>>58207520
>Dad wasn’t having much of it, by the sound of things.
>Part of you considered playing dumb.
>It would be so easy.
>Iron out so many issues right now…
>…
>And it would be pathetic.
>No, you couldn’t stomach that.
>You were not some simpleton.
“I’m me! I’m not some dumb animal, I think just fine!”
“My brain works.”
>”Works?!”
>”Boy, have you watched the news at all?!” Dad wailed over the phone.
>He was not near the smartphone.
>He screamed it across the car.
>Dad began ranting.
>Mom tried reframing what followed with less cursing.
>”They asked people to shelter in place.”
>Oh come on…
>”People who changed or, like, lived with someone who changed.”
>Is that so?
>”Honey, you know that, right?”
>You knew better than to say it.
>You did anyway.
“If you’re so worried, why’d you drive here?” You snapped.
>The venom lacing the question was unmissable.
“Gonna cower at home?!”
>Excuses and anger poured forth from your parents.
>”We planned this last year!”
>”The hotel said we could come!”
>”We need a vacation!”
>”The resort begged us not to cancel!”
>Oh, was it sweet.
>They just kept going.
>That delicious rage.
>The aura shift was enough to make your hands flicker again.
>Your eyes went half-lidded.
>Chuckling while burning was something you never thought you’d experience.
>Noise reached a blurry, fevered tone.
>B-Breathing, right…
>Maintain the breathing.
>In…
>Out…
>In…
>Out…
>Sounded like you only escalated their hysterics.
>Again, the aura was manageable.
“It’s not a virus.” You interjected.
>You weren’t sure what you interrupted.
>But you repeated it enough times to break the stalemate.
“It’s not bacteria, or viral, or whatever.”
“It doesn’t spread like-“
>”How do you know?” Mom asked back, interrupting you this time.
“Because I’ve been close to people, there’s no wa-“