I know I should've been freaked out that this random stalker guy showed up at my house and informed us that he knew everything about us there was to know and that he'd be living with us now, but, honestly... the sun was gone. Under the circumstances, Beckman seemed like no strange thing.
Beckman was leaning against my bedroom door when I left the bathroom, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Self conscious in my pajamas, I hurried to the other side of my bed and behind my dresser. "What are you doing?" I asked. Beckman sighed, "Sorry if I startled you. I'm simply supposed to monitor the weakest member of the family during the nighttime, if you sleep at different sides of your home. Which you and your father do." I stepped out from behind my dresser and narrowed my eyes, "Fine. But face the door, at least. You're creeping me out." Beckman smiled and turned, and I jumped into my bed and pulled my covers over my head, to block the light of the moon from my eyelids.
When I woke up, my dad was already at work, and Beckman was leaning against my door, staring at my skylight like I did. I sat up and yawned, "Good morning." Beckman gave me a sort of confused expression before smiling slightly and replying, "Good morning, Miss Currer."
"Dear, you may call me Leah. I'm not eighty yet." Beckman laughed, "Morning, Leah."
"There you go." I climbed out of bed and grabbed jeans and a loose shirt, smiling at Beckman before slipping into the bathroom.
"Fruit, Acton?" Beckman didn't look up from the phone he was staring at. I rose an eyebrow, "Acton?" Still no response. "Beckman?"
"Hm?" I rose my eyebrows again, "Dehydrated fruit?" Now Beckman's eyebrows shot up. He cleared his throat and then said, "Oh, um, sure."
After breakfast, I asked Beckman if he would play boardgames with me. He gave me a strange look and then agreed. Halfway through the game, he suddenly asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?" I rose my eyebrows at this, caught off guard. Then I scoffed. "Nice? I'm making you play tedious boardgames with me. I'd hardly call that nice." He shook his head, "It's just that, I've been talking to the other Parents, and their Children have all been-just awful. Treating them like they're the problems with our world right now, giving them nowhere to sleep, offering them no food, and ignoring them when they talk- they treat them like chairs that you don't sit on." I rested my chin in my hands and yawned a bit before replying, slowly, "Well... I mean, you're here, right? It's not like I can force you to leave. Especially not by physical force. So I might as well make the best of your presence, right?" Beckman smiled a little bit and then said, "You always have been interesting, Miss Currer."
"Leah. And thank you, I suppose."
© 2011
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