Are We Being Invaded?:

After dinner, Lyle and I did our homework. I couldn�t focus tonight, however. I put my green and pink pen down on my notebook. I turned to my brother.

�Lyle, are we under invasion?� I asked. He didn�t look up at me.

�I don�t know,� he said.

�What do you mean you don�t know?�

�Claudia, you know what Kat told us.�

I nodded. �Yes, I know. But what do you think? If you had to pick a say, what would you say?�

He paused and looked up at me. �Why?�

�Just answer the question!�

Lyle made a face at me. �Okay� I don�t think we�re under invasion until we have further proof.�

�And if we don�t get it?�

Lyle shrugged at me. �Then we aren�t.�

I sat back against our tan couch, pouting. �That�s not the answer I wanted to hear!�

Lyle dropped his pencil on his notebook. �Look, I don�t know the answer that you want!�

�Can�t I have a clear yes or no answer on the question?� I sighed as I folded my arms across my chest. �God, that so hard?�

�Just finish your homework!�

I mocked him under my breath as I picked up my pen and got to work. Fine then, if Lyle wasn�t going to give me the answer I wanted, I�ll just have to go elsewhere. And I know exactly where.

As Lyle did the dishes, I looked for Kat in her office. She was grading papers again. At first, I thought about leaving her alone to do her work. But, the question wouldn�t leave me alone. So I figured that I would get this over with. I knocked on the door.

�Yes?� Kat asked without turning around. I slowly stepped into the room.

�Are you busy, Kat?� I whispered.

�I have to get this papers to the students by morning,� she said.

�Will you be up late?�

�It appears that way. Why, what�s wrong?�

I shook my head. �Nothing. It can wait. Good night.�

�Night honey.�

I turned and walked down the hall. I went into the bathroom, took a bath, and changed into my pajamas. I thought about the invasion question as I helped myself to my marzipan that I bought today while looking out my window. Nobody can give me a straight answer. They are either scared or uncertain. Or in Lyle�s case, just wanted me to shut up so he can do his homework. Kat�s too busy right now. Looks like I�m gonna have to wait and see what happens next. I sneered as I decapitated my marzipan horse and chewed on it. My seven-year-old brain hated it at the time. I always wanted to know everything. Ugly truth or not. I just had to know. Kat told me that wasn�t always a good thing, but I just had to know anyway. That�s how a kid�s mind always works.

When I finished half of my marzipan, I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. The question still sat heavy in my brain. Are we being invaded or not? I just have to know. I carried that thought all the way to my bed. I hid my treats back under my bed and shut my blinds. I packed up my schoolbag, picked out my clothes for tomorrow, and turned off my light. I shut my eyes to try and sleep.

Several hours later, I held a tap on my door. I slowly opened my eyes and squinted in the darkness. My door was opened a crack, letting in a little bit of light into my room.

�Yes?� I whispered.

�Claudia?� I heard Kat whisper back in the darkness. �You still awake?�

�Yes. Why?� The door swung open, letting in more of the hallway light in my room. I squinted and shielded my eyes.

�Too bright,� I complained.

�Sorry baby,� Kat whispered to me. She lightly shut the door behind her.

�What did you want to talk to me about ?� she whispered. I sat up in my bed.

�Are we being in invaded?� I asked.

�How do you mean?�

I shrugged at her. �Has Germany been invaded by the enemy?� I asked. I noticed that Kat�s face grew serious in the dark. She walked over to my bed and lied down next to me. We looked each other in the eye. I had never noticed that Kat had such strong and pretty navy blue eyes before.

�Yes,� she admitted. �This country is being invaded by the enemy.�

�Who�s the enemy?� I asked. Kat gave me a little smile and gently tapped me on the cheek.

�There are so many rumors,� she said. �Nobody really knows the truth anymore. They are just going on speculation.�

�So, you don�t really know either?�

Kat shook her head at me. �But, we will learn something soon enough. You just have to be patient and hope that the worst never occurs.�

I gave her a puzzled look. �What is the worst?�

�Let�s hope that we never have to know.� Okay, she basically told me what Lyle said to me hours ago. But, it wasn�t annoying or a way to get me to shut up. Kat just simply didn�t know the answer. Kat gave me a little smile.

�Anything else you want to know?� I shook my head at her. Kat smiled at me.

�Good night now,� she said.

�Night!� I said. I lied back down in my bed and began to shut my eyes.

�And Claudia!� I heard Kat speak up.

I opened my eyes. �Yes?�

Kat glanced over her shoulder at me. �I know about all of those goodies that you�ve been hiding under your bed. I would advise you to find a way better to invest your money on something other than sweets.� I looked at her with big confused eyes as she closed the door behind her. Unbelievable! How did she know?