The Millennial Box by Julie Steimle (rainbow fish read aloud TXT) 📕

"She was with me. We were working on something important out-of-state, and I needed her help," Jeff replied offishly, showing he would not allow Zormna to be bullied.

Mr. McLenna glared more deeply at Jeff, but talked to Zormna as if Jeff were not there. "You didn't even leave a note. We thought you had gone Home."

"Then why'd you lock the door?" Jeff protested with clear disgust. "You didn't before."

Mr. McLenna opened up the screen and emerged onto the front step.

Zormna stepped back. Jeff grabbed her jacket and dragged her right next to him to remind her that she had no reason to run. She was, after all, a trained soldier and one of the most skilled martial artists that he knew. Her common sense just sometimes shut off when facing the McLennas, mostly out of sheer terror. He liked her more when she was logical.

"It was to keep out troublemakers," Mr. McLenna growled with narrow eyes on him. "We figured you would come back."

Jeff stepped closer to the man, pulling Zormna up as he went. Zormna tried not to look at Jennifer's father, overwhelmed with guilt and extremely fearful.

"Why would I come here, if not to make sure Zormna was safe?" Jeff replied steely. "Which is why I am here now. You didn't throw her stuff out, did you?"

Jennifer's father narrowed his glare tighter. He looked back at Zormna. "We didn't, but we were about to."

Zormna let out a sigh in relief.

"Of course we should have with her sneaking off like that," he continued.

Jeff hardened his gaze on Mr. McLenna. "Are you going to let her come in? Or can she just get her things so she can move out properly?"

It had been long understood that Zormna wanted to become an emancipated minor so she could move into her great aunt's old house, which was currently vacant as her great aunt had been dead for two years. Zormna had inherited it. But the McLennas felt that it was way too unusual for a girl of fifteen to be living alone in her own house. That, and they felt that if they did grant her emancipation, it would be like rewarding her - -and they didn't want to do that. They hated her too much.

The father peered at the two teenagers a moment and then moved aside so Zormna could go inside. "Go on in. You should get a bath. You smell."

Zormna nodded and glanced back at Jeff as he shoved her ahead of him to go into the house. Mr. McLenna blocked Jeff's way in once Zormna passed through. Jeff stepped back only so he would not be squashed against the door frame by Mr. McLenna's body.

"I just want to make sure she's ok," Jeff said.

Mr. McLenna just glowered down at him.

Jeff stepped back, seeing now that he would not be let in. "Fine. I won't come in. But if anything happens to her - anything I won't like - just beware."

Mr. McLenna frowned, watching Jeff glance up at Zormna's window as he walked away to the street where his motorbike was parked.

The wind blew chilly gusts of leaves and a tinge of frost. Jeff drew up his jacket collar. He peered up at the window once more - which was now lit - and then back at Mr. McLenna. Then he climbed on the bike and started up the engine, looking back one last time before he set off into the street. Mr. McLenna watched him until he was out of sight. Once gone, he turned, gazing across the street at the FBI car which dutifully sat there, frowning. He glanced at the dim streetlights then stepped through the front doorway, closing the door behind him.

Zormna was sitting on her bed, her hair sopping from a quick shower, dressed in her cotton nightgown and waiting tensely for the sound of feet on the stair. Once she heard Jeff's motorcycle leave the neighborhood, she waited in dread for the McLennas to come up and chew her out for vanishing. Yet they made her wait.

The small attic door opened. Zormna took a breath and clenched the skirt of the nightgown in her hands. It opened wider.

It was Jennifer.

Zormna let out a sigh, clutching her chest in relief.

"Don't be too happy yet," Jennifer said, barely stepping into the attic room. "Dad sent me. You're to go down into the study. He wants to talk to you there."

Peering down at the rug on the wooden floor, Jennifer took a breath to say something but found the words fleeing from her tongue. All she could do was stand there, feeling sorry for Zormna. Zormna stood up and nodded. She knew Jennifer's parents did not even want to set foot in her room. She knew the lecture would be long this time because Mr. McLenna always lectured long when he was in the study. It was an atmosphere thing. It was their space for authority.

She walked back down the upstairs hall across the soft carpet and descended the stairs to the main floor. Mrs. McLenna was heartily mixing something for breakfast the next morning, probably muffins, and trying not to look Zormna's way.

Zormna turned at the end of the banister and traversed along the wall to the door under the stairs that led to the study. Pausing at the closed door, Zormna took a breath for courage. She knocked timidly.

"Enter," the voice on the other side said.

Zormna closed her eyes and twisted the doorknob. She pushed it open. Mr. McLenna sat in the great swivel chair before the home computer. He motioned to her to close the door and stand over near the wall which had a painting of a sailboat. She did so, too unnerved not to comply. She ducked her head so she would not have to look at his angry face.

"What you did was unthinkable," he said, staring down on her. "Not only did you leave without telling us, but you left with a character like that after just going to detention and writing a paper about how important school attendance was to you! How can you be so two-faced and reckless?"

Zormna lifted her eyes, feeling confused. "I didn't - "

"I don't care what you thought you were doing! You are under our care and supervision, and you took off with that...that...that boy! That boy is dangerous," Mr. McLenna yelled.   

Zormna rolled her eyes now. She knew more about what Jeff was capable of more than anybody. She knew she could handle him.

"Don't you give me that look, young lady! That boy was arrested for murder last week. Did you know that?" Mr. McLenna's face turned shades.

"He was innocent," Zormna replied, feeling her ears burn with indignation on Jeff's behalf. The sensation helped her overcome her fear of Mr. McLenna.

"So he says," the father of the house snapped back.

Straightening militaristically in her anger, she retorted, "So I know. We went to Florida to clear his name and prove he was innocent!"

Mr. McLenna's lips went white. He gaped wordlessly for a moment, then nearly shouted. "You went to Florida? You went all the way to Florida? What were you doing in Florida?"

Zormna scowled, folding her arms. "That's none of your business."

He growled at her, rising. "What you do is my business. You can't just go off to another state alone with a boy, even if he weren't a dangerous rat like - "

"Don't you call him a rat!" Her face turned red, all her fear gone. "He's as decent as you or I. And I certainly think that I can take care of myself if I want to go to - "

Mr. McLenna rose to his full height, towering over Zormna as he advanced on her. He shoved her firmly against the wall. It startled her into silence. Normally, she would not have put up with such handling - except this was Mr. McLenna and the man did frighten her.

"Listen closely. If you want to live under my roof, you had better not run off with that boy again. Bad things happen to girls that trust boys like that. For your safety," he uttered into her ear, seething. "You will not sneak off with that kid anymore."

Zormna swallowed. She then blinked as comprehension dawned her. This didn't sound like an ordinary threat - if it was a threat at all. Was he warning her from Jeff? A shiver ran through her.

Mr. McLenna opened the door for her and shoved her out of the office. It was the shortest lecture she had ever had. Zormna kept blinking to herself from the shock as she stood in the front room.

"You will have no dinner or breakfast tomorrow, as punishment," Mr. McLenna said. Then he pointed for her to go back to her room.

Yet she continued to stare at him with surprise. Nodding, she quickly ran to and up the steps. She did not even look back until she got to the door of the attic. From there, she peered back over her shoulder down the hall to see if he was seriously not following her. He wasn't there.

 Shaking her head, she went in to her room. She thanked her strange luck that she did not have to endure a long lecture. Yet, she wondered, what did Mr. McLenna mean back there?

She closed her door then clicked off the light for a solid night's sleep for once.

The weekend ended up being a silent one for Zormna. Jeff had called once to make sure she was all right. He called twice after to make sure she was not lying to him. Even though Zormna felt she had gotten off of punishment easy that time, she did have to rake the leaves Saturday and help Mr. McLenna clean out the rain gutters. Then she did the same at her great aunt's house to prepare it for winter. She also put up storm windows, as Darren came by and told her they needed to be done. He also helped out.

That Sunday after church, Jennifer had Zormna recount everything that had happened on the trip, especially what Jeff did when they found out the motel room had only one bed.

"So he slept on the floor?" Jennifer muttered. "That's got to be hard."

Zormna nodded. "Yeah. But I think he is used to sleeping in strange places. He sometimes talked in his sleep, but uh...when that guy is out, he is out."

Jennifer chuckled, shaking her head as her eyes raked over Zormna. "Well, at least you got the bed."

Rolling her eyes, Zormna moaned. "As if I could sleep, you mean. I can't sleep in a strange bed. I probably would have been just as well off on the floor. I would have traded with him, you know. I even offered." Zormna shook her head and stared down at her bedspread with a shrug. "The thing is, we found out what we needed."

With a slow nod, Jennifer sighed. "Well, that's good." And yet a private smirk crossed her lips as she peeked at Zormna before leaving the room.  With another look at Zormna she chuckled, shaking her head.

"What?" Zormna asked, not sure she like that look in Jennifer's eye.

Shaking her head, Jennifer smiled. "Nothing."

And she went on to dinner.

Monday started chillier than ever. The grass on the lawn, and the leaves that refilled the gutter and yards, were laced with frost. Even the windshields had a feathered layer glazed over them. And only the winter birds remained. Jennifer and Zormna crunched over the icy grass and the black slick roads, hugging their jackets close to them for warmth. When they reached the school grounds, the sun thawed most of the visible frost, but their breath puffed out in white clouds as they spoke. They parted just before the first bell. Zormna sat down happily in her yellow plastic seat in the heated classroom, glad to be back.

"Have a nice trip?" Brian Henderson said from behind.

Zormna flushed and turned around. Seeing him, she smiled. "It was productive."

Adam smirked, leaning back in his seat. He