Chapter Thirty-Three - Bedtime Story

“Cooper!” Mom gasped, shocked at my sudden arrival. For once I wasn’t concerned with punishment. I couldn’t believe Mom just told someone my secret. What if the others found out?

“Why did you tell her?” I demanded haughtily, crossing my arms over my Winnie the Pooh robe like a disgruntled hotel guest rudely awoken from a peaceful night’s sleep. I couldn’t maintain my adolescent pique for long however, my pouting lips soon starting to tremble with genuine heartbroken betrayal. “I said not to say anything.” I repeated in a squeak. “I said!”

“Oh, sweetie…” Mom sighed, holding out her arms invitingly to offer me a hug.

I hesitated at first, the idea of snuggling up with my mommy in front of Ms Diaz moments after she’d found out my real age stinging my pride. I was so upset however I felt like I might start bawling like a baby if I didn’t hug someone. That would have been even worse. So I tottered forward, burying my face in Mom’s chest as I took a few stabilizing breaths before I gathered the courage to break away, clambering up to sit sulkily on the sofa - staring up vindictively at the adults.

Ms Diaz’ befuddled expression had steadily been reknitting into a calm, serene smile of understanding over the last few moments. Now she was nodding thoughtfully to herself, clearly putting together all the little scraps of evidence as my Dad explained everything.

“There wasn’t any space in the Cub group, you see.” he began, starting from the very first day when we had arrived in Welton. “And scouting had always meant so much to him…”

“He’d always been so little, and Taylor was so understanding. And then there was the whole other issue with school.” Mom butted in, eliciting another kitten-like squeal of dismay from me. She stopped talking, putting a comforting hand atop my mop of brown shaggy hair by way of apology. “The point is, he’s happier here than I think he ever was in California.” She concluded, offering me a weak smile. I scowled back grumpily, even though it was true. Right then though, I didn’t feel very happy at all.

“That’s the most important thing.” Ms Diaz hummed in agreement, making eye contact with me. Even now she knew the truth, she was still looking at me with that same affectionate saccharine smile - like I was some fussy five year old throwing a fit over getting the wrong flavor of ice cream. “He’s certainly been a very good friend to Charlie and Alex. And the Love boys too.”

“Please don’t tell anyone.” I begged, my voice a hoarse whisper as I sat up straight as a board on the sofa. “Taylor knows, but the Kindies all think I’m eight, and Zach and everyone at school thinks I’m only five, and Ross…” I trailed off into incoherent anxious mumbling, too exhausted to get into the weeds dissecting my delicate web of mistruths. I shivered, thinking back to how Alex’s Dad had found me that very night covered in mud with my pajama bottoms soaked in pee. He’d treated me just like a baby.

“I won’t tell the kids.” Ms Diaz assured, shutting me up. Still, I wasn’t entirely reassured. Was she going to tell Ross? She must have been planning on telling him. I didn’t really know for sure, but it seemed like they were kinda like boyfriend and girlfriend. Did grown-ups have boyfriends and girlfriends, or was it called something else when you were an adult? I blushed. Maybe it was for the best. So long as he didn’t tell Alex.

“Thank you…” I sighed, rubbing my eyes tiredly as I let out a little yawn. I collapsed down into a slouch again, cuddling up against my Mom’s shoulder.

She chuckled. “I think it’s bedtime for sleepy eleven-year-olds.” she told me, checking her watch. “Goodness. It’s already past midnight.”

“Okay…” I agreed, stumbling to my feet. I cringed at the sight of them all staring at me, not really knowing what to say. “Sorry…”

“There’s no need to apologize, Cooper.” Dad said, getting to his feet too. “We should probably head to bed too.” he declared, giving me a smile. “Come on, I’ll walk you up.”

“That’s okay. I can walk by myself.” I insisted, not even pausing to say goodnight before I scuttled out of the room in embarrassment - bounding up the stairs. I could hear Mom and Dad following not far behind, Ms Diaz’s hurried footsteps walking from room to room turning off all the lights.

I had just gotten back to Charlie’s room, however, ready to dive under the covers next to Leo and escape into my dreams, when there was a booming crash of thunder. It must have been very close by, the space outside the window lighting up exactly simultaneously with the terrifying crack and illuminating the gloomy lurking shadows in the room for just a single moment in an eerie electric glow. I almost jumped out of my skin, screeching a girlish high-pitched screech at the sight of three horrifying hulking monsters hunched up on the left side of the room - their mouths gaping wide as if to swallow me up.

“Cooper!” I heard Dad call, stamping quickly up the last few steps to join me on the landing.

My feet were frozen to the floor, but the rest of me was shaking all over - eyes as wide and white as two ceramic serving platters. A couple of agonizing fearful seconds passed before a low yellow light flicked on by the bed, Charlie rubbing his eyes tiredly as his face appeared above the guard rail on the top bunk. “What’s going on?” he asked sleepily, the other Kindies starting to stir too.

My head spun around, daring to look at the monsters - but it was just Charlie’s tall wooden furniture sitting innocently along the wall. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it had been supercharged by the lightning. I frowned at the sleepy-eyed Kindies, very embarrassed. “I was just startled!” I tried to explain, my voice as loud and high pitched as a bawling baby.

The rest of the group slowly pushed themselves into sitting positions on their mattresses as my Dad gave me a hug from behind. “It’s okay Coop.” He whispered into my ear.

My heaving chest slowly came back down to normal rhythm, but I was so wired that there was no way I could simply get back in bed and sleep. All the Kindies were staring at me. Even Zach was sitting up with his blanket covering his lap.

“Can we play?” Leo broke the silence, sitting on his knees on the pull out bed and pawing around blindly for one of the dinky cars, clearly restless. He wasn’t even rubbing his eyes like everyone else.

“Shhh.” Dad hushed him. “It’s late.” He pushed against the small of my back, ushering me towards my place on the bed with Leo.

“I’m awake now.” I told him in a slight whine, sounding just as fussy as the four year old. I knew if we went back to sleep now I would just end up lying in the bed staring at the dark room listening to raindrops splatter noisily against the window.

Dad let out an exasperated deep sigh and looked at us with his tired eyes. “Cooper, it’s late.” He stated in a matter-of-fact, end-of-the-story kind of way.

“Are you going to read us a story?” Leo asked abruptly in his tiny voice, making all of us turn to look at him. Charlie’s mouth hung open for a moment like he was going to say something, but he didn’t - just glaring in frustration at his brother.

“A story?” Laurie repeated, sounding very excited. He went to bound up from his place next to Zach, but his brother wrapped an arm around his tummy to keep him in place. “Can you?” he asked my Dad, showing him a pair of needy puppy dog eyes.

Dad looked a little put off by the ambush, clearly wanting to get to bed himself. I was certain he was going to say no, but then he looked right at me - almost as if he were expecting me to say something. Was he waiting for me to ask too? The thought made me blush. Dad used to read to me a lot, but never since we moved to Canada. I’d got it in my head that I was too old for stuff like that, and I’d been embarrassed to ask. It would have been even more embarrassing to ask in front of all my friends. Still as childish as it was, I really did want Dad to read something. It wasn’t that I needed him too. I wasn’t a little kid. But it would help me calm down. I was still pretty shaken from the lightning, afterall. Besides, I was wide awake and it looked like Leo and Laurie were pretty excited by the idea, so I just shrugged and sat down on the bed - playing it cool.

“Okay. Let’s do a story then.” I said noncommittally, acting like I didn’t care either way.

Dad rolled his eyes at me. “What am I going to read?” He asked the group.

Leo got up and ran to the bookshelf, his pajama bottoms sagging to reveal the back of his pull-up as he bent down and pulled out a well read old book. I cringed at his brashness, feeling my own night time protection crinkle under my bottom. I pulled the duvet up to my chest, trying to forget about them. Leo rushed back and held the book up to my Dad, tugging his pajamas up again. “Can we read this?” He asked him, holding up a copy of ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’.

“Sure kiddo.” Dad said, putting a gentle hand on his black hair and ruffling it affectionately. “Go sit down.” He then pulled up a wooden chair from in front of Charlie’s desk and sat down, glancing over the first chapter. “Settle down everyone.” He instructed, his authoritative voice cutting through the general hubbub.

Charlie let out a loud harumph, flopping back down onto his pillow and pulling his blanket up way over his head. “I’m too big for bedtime stories!” His muffled voice complained grumpily from under his covers. “I’m going to bed.” Alex placed a comforting hand on the mound of covers on top of him, but otherwise paid attention - looking curiously down at Dad from the top bunk.

Zach sat up cross legged, readjusting his own blanket covering his legs and letting go of Laurie. He cocked his head curiously at the sight of my Dad sitting wisely on the desk chair with the story book open on his knees. “I thought parents only read bedtime stories in movies.” He blurted out.

Dad seemed taken aback, eyes shooting up from the novel in his hand and landing on my blonde haired classmate. “Some parents do.” He explained diplomatically.

“They do?” Laurie questioned further. “Every night?”

“Sure.”

“But why?” Zach asked. Clearly, the whole concept was very alien to the two boys.

Dad grimaced in frustration, letting out some air from his nostril like a grunting big bull. “It’ll help you have sweet dreams.” He told them at last, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. Laurie seemed satisfied by the answer, his befuddled face relaxing back into a contented smile as he rolled away from his brother to lie on his side facing Dad. Zach meanwhile just shrugged, observing the strange phenomenon in silence like an astute anthropologist.

I laid down next to Leo and stared up at Dad, waiting for him to start. A flash followed shortly by a low booming sound of thunder startled all six of us, squeaking in surprise like a litter of mewling kittens.

Dad was unphased however, beginning the story in a slow measured voice. “Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy…” He started ponderously, acting as if the lightning had never occurred.

Charlie stayed laying under his blanket the whole time, but I thought occasionally I heard a few sad sniffs coming from the mound of blankets in the top bunk. Leo fell back asleep before Dad had even got past the first couple pages, and Laurie was quick to follow. My electric excitement was quenched by my Dad’s soothing tone. He hadn’t read to me at all since we’d moved here, and I’d forgotten how good he was. It was nice to hear the funny voices he put on for each of the kids in the story.

Laurie’s soft snores were next to start, resounding rhythmically through the room. Then Alex, usually so full of energy, fell asleep too. I thought as the oldest I would have been the one to stay up the latest, but soon I too surrendered to sleepiness. I’d had a long day, afterall. I was just lingering on the edge of consciousness, my eyes closed and my breathing slowing, when I heard Zach whispering to my Dad. He had just finished the first chapter, closing the book and getting to his feet as silently as he could. “What happens next?” He asked my Dad in a mouse-like whisper.

“The others are asleep, Zachary.” Dad whispered back. I wanted to mumble out that I was still awake, but my head felt so heavy and even opening my eyes again seemed like too much of a challenge.

“But I never read this one.” He whispered again. “What happens next?”

“I’ll tell you in the morning.” Dad said, the sound of his footsteps tracking his progress over to the door.

“Okay.” Zach finished, and I heard him shift down onto his pillow. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Dad finished and left, leaving the door ajar slightly. I fell asleep soon after, no longer thinking of monsters. Instead I dreamed about a beautiful forest, and the feeling of raindrops tickling my hair, and stepping through Charlie’s huge tall wardrobe to go adventuring to a magical world with all the Kindies.