Chapter 24

• "What's going on with you two lately? It feels like the frosty atmosphere between you is more glacier than normal, and neither of you is speaking up about it." Johnny prods Sophia in the back of the head as he passes behind her at the breakfast table. Being his usual annoying self. She tenses up, but acts flippant, not ready to share anything with him yet. If Johnny knows, he will make everything worse, and she needs to get a handle on what she's going to do when she knows for sure. She doesn't even know what to do.
• "Nothing. You know how it is when we get into the new financial year. So much more stress for a few weeks. It'll pass." Sophia brushes it off and focuses on pushing oatmeal into her mouth despite her zero appetite and can barely swallow it. She's in jogging clothes as it's her day off, and her routine is an early morning workout, followed by breakfast and then a run. She's trying to stay as normal as possible to keep up appearances.
• "Hmmm. Plans today?" Johnny slumps down beside her and pulls over the orange juice jug. He's still in pj's and probably going to do what he always does on a rare day off. Vegetate and stay indoors. Catch up on anime and play video games. Sometimes Sophia forgets he's only a year younger than her as he seems about ten, and she wonders if he's immature for his age or if she was forced to mature way more than twenty-six.