Soon after Beth's departure, the "party" died down. James and Billie had to leave, since they were going to the non-landed club, it was Saturday after all.

Mindy wanted to go, but my parents weren't in the mood for it, and she was registered with us or something. I didn't get it, but in the car drive back home, my parents apoligized.

"Peter and Clara think that Mindy spends too much with Billie. They like him, and they really like James, but they fear that Mindy is getting attached a little too fast and want her to have some time on her own, you know? So they don't get too symbiotic in nature.

I could get it. If Billie hadn't come into our lives, I would still see Mindy more often, but because of that, I couldn't go to the non-landed club.

Instead, we went to our camper and had a sort of campire. Just the three of us. And it was good.

I was starting to see behind my parents the human beings their are and not just their roles as parents.

My father told me one of his horror stories, one that even my mother didn't know the ending of.

We were sitting on a sort of log left there to server as a seat, and by the end, my mother and I were cuddling, holding each other as he walked around the fire, and even used a branch to poke thru the fire for effet. Twice, he thew some leaves in the fire he had picked up while telling the story to punctuated it.

Fine, I'll tell you some of the story.

It's about a killer who escapes from the insane asylum. Since he is only wearing prison clothes, he hides in the nearby naturist resort to avoid being found. He adds a lot of flush to the story, like retelling how he killed his victims, with a surprising amount of gore for the father of a 12-year-old, but he did check, and I wanted more and my mother approved.

In the end, the punch line was a cheap gimmick, he just, well, grabbed our attention with the leaves burning for the second time in the fire, and sneaked around to gently poke us from behind while yelling.

Both my mother and I jumped, but then, we laughed. It was a good time.

"I wonder if Beth will be ok", I say.

"I don't know kiddo, but I suspect that she is stronger than she thinks she is", says my mother.

"What makes you say that?"

"You told me she didn't want to come, but only did because people thought it could help her? Well, she lasted her 24 hours and in that meal, with her parents? She was smiling, and happy."

"Everyone older sees me as wise."

"Well, you are sugar", says my dad.

"I don't know. I was so angry for so long"

"Is it me, or is your mind clearing up now, thanks to the pills?"

I think.

"It's possible."

"Seeing boys yet?", asks my dad.

"Nope. Wait, remember Sandra?", I say

"Of course, we've known her for a while"

"I realized, like I am brunette like her, I think I want her body as an adult. I don't know how to spell it. Like, if I looked like her, I would be happy"

"Kiddo, that's good, but don't get set on it. You don't have the same body. You have a much nicer face, for one", says my mother.

"I know, but before, I didn't think of these things before the pill"

She hugged me again, and my father did too.

We left the fire to burn out, but it was starting to get cold, so my father got a warm blanket for me and another for them. I think they were cuddling a lot more than they should have, but I didn't mind. It was under the blanket at least.

We went to bed not much later. I got to skip brushing my teeth as I was exhausted and went to sleep on what is basically our kitchen table. I did use my sheets, it was cold!

My parents went to bed after brushing their teeth, and I could hear them whispering and laughing at a low volume while I was falling asleep. Now, I realize that perhaps they were doing more than just whispering behind the curtain that serves as a bedroom wall, but then, I was both too naive and too tired to realize that they might have begun to get intimate. Or not, maybe it's me, at 19, who is imagining things, and they were really just whispering and talking.

Perhaps. What do I know?

The next morning, Sunday morning, we left really early in the morning to leave. The weather was changing, it would be both cold and rainy all day, and my father preferred to leave before the rain.

When we got home, it was just 7h30 AM, and my parents decided to go back to sleep.

I decided to undress and go play Animal Crossing , and did my usual routine. I did catch a new fish for the museum, I remember that because I was excited about it when Edith came to visit my town.

We chatted a little, but I could sense she was lonely. I invited her over when my parents would be up, but to my surprise, she told me that she could have a lift, but like, right now...

I said yes and rushed to my room to put some clothes on: I would have to open the door for her.

I only hoped my parents would approve... and not scold me like Mindy had been.

She was there less than 30 minutes later, and she commented on the camper. She hadn't seen it yet.

"My father has the keys in my parents' room , if you want a tour"

"Maybe later?", she says, as she silently gets into my living room and we start playing Mario Kart.

"Aren't you going to undress?", she says, after the second race.

"I don't know, I am a little tired."

"So it's not my fault you are still dressed?"

"Nope. Maybe later. Hey, did you eat breakfast?"

"I had a toast"

"That's not an answer", I told her.

"Not really."

"I am hungry. Want to share some food with me?"

"If you undress"

I looked at her.

"Why is that important to you?"

She sighs. "Because in my mind, you are one of my two naturist friends. When you are dressed up at school, I know it's because of school, but in my mind, when I hang out with you, you are nude."

"So you have an image in your mind of me nude, and when I am dressed, what, it clashes?"

"Don't judge me, but like, at my home, anything out of the routine gets pointed at. If I ate two toasts instead of one, I would be yelled that I am gaining weight. If I skip breakfast, that I am too thin. I need some routine, for my sanity, and because without it, I suffer. When I see you, and you are not nude, I don't know where I stand."

But I can sense she is holding out.

"There is more you aren't telling me"

"I am not sure if I can say it"

"Either you do, or I don't get nude"

"Argh!", she says. "Fine, I like how vulnerable it makes you look. I love how you have the maturity of a teenager and the body of a child. That if I wanted to crush you when you are nude, you don't stand a chance. Not that I want to hurt you, it's like...a defense mechanism"

I looked at her, and just hugged her. She hugged me back, crying a little.

"I will undress, Edith, but being vulnerable with friends has nothing to do with clothing"

"I have two good friends, both are naturists. I see them nude. They respect me. I have two horrible parents. They wear clothes, I never see them nude. You have between you two four wonderful parents, I usually see them nude. They are great to me. I swear, Julie, one day, I will become a naturist because right now, the only good people in my life are naturists."

I smile. What can you say to that? So I invited her to the kitchen, while I went to undress in my bedroom.

She knows her way around the kitchen, I thought, but when I arrived back next to her, she was crying and didn't move at all.

"Something happened, right?"

She nodded.

"To you?"

She sort of raised her shoulders.

"Between your parents?" I ask.

She nodded.

"They fought?" I ask

"And then more"

"And you got hit in the fight"

"I did. I have a huge wound on my shoulder"

"Edith, listen to me, we can talk about it. Or not. But I feel like adults should be in this conversation, not your parents. I mean mine"

"But it was an accident, now everything is broken"

"Edith? Don't talk to me. I am just 12. You are only 14. We need adults. Unless you just want to talk. If you want someone to help you, really help you, I think I should get my parents"

She cries, and just nods.

I get to my parent's room, and knock on the door.

"What?", says my mother eventually, half awake.

"Mom? I don't want to freak out anyone, but Edith is here, crying, and something occurred last night that needs adults"

It didn't take long for the door to fly open, and my mom to emerge, holding a bathrobe.

She was in the process of putting it on when she saw Edith crying.

"No, don't put that on. Please", she says.

"What?", says my mom.

I speak up. "She associates nudity with being safe. Not hers, ours"

"Oh, sorry, sweety. Want to sit at the kitchen table and talk?"

Edith nodded.

I hear the toilet flush, and my father joins us. He says nothing, he just sits at the table.

"My father drank too much. My mother wanted him to stop, he didn't want to. They fought. I was in my room, but I came to see. I shouldn't have. I stayed far away, as far as I could, but he threw a beer bottle at her"

"Holy shit", says my father. "No, no... that's like... Is she okay?"

"He was drunk. He missed her"

"Thank God, that's like, it can lead to serious injuries"

"I know. Four stitches"

"But you said that he missed her?"

"He did. But he didn't miss me"

My father stands ups. "You got four stitches?"

"I did. My mother brought me to the hospital"

"Did she cover for him?", he says.

"She did not"

"Ok, where is your father, right now?"

"I honestly don't know. I think he is in jail, or maybe at the police station. My mother went to give her side of the story"

"How big is the damage?", says my father

"No muscle damage. It hit the wall, broke, and cut me on the rebound or something"

"Edith", says my father. "None of this is normal. None of this is your fault."

"D'uh, I know that"

"No, you don't. Look at me, in my eyes", he says, leaning down a little, touching his head. "You know here, that it's not your fault, but you don't know it here", he says, pointing to his heart.

"I know", she says, crying.

My mother took the place. "You can stay here as long as you want. We will host you, feed you, clothes you. Help you with homework, but also emotionally. We will find someone professional for you to speak to"

"Thank you. My mother said she will send police officers to come talk to me. They will call first."

"They have our number?"

"I gave it to her. Like, early on"

"Ok, what do you want to do now?"

"The breakfast that Julie offered sounds nice. Playing video games too. I want calm."

"You want a lazy Sunday", my father offered.

"Yeah."

"Do you have instructions for your wound? Like, cleaning it or something?", asked my mother.

"No, she said to remove the gauze around supper time and disinfect it"

"I can help you with that", said my mother.

"Thanks"

My mother made us a modest breakfast. Some bacon, eggs, toasts, orange juice, and some muffins she got from Clara.

I didn't eat that much, but Edith was famished. My parents ate a little more than I did, but I could sense how worried they were.

After eating, Edith and I went into the living room again and played some Nintendoland. I do remember liking that game a lot, and then, just moving on to other games, so I can't remember the details of it.

We ended up talking a lot, but not about her weekend. About mine. About Mindy. Nothing serious, until Edith said something I will never forget.

"I picked the wrong best friend"

"What do you mean?", I said, nervously.

"You are a much better friend than Mindy is. I mean, she is one of my best friends, but you, Julie, are solid"

"Thanks. I like you too"

She didn't hug me, but rather, just put her hand on my shoulder. Which made me realize that I didn't know which one was hurt.

We ate hot dogs in the living room. By then, we were trying time trials in Mario Kart, so we took turns eating and playing. Sure, sometimes we went to the restroom or grabbed a juice box or a glass of water, but other than that, we mainly spent the day in front of the TV, while the weather was furious outside.

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