“So how was the rest of your day?” I asked, trying to distract his attention away from my hand. We were having such a good time that I was scared ...y touch would overextend the welcome. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to ruin the mood. “Nothing too interesting, especially since I was worried about the exam most of the day. How about you, mom?” he asked looking up at me from his seat. His question spurned my mind to instantly recall what I had done in his room during the morning. “Oh, nothing much. . And Claire and Ana say your the best, so..." Alright, well, come here to the bed."She lies face down next to me on the bed, propped up on her elbows and looking at me expectantly. I rest my hand on the small of her back on her thin white t-shirt, drawing my fingers gently up and down her back until she relaxes, then up and down her butt and the backs of her legs until she's accustomed to touch and starting to tingle and thrill, goosebumps on her pale skin. She rolls over on her back and I. "When everyone was ignoring it, we were being treated like adults. As soon as we started talking about our 'feelings', suddenly we aren't old enough to decide anything for ourselves." Look, young lady, you aren't that old. We may have been giving you latitude because of what you've been through, but... ," Linda said, leaving the sentence unfinished as she realized what she was saying."But as soon as things return to normal?" Alice finished for her. Her mother merely nodded, acknowledging she. Well, things like the fact you’ve been attacked over a half a dozen times the past five months. How can me knowing that be used against any of you? I have voice. Surely you can see that there are some things I need to know just so I can live in coexistence with what you all are doing.”She shook her head, then sat down in the chair across from where I had sat and stared at me with probing eyes.I, too, sat down, and we ended up playing a little staring game as I studied the streams of symbols.