Rewards and Monsters

                                    

                                          
        Lily brooded.
                          
     What June had told her the night before sunk in, and she brooded about it. She begrudgingly admitted that Tracy's assessment of her had been correct and that she would have willfully remained ignorant about June's feelings until she was forced to face them. But what she found most distasteful about the whole situation was that June and Tracy were in on it together. For how long, she didn't know, but she didn't like being manipulated, no matter how slightly. All of Tracy's throwaway comments suddenly made sense.
                          
     Tired, Lily stayed in her pajamas and lounged around her apartment throughout the afternoon and evening. She ordered in, watched TV, and played solitaire on her laptop. It was actually going well for her, that was until Tracy called repeatedly until she picked up.
                          
     "What?" she groaned into her cell.
                          
     Tracy huffed in irritation. "What is wrong with you?"
                          
     Lily spread her legs and moved her laptop to the couch seat beside her. "I'm really not in the mood for this."
                          
     "June told me what happened."
                          
     "It's none of your business. It never was."
                          
     Tracy sighed. "Well one of us had to do something about it."
                          
     "You had no right."
                          
     "Oh, please. June liked you and I helped her out. So what? You like her right back but we both know you won't let yourself do this. I had to step in."
                          
     "No you didn't." Lily rubbed her eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "Nothing is coming of this. Whatever she told you, however she feels, that's all on you. This is all your fault for encouraging her."
                          
     "Will you stop, please? You like her. You do. There's nothing wrong with that."
                          
     "I know there's nothing wrong with it. But I'm not interested."
                          
     "Yes you are."
                          
     "No I'm not."
                          
     "Lily!" Tracy growled, then exhaled roughly. "I get that you think you're not ready after what happened, but you need to get back out there. It's been too long. And I'm not just talking about sex, either. You've been isolated. Danny and I don't count, okay? You like being with people and you like June, even if you won't admit it. Don't deprive yourself."
                          
     "Tracy..."
                          
     "Give her a chance. Give yourself a chance."
                          
     "I can't do this. I'm not doing this. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Lily hung up and tossed her cell to the other end of the couch. She dragged her laptop back onto her lap and resumed her earlier game of solitaire. She groaned to herself, unwilling to think about all the things that persistently popped into her head.

                          
–-

                          
     Multiple times Tracy asked Lily to drop off or pick up Danny from school, but Lily adamantly refused. She wouldn't babysit, either. She wanted to be as far as possible from June, who she could run into if she continued immersing herself into Tracy and Danny's lives. It was a childish road to travel but she was prideful. She was far more interested in proving Tracy wrong than resolving issues.
                          
     Unfortunately her caring attitude eventually led her to agree, after at least a week of no's, to pick up Danny from school because Tracy was running extremely late and the final bell had already rung. Lily wasn't the type to make Danny suffer because of his unruly mother. So she hurriedly stuffed her feet into shoes and snatched up her keys and went on her way. She arrived at Danny's school, feeling anxiety creep in when she noticed how bare the yard was. Only a handful of children were left waiting for their parents or guardians. Danny was not one of them. Lily parked, having no trouble finding a spot, and rushed up to the school building. She thought he might be inside hiding from the sun. He wasn't, so she went deeper until she reached his classroom, thinking he was with the teacher, perhaps.