Chapter 5

Lotte is sitting on the front steps of the house when you and Senna return. She sits pathetically, her face in her hands, just staring across the road. She knows what happened. It must have been obvious to her when she found you and Senna gone, and the bikes as well. She probably couldn’t even come after you because Senna took her bike. Well, no… she could have come because there are more bikes, but she probably wouldn’t have known where to look for you.

Maybe she did go looking and just didn’t find you.

Senna pulls up with a laugh, climbing off the bike and just letting it fall with a clatter. Yup… that one must be Lotte’s.

Lotte doesn’t react as Senna jogs past her and goes into the house without a word.

You hurry to Lotte and sit beside her.

“I’m so sorry,” you say, putting your arm around her. She doesn’t react. “I didn’t realize it was her until she kissed me.”

“We are the same,” Lotte says, sounding oddly calm and distant. “It is not your fault. I should not have left you alone.”

“Oh, baby.” You hug her, but she doesn’t hug you back. She’s limp.

“I have to go,” she says after a minute.

“Huh?”

“I have to go. I have been asked to speak at the school.”

“What?”

“About America,” she adds cryptically. You think you understand. A local school has asked her to talk about spending months in another country. Makes sense; she’s a famous soccer player around here.

You start to ask her if she wants you to come along, but catch yourself and keep your mouth shut. The fact that you overshadow her as a star is already a source of tension in your relationship. You need to stay out of the way and let her have this. Lotte isn’t as much of a star as players like you and Adella, but she’s still extremely good. She doesn’t need you to hold her hand.

But that means you’ll be here with her crazy family. And Senna.

“I will not return until late,” she goes on, looking at you. “So if she looks like me, it is my sister.”

Yes. She didn’t need to explain that. You get it now.

“Yup,” you say, and kiss her on the cheek. “Have fun, baby. I love you.”

She was starting to stand up, but she stops awkwardly, looking startled. You realize you may not have ever said that to her before. You can’t take it back now. Looking uncomfortable, but blushing a little, she picks up her bike.

Is that shyness in the way she looks at you? But then she’s pedaling away. Gosh… she and Senna really are exactly alike in every way. It’s almost creepy.

You sit there on the step, exhausted. It’s partly because of the bike ride, but it’s mostly mental and emotional. It’s hard to see Lotte having such a difficult time, and it’s stressful for you too. Her family is… a lot.

Famke emerges from the house with a little parcel in her hand. She looks surprised.

“Is she gone?” she asks you.

You nod. “To the school, I think.”

“Oh. Of course.” Famke looks apologetic. “May I ask you for a favor?”

“Sure,” you reply, standing up. It’s not like you have anything else going on. Apart from looking over your shoulder for Senna. No wonder Lotte was uneasy about coming back here. This house is pure chaos.

Famke gives you the parcel. “This is for Elenora. She is at the bank. It is just up the road.” She points.

“Oh. OK.” That sounds good. You need a break from this place. And what is in here? A snack for her wife? That’s so cute.

She goes back into the house, and you set off. This town is perfect for walking, and there’s something interesting to see everywhere you look. Nothing crazy, just all the little ways that it’s different from America. And there are so few cars. Crazy.

The bank is easy to find. It stands out from everything else because it’s blatantly newer and more modern, but not very big. Inside, you ask for Elenora. The girl behind the counter tells you to just go upstairs to Elenora’s office. It seems like Elenora is quite successful.

You go up and tap on the door.

“Yes?” she calls from inside. You go into her office, which is very modern and cool. She’s on her feet behind the desk. The second you walk through the door, her phone rings. She snatches it up and answers, and a moment later she’s shouting at someone in Dutch. Brutal. You stand there, shocked and a little scared as she lays into this person until she’s red in the face.

She slams the phone down, making you jump and squeak in fear.

She groans and wipes her bangs out of her face. Without a word, or any acknowledgment of you, she turns away a little bit and drops her trousers, revealing expensive, lacy black panties. It happens so fast. She pulls a fat cock out and rapidly strokes it to hardness.

You stand and stare like an idiot, but she’s not paying attention to you at all. She leans over, her free hand on the desk, jerking it hard, making a face of frustration. She’s going so fast that it’s loud, but in only about a minute she grunts and jerks, her lower half clenching as she sprays her load into the wastebasket.

With an annoyed groan, she grabs a tissue, wipes off her hand, wipes off her stuff, and tucks it away. She pulls her slacks up and buttons them, glancing over her shoulder at you.

She says something in Dutch, then corrects herself and switches to English.

“Sorry,” she says shortly.

Elenora drops into her chair with a sigh, picking up the parcel and unwrapping it. It looks like Famke made her a beautiful sandwich. You’re still just standing there. She takes a bite, looking up at you.

“I am sorry,” she says, chewing. “I am tense.”

You can see that.

“It’s OK,” you say. Should you leave? You aren’t sure what to do.

“I am sure Lotte has told you many terrible things about me,” Elenora says, her eyes on the TV on the wall. It’s showing stock symbols. Man… her life must be really stressful.

“She hasn’t,” you reply.

Elenora looks a little sad as she eats. She gestures at her office. “I was always tough on them. In my world, you must be strong. Take no prisoners. Maybe I was wrong to teach them that.” She looks distant and regretful. “I hope you will be good to Lotte.”

“Um…” You stand there awkwardly. “I’m trying.”

You leave the bank feeling surprised, and a little moved. It’s a shame that Lotte wasn’t here to hear Elenora say that. The sun is going down as you walk along the streets back to the house, where you can smell cooking.

So Lotte has spent the last twenty years in this house? With these people?

That would make anyone strange.