Alex: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
[wheeeeeeze]
Byrd: Woah, lady-.. I know karate!
Wren: No, you don’t.
Byrd: [whispers] She doesn’t need to know that.
Wren: It’s Alex, dipshit.
Byrd: Ohhh-.. wait, really?
Wren: Sure looks like her.
Alex: Oh my god, I found you-.. and I followed your CAT! I missed you so much!! I hope you’re not mad at me-.. I’m so SO sorry for not writing! I thought I was being organised by printing some labels out to save time, y’know? But then I forgot them at home when we went to my uncles and dad said we’d only be gone for a month, so I figured it wasn’t a huge deal, but then we stayed for what felt like it’d be FOREVER and I couldn’t for the life of me remember your address which is ridiculous ‘cause I SHOULD’VE had it memorised by now and I felt so awful as the months passed. I tried to remember it a couple times but you never wrote back so I figured I obviously got it wrong-.. then I tried finding your house on a stupid online map but the internet was crappy at best and the Bay is WAY bigger than I thought it’d be and I’ve never really seen your house in full view from the street either so, like.. I barely knew what I was looking for, and what if that camera car didn’t even map your house, y’know?!
Ava: That was.. a lot.
Alex: Sorry-.. you’re not mad, are you?
[Robin shook his head and took a breath, but nothing came out]
Wren: Oop.
Byrd: Yeah, I think he broke.
Ava: Ooh, do you know sign language?
Alex: No-.. I totally should’ve learnt! I guess I didn’t know I’d be coming here though…
Byrd: I can teach you! Well, some, I’m still learning, but Robin knows a bunch.
Ava: He’s not mad, by the way. He was just worried.
[Robin shot his younger siblings a look, fruitlessly warning them not to embarrass him]
Byrd: I’m sure he’d say hi, if he could.
Wren: I bet he’d say you look pretty too.
Byrd: He’s been extra mopey without your letters-.. or maybe that’s just what puberty does.
Ava: He has to wear deodorant now, otherwise he STINKS!
Wren: You should stay for supper, dad’s baking something.. again.
Alex: Ough.. I was supposed to be home ages ago, dad’ll kill me.. wait, what school do you go to?!
Byrd: Bay C-…
Wren: Not us-.. he goes to Copperdale.
Alex: Ohh, yay! I promised dad I’d finally unpack tomorrow but the day after that is Monday, right?
Wren: Well done.
Alex: Okay-.. ahhhh! SEE YOU AT SCHOOL!!
…
[Robin deflated as soon as Alex liberated him from another bear hug and sped off, releasing a breath he’d kept tucked beneath his ribs for an uncomfortably lengthy amount of time]
Robin: Ouuuuuuuuuuuuugh.
Robin: Why-.. why am I like this?
Wren: You’ll spew something out eventually.
Oscar: Alright losers, pie’s-.. what’s up with him?
Robin: I’m fucking BROKEN.
Wren: I mean.. you’re a little fucked, but still good!
Oscar: Quit it with the swearing-.. what happened?
Wren: Alex showed up n’ he broke.
Robin: I didn’t even get to say hi or ask why she’s here, or for how long-.. and you just had to be embarrassing!
Oscar: What’d she say?
Robin: She said Alex was pretty on my behalf and I’ve never said that and she’s a DICK!
Oscar: That’s tame-.. for Wren.
Robin: I hate you all right now.
Wren: Not as much as you hate yourself.
Oscar: Hey, too much! Robin, c’mon-…
Robin: SHUT UP!
Oscar: Right, you’re on dish duty.
Wren: Seriously?!
Oscar: You reap what you sow, honey.
