Back at home, Mikey strolled into Jon's room. Due to Jon's emergency, his mom had to hurry off to the high-school. She had contacted the mother of one of Mikey's friends, asking if she could come over and give him a ride. As for Zoe, after sticking around for a little while, she had decided to walk to school. The pre-virus branch was thankfully close enough to get to on foot.
Meanwhile, Mikey still had a few minutes before his ride would arrive. So, he figured he could play some of his brother's video games until then. His oldest sibling had always been nice about letting him use his entertainment system.
Glancing about the room, Mikey thought about what he had learned from Zoe when he asked where mom had gone. It was still difficult to imagine that his brother was now another sister. Would things stay the same between them? He knew that the one sister he did have never let him enter her room. What few glimpses he managed to get of its interior had given him an impression of a place both strange and familiar. While he could never identify exactly what it could be, something about the room just seemed to shout, "Girl's room! You shall not enter!" This sense of dread had only been reinforced by his sister's explosive reaction if he ever set foot beyond her door's threshold even by accident.
Would Jon's room become like that? Would his new sister let him play her video games or enter her room without permission? Would her possessions become different, with dressers filled with forbidden secrets, small bottles that smelled like nasty chemicals, and countless pastel colors that assaulted a young boy's eye at every turn?
These doubts filled Mikey's mind, causing him to forget momentarily why he had come here in the first place. Then, a small glimmer caught his eye. On Jon's nightstand, a small rock lay illuminated by the sunlight poking through the window blinds.
Mikey went over to take a closer look. As far as he knew, his brother had never shared his interest in rocks. This one, however, did seem like a nice one, its polished surfaced showing off a distinct red hue. If he had seen such a nice specimen outside, he would gladly have added it to his own collection.
Tentatively, Mikey ran a finger over the rock's smooth sides, enjoying the tactile sensation and watching the rock wobble and spin on its rounded underside. Had Jon started her own rock collection? That would certainly be nice. Even if they now had nothing else in common, they could always have this one common interest to connect through. It was better than nothing, right? Right?
Sighing to himself, Mikey muttered, "I wish "
