Page (16)

It is early Sunday morning and Page and Rock are sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. "Why you cook all this food? Who gon eat all this?" Rock asks.

"I don't know. It's how I relieve my stress. Besides. Someone will eat it. I'll save some for later. Take some to Vida and Charlotte. Take some to someone. It won't go to waste. Besides, I just got happy that you're up so early. You even seem happy. Well, maybe not happy but not funky and I'll take that. And you're not cooped up in your room." Page responds as she looks at Rock's half eaten biscuit, the extra plate of pancakes and turkey bacon, eggs, fruit and potatoes.

"What you stressed about though?"

"Huh?"

"You said it's how you relieve your stress. Why are you stressed? Me?"

"Not you." Page paused. "A little you. Sometimes you. Sometimes I don't know how to handle it when you're down for too long. I have my own issues with depression and when I'm down too I don't know what to do to cheer you up."

"Cheering me up is not your job."

"But..."

"No, no. Listen." Rock interrupts her. "You do more for me than anyone. Anyone. And I love you. Not just because of what you do for me, but you're my little sister and I see you. And I'm proud of you. And I love you. I get down sometimes but I get back up too. I don't know if I'll ever get used to being dependent on you or anyone taking care of me. It's a lot. The meds are a lot. The pain is a lot. Being down about it is a part of it. But happiness comes too."

"I'm glad to hear that." Page responds and stares at Rock.

"Something else is on your mind though."

"Kinda." Page gets up to clear the table.

"No, get that later. What's up?"

"Dad wants to see me."

"What? When? See you? Why?"

"I don't know. But it sounds urgent. I'm nervous though. I have to go right? All this time and I've only seen him once."

"You don't HAVE to go. Go if you want to go. Only if you want to. Fuck is so important now? He shouldn't be doing this to you. I don't know, Page. I don't know."

"Yeah, me neither. I think I'm gonna go though. I think I should. I want to. I do want to."

"Well to me, it sounds like Page is trying to convince Page."

"Maybe."

"And she's not doing a good job of it."