Chapter 12: Kirk

Kirk slipped the ring onto his middle finger. It was a perfect fit.  The ring looked like a normal class ring. It was gold and had an amber-colored stone in the middle. He took it off and examined it more closely. There was a lightning bolt engraved on one side and a musical note on the other. He felt the engravings. The ring didn’t look new, but the engravings seemed fresh. He turned the ring and read the inscription. ‘Μείνετε σε επιφυλακή σας. - M’ He stared at it after reading it. He could tell that it was Greek. He read it over a few times. ‘Stay on your guard.’ It translated into. “M?” He said to himself. “Mom?” Just then a short rap on the door startled Kirk back to reality. He threw the box into a drawer and slipped the ring into his pocket. He walked over and opened the door a crack. His father was standing there anxiously peeking in. Kirk rolled his eyes and opened it all the way.

                “Are you ready?” his father asked appearing nervous.

                “No, it’s only 9:30. Dad what is wrong with you?” His father sat down in Kirk’s desk chair. Kirk eyed him suspiciously and sat down on the edge of his bed.

                “I just want to make sure this goes well. That’s all.” His father shifted in the chair. He patted the armrest then stood back up. “Well, get ready or we’re going to be late.” He said with a nod. He excused himself and left. Kirk stood there briefly staring at the door. He shook his head a few times. He pulled the ring back out and slipped it on. Kirk shrugged and set it on his bed. He took out his typical outfit and changed out of his post-shower clothes and into them. He slipped on the ring and laced up his sneakers. He checked his watch. It was just now turning 9:45. He sighed and headed down to the den. He grabbed the newspaper and sat down a few moments later he heard footsteps on the stairs. He folded down the newspaper and looked up to see his sister. Kirk’s eyes widened at the vision of Elise. She looked older and more mature. The only thing that helped Kirk remember who it was he was looking at was the camera hanging from her neck. She descended the stairs and stood in front of Kirk. Kirk put down the newspaper.

“Wow, Elise. Where’d you get that dress?” He asked with a smile. Elise giggled bashfully and looked down at the dress.

“Kensi picked it out. Apparently, dad told her to do some shopping.” Elise had a warm smile on her face.

“Well, you look beautiful.” Kirk told her. She giggled again. “So are you ready to take some pictures?”

“Yeah, I guess. I mean I hate it when I’m forced to do something, but I really do see that father is trying.” She said studying the ground and fidgeting slightly. Kirk smile softly.

“Well, if you ever need to talk to someone. Or if you want to just knock off while you’re here….” Kirk gestured toward himself. Elise smiled again. He walked over and hugged her. At the same moment, their father walked in.

“Well,” he said brightly. “Are we ready to go?” Kirk and Elise nodded. “Then let’s go.” The two of them followed their father into the garage and into the car. In a moment, they were off. Needless to say, their father was more excited about the visit then Kirk and Elise were. The car ride there mostly consisted of Kirk staring out the window, Elise taking pictures of the architecture, and their father telling them how great it will be. They finally arrived on campus and Paul parked the car. The three of them got out and looked up at the campus. “Let’s go, gang.” He said as he led the way to where they would be meeting Nigel for lunch.

Chapter 11: Elise

“I’m going to get ready.” She said, wiping her mouth and carrying her dishes to the sink.

“Very well. Wear something nice.” Her father called after her.

“Nice? As in…” Elise started to the stairs, stopping at the first to look at her father. He had told her he loved her last night. It was the first time in 10 years. She wanted to give the same effort that he was obviously giving.

“A dress.” He wiped the corners of his mouth and looked at her.
“I didn’t pack a dress.” Elise raised an eyebrow.

“That is why I arranged for Kensi to go shopping before you arrived. “ Her father turned and continued to eat. “Put one of them on.” He said without looking at her.

She was tempted to say, ‘As you wish mi lord’, but thought better of it.

Elise marched up the stairs and walked into her room. Her sketchbook lay open on her desk. “Wha-“ She picked up the book and looked at the corner. It had the same lipstick mark, the same handwriting; it was the one from the train.

“Balance.” A voice whispered.

“Balance in what?” Elise called out as a book fell to the floor. “Eep!” She squealed at the shock. She walked over to the bookcase and picked up the fallen book. It was the one about Greek mythology.

“Nyx, the goddess of night.” She read the open page casually and closed the book. She looked around and tucked it into her messenger bag to read later. She also packed her camera and an extra lens. “Balance huh?” She called out to the voice, hoping for an answer.

“Balance.” The voice confirmed.

“Who are you?” The called out, convinced she must be crazy.

“More than a friend, Elise.” The voice called out. Elise turned, looking for it’s source. “The black one.” It said finally.

“What black one?” She turned in circles. “Hello?” She called out but the voice refused to answer. She turned to the closet, it’s doors drawn open revealing all of the beautiful dresses.

Elise walked up to them, running her hands over the smooth silk and cotton. She found the black dress, a very cute A-line cut, making her look both older than she was yet still retaining her innocence. She smiled and changed quickly.

Chapter 10: Kirk

Kirk’s mind was stirring with the recent talk with his equally insane sister. The two of them were hearing voices. ‘At least I’m not the only one, right?’ He thought to himself. He wondered if this was something genetic. He thought against it. The two of them sat in silence for 5 minutes before Kensi yelled for breakfast. It was around 8 ‘o’ clock in the morning and the entire house smelled like bacon and eggs. Kirk was full from his previous cauldron of cereal, but Elise jumped up at the sign. She hurried slightly into the kitchen and grabbed a plate. Kensi filled her plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns. Kirk stood up, returned his book to the shelf and grabbed his bowl. He walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Elise. He watched as she inhaled the smell emanating from her plate. Her eyes closed and a smile spread across her face. “You uh…you like bacon, Elise?” Kirk asked with a chuckle. Elise nodded.

                “Oh baby, yes.” She said with a grin. “It reminds me of grandma’s cooking.” She said. “No offense, Kensi.” Elise said without looking away from her plate. Kensi smiled.

                “None taken, dear.” She smiled and returned to her duties. Elise finally ended the staredown with her potatoes and picked up her silverware. She stabbed some egg and some hash browns and shoved them into her mouth. She let out a low grumble as she chewed. Kirk found this hilarious. It felt good to laugh with-well at, his sister. He hadn’t seen her in so long and it was nice to see a more candid side of her. Then, their father walked in.

                “Good morning, Kensi. Elise. Kirk.” He said nodding to each of them. He took a deep breath. “Everything smells great, Kensi. Is there tea?” He asked. Kensi nodded graciously then turned to prepare the tea. Paul filled his plate and sat down at the head of the table. He inhaled the smells from his plate the same way Elise did, not 10 minutes earlier. Kirk couldn’t help but laugh at the similarity. After a few moments of nothing but the sounds of eating and Kensi working in the kitchen, Paul cleared his throat and spoke. “Nigel has welcomed us to eat lunch with him. He’s expecting us at noon.” Kensi came in and filled everyone’s cups with tea, then set a plate of wafers on the table along with milk and sugar. “We’ll probably need to be in the car by 10.” He stabbed some food and shoved it into his mouth.

                “Sounds good, dad.” Kirk said eyeing the two other people at the table carefully. Elise’s expression had sunk at her father’s entrance. She was now eating more slowly. She hadn’t said a word since he entered. It made Kirk curious what had happened last night after he left. “So are you going to bring your camera, Elise?” Kirk asked. Their father set down his silverware and was about to speak when Kirk shot him a look. Paul gritted his teeth and continued eating again. Elise stayed silent at the question. Kirk sighed. “It really is a beautiful campus. Very….picturesque.” He encouraged.

                “Yeah I probably will. If it’s okay with dad.” She said calmly. Kirk was baffled by the response. Elise’s tone wasn’t as aggressive as it had been the previous day. ‘What DID happen last night?’ He thought to himself. Kirk and Elise both turned to their father. Paul set down his silverware.

                “It’s okay with me, but be sure to pay attention on the tour.” He said authoritatively. Elise rolled her eyes.

                “Let it go.” Kirk said before his father could speak. Kirk took a few sips of tea then cleared his throat and stood up. “10 ‘o’ clock?” He asked his father. His father nodded and Kirk excused himself and left the room. He walked to his room and started to get ready for the visit. He sat on his bed and tried to make sense of what had just happened. “Did…Is everything fixed?” He asked himself.

                “You have done well, but your work is far from done.” A voice said behind him. It was the same voice that he had heard today and many nights in his dream. Kirk hesitated and turned around. There was nothing. On an impulse, Kirk spoke.

                “Umm…hello?” no response. “You know me, but I haven’t had the pleasure of making your acquaintance.” Kirk asked finally accepting his potential insanity.

                “Always a gentleman…” The voice said. “It will all come in due time, Kirk. For now, you must stay focused and keep your guard up.” Kirk sighed.

                “You’ve told me that. What does it mean?” No response. “Hello?” Nothing. Kirk sighed and lay back on his bed. He felt something pushing up against his back. He sat back up and found a small jewelry box. He opened and found a ring. He looked at it strangely and hesitated before picking it up. He slowly opened and found a ring. “Well…okay.” He said.

Chapter 9: Elise

Elise woke up around 5 in the morning. She couldn’t sleep much that night, with her father telling her he loved her and all. So after sketching for an hour and a half she headed downstairs, decked in her dark gray silk pajamas.
Kensi had started breakfast and Elise could smell the spices and hear the oil sizzling on the pan as she cracked eggs into it. She wanted to sit and wait but it would be all to tempting, so she decided to explore a little.
Elise wandered around their large house; looking at each knick-knack and the title of every book. She stopped in front of every piece of art in the house. She wondered why her father called art a waste of time. He had plenty of it, and all of them caused Elise to stare with eyes as large as saucers, and a grin from ear to ear. Art excited her the way perfection and order excited her father. She especially enjoyed the Van Gough replicas and a Monet that looked very close to the real thing.
She had made her way to two large, red wood double doors with golden handles. “Fancy.” She said with a grin as she opened on door very quietly and slipped in. She walked further in and noticed a boy sitting in a chair with a bowl of cereal.
“Hey Kirk.” She whispered and sat in the chair across of him. “What is this place?” She looked around at the shelves full of books.
“Huh?” Kirk said through his mouthful of cereal. He closed his book and swallowed. “This is the den.” He said as he rested the book on a small table near him.
“There are so many books…” Elise got up and walked around the room and looked at each title. They were organized and shelved neatly, much like a library. “So neat.” She muttered as she made a complete circle. “Do you have to check them out like a library?” She asked, a little embarrassed by the fact that she was asking a serious question. Kirk just let out a small laugh, thinking she was joking, leaving her question unanswered. Elise giggled, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
“Yeah, our father wanted a personal library.” Kirk’s eyes looked all around the room. “So he made this den into one.” Kirk looked at Elise who was marveling at a book full of classical artwork. “I think he said he’s read every single one of these books.” Trying to get a reaction out of Elise who was too engrossed in the pictures before her.
“Beautiful.” She muttered as she closed the book slowly and put it back in the empty space on the shelf. She took a deep breath and inhaled all the scents of breakfast. “So, who else works here besides Kensi?” She was referring to the voices she heard earlier. Elise was determined to prove to herself that she was sane. She had rationalized that she was overhearing other maids or butlers talking.
“No one, just Kensi.” Kirk knit his eyebrows together. Was his sister crazy? Then again he did just have a picture talk to him. “Why?” He squinted slightly.
“Just Kensi?” Elise sighed and sat back in her chair. “Do you promise not to send me to an asylum?” She looked at Kirk with worried eyes.
“It depends.” Kirk sat up right, setting his bowl of cereal next to the book. “What is it?” He raised an eyebrow at Elise.
“I hear voices. Well, heard voices.” She waited for Kirk to jump up and call her crazy but, he just sat there, soaking in every word. “I first heard them when I left to be with grand-dad and grandmum. Then I heard them again on my way here and last night.” Kirk just stared at her.
“Oh.” Kirk managed one syllable. Maybe he wasn’t crazy after all! If Elise had really been hearing voices like she said she had, then the talking picture was real! “Who was the voice?” He probed.
“It sounded like a woman I met on the train.” Elise’s body tensed. The woman on the train, had she followed Elise? “She was really pretty and very, dark. If that makes sense.” Elise let out a huge breath, something she had unintentionally been holding in. She told Kirk about the conversation she had with the woman. She also told him about the lipstick stain on her drawing and the peculiar way she had exited. “She kind of…” Elise fiddled with the ends of her shirt, avoiding Kirk’s gaze. “She kind of just disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” Kirk was giddy inside. Disappeared like the drawing had ‘disappeared’ in front of his eyes. “Curious.” He said with a calm expression. He really wanted to pick Elise up and hug her. She had just confirmed that he was not insane! Or…maybe both of them were insane. Then he began to wonder what father would do if both of his children were insane. Disown them? Kick them out?
“Well what do you think?” Elise was dying for a reaction, something to tell her that she was not crazy. Considering her story, she really only expected Kirk to tell her she was crazy.
“I think,” Kirk started, causing Elise to sit on the edge of her seat. “I think you haven’t had enough sleep.” Kirk cracked a smile, trying to cover up all the things going through his mind.
“Not enough sleep?” Elise didn’t know what she was thinking. “Right, you right.” Kirk was right. She had only gotten around two or three hours of actual sleep. Still, something kept bugging her.
“You are not crazy Elise.” Right when she thought she had any possibility of being sane, there was the voice again.

Chapter 8: Kirk

             That night Kirk didn’t sleep much. He tossed and turned most of the night. Any sleep he had was full of less than pleasant dreams. He dreamt of his birth once again. The one in the golden room not the one he had dreamt for most of his life.  His dream ended the same each time. His mother’s face staring into his telling him to, ‘stay on his guard’. His eyes finally opened. He checked his clock. It was 5 in the morning. He guessed that he had fallen asleep around 9 o clock the previous night. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stared down at the ground in front of him. The hardwood floor felt cold under his feet. ‘Why was he getting this dream? Even if it were this dream, why now? Was this a warning? Was it trying to tell me something?’ He thought to himself. He wiggled his toes. He stood up and did a few stretches, just trying to get rid of the sleepiness in his body.

After a little while, he yawned really big and rubbed his eyes. He looked out the window and saw a hint of the sun just start peeking over the horizon. He turned around a grabbed a set of clothes and a towel. He walked down the hall to the shower. He undressed and got in. He let the water fall over him. It felt fantastic. He didn’t spend a lot of time in the shower, but however brief it was it felt like a cleansing rain. All of the sweat and tears from the past couple days seemed to disappear down the drain. He shut off the water and grabbed his towel. Wrapping it around his waist he stepped out of the shower. After drying off he got dressed in clean clothes and opened the door to the hallway. He made his way down to the kitchen. Kensi wasn’t up yet once again, so Kirk was on his own for a morning meal. He retrieved a bowl and a spoon from the kitchen and then poured himself a bowl of Cap’n Crunch. As he trickled the milk over his cereal a voice echoed behind him.

 “That cereal will rot your teeth.” The voice said. “Why not some oatmeal or yogurt?” Kirk, surprised, turned around quickly. Nothing. He heard the voice again. “Your time will come, my dear Kirk. Keep your guard up.” He turned to another direction. The voice seemed to be coming out of his father’s study. Kirk set down the milk and cautiously entered his father’s study. The voice was echoing his name.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Kirk asked into the study. He was standing at the doorway. He was never allowed inside without his father’s permission. He looked around and saw that his father’s desk was glowing. He looked around one last time then took a step forward. He was in his father’s study. He walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. Inside he found a piece of paper. Kirk pulled it out only to find that it was a picture he had drawn of his mother. Paul must have taken when he was alone in Kirk’s room. He stared into the picture. The face seemed to shift and shimmer. He was about to put it back when the voice came in started again.

“This has become one of your most difficult challenges, yet.” Kirk looked around the room until his eyes settled on the picture. As the voice spoke the picture moved its mouth along. “You need to stay strong. You’re more important than you know.”

“What do you mean?” Kirk shouted at the picture. ‘I must look insane.’ Kirk thought to himself. “What’s one of my most difficult challenges yet?” He asked the picture.

“You’re doing well. I must go.” The picture said before disappearing. The drawing itself leaked off the page. Kirk, disappointed and slightly dejected, walked back to his waiting breakfast. He finished pouring on the milk and stuck the spoon in and took a hearty mouthful. This cereal really wasn’t good for him. He sat down in a chair in the den and grabbed the nearest book which was a customary habit of his for every time he made his own breakfast. This time he had grabbed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This was one of Kirk’s favorite books. He owned it in 4 different languages. He chowed down on his massive bowl of cereal and entranced himself in the land of Middle-earth. Around six-thirty. Kensi came strolling into the kitchen and started on a full breakfast. Kirk was so into this book he barely noticed her entrance. This was the same case when Elise entered the room and sat down in a chair across from him.

Chapter 7: Elise

Kirk marched up the stairs after giving her and her father his warning. Art museums were not silly and Elise was not going to the same college as Kirk. She didn’t know anything about it, let alone if she was going to college at all. It had been burned into her brain that she had to go to college but recently she realized she had other options. Elise was thinking about the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but not before traveling to Paris and do some painting there.

“Apple pie.” The maid, who she learned was named Kensi, placed a white plate with a slice of apple pie.

“Thank you.” Elise let out a small mutter and picked at her dessert. She had only eaten a few bites before she looked up at her father who had finished his carrot cake and was wiping his mouth. “I’m full, thank you.” Elise wiped the end of her mouth and walked up the stairs.

She had changed and gotten ready for bed. Kensi gave her a cup of warm milk and bid her goodnight. “Thank you Kensi.” Elise sat up, holding her milk. “Kensi!” She called out, why? She had no bloody idea. Kensi turned around with a worried look.

“Yes ma’am?” She stepped back in the room.

“Nothing.” Elise pushed the thought from her mind.

“Yes ma’am.” Kensi backed out and closed the door.

What was Elise going to say? I want you to tell me everything about my father from the last ten years. Then after that tell me all about my brother, why? Because I don’t remember a bloody thing about them. All she knew about her father was the fact that they used to fight like cats and dogs, and that Kirk was just…there.

Elise ripped off the covers and headed to the desk and opened the sketchbook. She closed her eyes and tried to find a picture from happier times. Her pencil hovered above the paper, waiting for inspiration. She came up with nothing. She had absolutely no happy memories of them.

“Well that’s just fan-freaking-tastic isn’t it!” She exclaimed, throwing her pencil onto the desk. She got up and paced the room. “I come back for the first time in 10 years and the first thing I do is fight with my father. And now, I can’t even remember a time where I was happy in this prison!” She had turned toward the closet with a small glint caught her eye. She walked over and pulled out a dusty picture frame. In it held an old picture of her and Kirk, smiling and laughing on a playground.

“You were happy once.” The voice from before whispered in the air again. Elise didn’t turn this time. She was too busy staring at the picture. “Life brings good and bad. It is the balance that keeps our worlds alive.” The voice seemed to be closer, almost right in her ear.

“Balance.” Elise murmured and placed the picture on the desk. She slinked back into the chair and gripped her pencil. “Balance.” She whispered again as she started to draw.

By the time she was finished it was somewhere around midnight. She held the drawing up and looked at it. “Balance.” She squinted and folded the paper in half, creasing it down the middle. Unfolding it she noticed something she hadn’t noticed while she was drawing it. The picture was perfectly symmetrical. Although she and Kirk looked very different on either sides of the jungle gym between them, the picture was a perfect symmetry.

“You need to find balance Elsie.” The voice whispered again.

“What?” She turned to the window and saw the canary looking in.

“With your father.” The voice replied.

Elise looked around frantically. She was definitely going crazy. Just as she was about to answer the disembodied voice she heard footsteps coming toward her room. Panicking, she climbed out of her chair, turned off her light, and threw the covers over her, pretending to sleep.

Her door creaked open and Elise tried to even out her breathing. The footsteps got closer and Elise’s breathing became uneven. A light hand brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her head. What just happened? The footsteps moved away from her bed as Elise carefully opened her eyes. She saw a tall man in an ornate robe looking at her desk.

The figure picked up the drawing and admired it. It held the paper in front of it’s face for a while before looking back at Elise, who was still ‘asleep’. It gently placed the drawing down and headed for the door. “I do love you Elise.” It whispered before leaving.

“Dad?” Elise muttered to herself, tears in her eyes.

Chapter 6: Kirk

Kirk smiled as he carefully walked out of Elise’s room, closing the door behind him. He went back to his room and sat down on his bed. He was breathing hard.  He was frustrated with all of this. He had had a long day. All he wanted to do was relax for the hour before dinner. He sorted through the pictures on his bed. One was missing. He shrugged and gathered them up. He ordered them and then tapped them on his bed making a nice even stack. He walked over and placed them in a drawer in his desk where he kept all of his drawings. He thought back to some of the sketches in Elise’s book. She was really good. Kirk wished he could draw abstractly, but all of his drawings were things that had seen with his own eyes. There were a few landscapes, a picture of Kensi, the maid, he had drawn a few years ago, and a picture he had completely forgotten about. It was a picture of Elise and himself. It was the image of a photograph his father had burned the day she left. The two of them had their arms around each other. They had their boarding school uniforms on and the two of them were smiling for the camera. He took the picture out and sat down on his bed staring at it. A small tear trickled down his face. He sighed and put the picture back into the drawer. He did not want his father to see them. Drawing wasn’t part of his plan for Kirk. He walked over to his bookshelf and grabbed a book off the shelf. He had read them all so he wasn’t sure which one to pick. He decided on a copy of Fight Club. He grabbed the book and flipped to the beginning. He sat on his windowsill and started reading.

45 minutes later, he closed the book. He stood up and put the book back on the shelf. He checked his watch. ’15 minutes before dinner.’ He thought to himself. He was anxious for the meal. Not out of hunger, but because of the company. He went down stairs and went to the kitchen to find Kensi busy at work. He sat at the table, waiting for dinner. It had only been 2 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. He finally stood up. “Do you need help with anything, Kensi?” She seemed shocked by the question.

“Well,” she wiped her hands on her apron. “I’ve got pasta cooking on the stove. Marinara sauce on the stove. Rolls in the oven. Would you like to chop some vegetables for me?” If he was going to ask, she wasn’t not going to accept help. Kirk nodded. She set him up with some carrots, a cutting board, and a knife. Kirk started out slowly, but eventually he found a rhythm and was cutting the carrots like a pro. He scooped them up and put them in a bowl with a salad. Kensi had finished everything else and was now setting the table. Kirk brought over the salad and set it on the table. “Thanks, hon. It looks great. Dinner’s ready. You want to go get your sister and Mr. Black?” Kirk nodded and walked back upstairs. He found his father in his study and knocked on the open door as he entered. His father was staring at a picture on a piece of paper. What it was Kirk, didn’t see. When Paul heard the knock he immediately put the picture face down on his desk.

“Yes. Kirk. What is it?” He said after clearing his throat.

“Dinner, dad. It’s waiting downstairs.” He said to his father calmly. “You’re going to behave at dinner, right?” His father nodded then stood up from his desk. Kirk nodded then excused himself. He walked out of his father’s study and knocked on the door of his sister’s room. “Elise. Supper’s ready.” He said through the door. He heard a faint, ‘okay’ and turned and walked back downstairs. He sat down at the table and absorbed the smells coming from the food. In a few brief moments, his father descended the stairs and sat down at the table. He sat back and twiddled his thumbs. Kirk could see that he was becoming impatient. “Dad. What did I say?” Kirk said firmly. His father relaxed a little and put on a pleasant face. A moment later, Elise came down the stairs. Her eyes were a little red and puffy from crying. Her hair was tucked behind her pierced ears. She sat down and scooted her chair into the table. She gave a brief smile to Kirk. The family ate dinner together for the first time in a long time. The first ten minutes were relatively silent until his father spoke.

“Kirk. How was the campus visit this morning?” He said making sure to always have a pleasant smile. Kirk finished chewing his mouthful of salad.

“It was good. It’s a wonderful campus. Nigel is great too.” He said, feigning enthusiasm. He looked over at Elise who was picking the carrots out of her salad. “I cut up those carrots myself, you know?” He said teasingly. “I haven’t heard how your trip was, Elise.” He said trying to involve her.in the conversation.

“It was long. I liked the train though. Cool view from the inside. I drew a picture of it.” She said a little bitterly. Paul gritted his teeth a little then put on his fake smile again.

“Did Nigel mention anything about tomorrow?” Paul asked Kirk. Kirk shrugged. He probably did, but Kirk wasn’t paying any attention.

“What’s special about tomorrow?” Kirk asked. Paul smiled and looked at Elise.

“The three of us are going on a campus visit. Isn’t that wonderful? Nigel has already promised you both spots in there admission.” Paul smiled a little bit bigger. Elise leaned back.

“Dad, I’m not going there. I’m gonna find a nice arts college. There would be no point to visit.” Elise said bluntly. Kirk knew that wasn’t going to go over well. He looked at his father who managed to keep his smile, but a vein was bulging from his neck.

“I guess we’ll delay that visit. I’ll call him tomorrow morning.” Paul said, teeth clenched.

“So what other events do we have planned for tomorrow?” Elise said, her words dripping with condescension. Paul looked at Kirk. Kirk gave him a look of, ‘CALM DOWN.’ Paul managed his fake smile again.

“Well, dear. I was anticipating that after the visit, we would go to lunch and then maybe hit one of the museums around town. Doesn’t that sound like fun, Elise?” He said. Kirk could tell that it was paining him to see his plans altered. “I have this whole visit planned out. If you’re lucky, Elise, maybe we’ll go to one of those silly art museums.” Kirk might as well have plugged his ears for the oncoming events.

“Silly?! Those art museums hold beautiful works of art!” Elise shouted at her father. Paul stood up.

“Those museums are only good for one thing! Making money! My bank sees more failed artists looking for loans every year because of those SILLY at museums! There’s not point to art! I’ve-“ Paul shouted at his daughter. Kirk interrupted.

“Hey, Kensi? What’s for dessert?” He said shouting toward the kitchen. He turned back to the table. “Look. I’ve had a long day. I had some weird dream last night that I can’t begin to explain. I’ve had to watch as my half-sister and my father have shouted at each other for the stupidest things.” Kirk was infuriated with his father and his sister, but somehow he kept his voice smooth and even. “Now for the first night here, we are going to finish this meal in peace. Tomorrow all of us are going on a campus visit. At the very least you can paint the buildings. It really is a pretty campus. And after that, we’re going to come back home and be nice to each other. This is a fact.” Kensi was standing next to him. She handed him a list of what she had made for dessert. Kirk quickly scanned the list. He pointed to his father. “He will have a piece of carrot cake. She will have apple pie. And I won’t have anything. Thank you Kensi.” Kirk smiled pleasantly at Kensi as she bowed and left the room. “Now, I’m going to bed. You two are going to eat your dessert. If I hear any yelling at all, I’m going to literally lose my mind. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He stood up out of his chair and left the room, heading for the stairs. He got into his room and collapsed onto his bed. From his room he could hear talking, but not shouting. ‘At least they’re not shouting’ He thought to himself.