you guys so cozy?” Mel looked up at her phone, a frown on her face. 

“This is literally the first time we’ve texted. That’s not cozy.” 

She never told Mel about the kiss in the bathroom. She sees the bad in people first, whereas Kassie is more willing to take a chance on someone. She also didn't want to explain that to Mel. She has a deep-seated distrust of all men, and she didn't want her to spin what happened a certain way. It seemed like a private moment, and Kassie intended to keep it that way. She slipped her phone back into her pocket; she’d deal with the rest of it later.