Estelle

Kassia pulls up to this two-story, brown house before turning to face me and unexpectedly looks very concerned.

"Just let me know if you're feeling overwhelmed." She tries to give me a reassuring smile while resting her hand over mine. "Just a couple of people are eager to see you. Not a lot.  If you really need to step away from the chaos, that is understandable. Although I've already informed them that it would be a lot, I wouldn't claim the transition will be easy."

She smiles again, appearing more assured of herself as I silently nod. "Jessica, hurry up." I give her a short, careful look, and she immediately corrects herself. " Estelle, I mean. Estelle, yes?"

I nod. “Yes.” She quickly ran over to the other side of the vehicle to open the car door for me after quickly opening her door first.

Hesitantly, she says, "Come on." I nod and get out of the car tentatively.

***

I almost topple over as a girl about my height scrambles up to me and wraps her arms around my waist. While I'm still surprised, she hastily breaks away from me.

“Sorry,” she whispers, wiping a stray tear from her eye. I smile until another girl, shorter this time, shoves her onto the couch and shoves a picture in my face.

“Look, look!” she squeals. Five stick figures stood in front of a brown house. The grass was just a bunch of green scribbles. She pointed to the girl in the middle. “That’s you. Do you like it?”

I nod, and look around the house, trying to find some sort of way to escape. The girls’ stare knocks the wind out of me until a firm hand tightens around my arm and whirls me around. It’s Kassia.

“Here’s John,” she said with a wink, gesturing to the man next to her. He had his arm wrapped around her waist. I held out my hand and he shook it firmly.

“Nice to meet you, Jessica.”

“Estelle,” I correct.

He gives me an apologetic smile. “Estelle.” He slaps his palm against his forehead and lets out a small groan.

“Best way to introduce yourself to someone: mess up on their name.”

I chuckle lightly, trying not to make him feel any worse. “It’s cool.” Kassia places both of her hands heavily on my shoulder and grins broadly.

“Your room is upstairs and to the left of the hallway. Last door.” She leans down and kisses my forehead, and I flinch backwards, startled by her sudden touch. Hurt flashes through her eyes, but I don’t let her apologize.

“It was me,” I say. “Sorry.” She begins to say something, but I turn away and rush up the stairs, my steps sounding like booming thunder.

I stop at the last door of the dark hallway. The metal handle is freezing cold as I twist it open.

I stared at the room in curiosity. It’s like being in the room of a ghost. Nothing has been touched for a while. The bedding is clean and folded neatly. The top of the white clothing drawer has a layer of dust that I blow off my fingers.

The mattress adjusts to my weight as I collapse onto it. I stare up at the bumpy ceiling until my eyes feel heavy and I close them.