Chapter 153 · Month 57 · Starting a Family

The Bad Day

A 3am night that neither of them handles well

Oldest line first — the newest line is at the bottom.

      
            Algy
            designer
            12:34
          
It's ten past one and I'm eating cereal standing up because the bowls are all in your bag with that form. I'm not even hungry — I just wanted something to do with my hands that wasn't ring Mum.

            Penny
            teacher
            12:35
          
Give me the bowl, and I'll say the practical bit: the test's on the shelf behind the toothpaste and it's been there nine days, so I'll do it Saturday morning, not at one in the morning with you crunching.

And the kind bit, since you seem to need it spelled out: not ringing Susan isn't the same as failing her. Ask for a do-over?

            Algy
            designer
            12:37
          
Saturday, then — and the do-over's not really the do-over. I bought the test at the corner shop across from the dry cleaner, and I also bought a loo brush, because I thought two things in one bag looked less obvious.

            Penny
            teacher
            12:38
          
A loo brush. Right, that's the most Algy sentence you've ever said. What I need, out loud, is one night where we don't discuss any of it and you don't need a bowl in your hand — we watch something, I fall asleep first, and Saturday waits till Saturday.

← Chapter 152

What the audience made of it

Algy 0 Penelope 0 Both 0 0 votes

The next chapter opens with these numbers on the table. The character with fewer votes is expected to demand a recount.

The story fund →