"We both need to try to get back into our regular routines. Agreed?"

"Okay, mom." Mark nods. He isn't going to argue, not even over school even if he isn't a great fan of it.

"Good." She says getting up from the table to go to the sink where she rinses out the cup.

"Okay, I'd better get going if I want to catch that special offer at Walmart."

He suddenly finds his heart starting to hammer inside his chest as he sees his mother approach him. At the last minute, she stops.

"Erm...I'll catch you later." She smiles at him. "Remember to phone Sunil." She shouts over her shoulder as she heads out.

Alone, Mark stands for an indeterminate amount of time before his eyes fall on the phone.

"I'd better phone him." He sighs to himself as he goes over and takes the phone of its cradle.

Punching in the number, he waits patiently as he listens to the clicks it dials. After a few short rings, the phone is picked up.

"Hello!" It is Aunt Devi.

"Hello, Aunt Devi." He says.

"Mark! How are you, sweetheart. And how's your mother?"

"Erm...She's okay thanks. Is Sunil in?" He says abruptly, not really wanting to talk about his mom.

"Sure, honey. He's right here." There is a sound of fumbling and then he hears Sunil's voice. "Hello, man. How's things?"

"Okay." Mark answers. "I wonder if you fancy going out tonight. Hit that new place at the Mall you have been on about?"

"Ahhh! Shitttt!" He hears Sunil gasps out. What's going on over there? "S-sure. But not tonight. Kinda - Jeezus, Devi...busy tonight, you know what I mean?"

Mark feels his heart starting to pump faster as he realises that Devi is doing something to Sunil, while he is on the phone.

"A-am free tomorrow. Oohhh Jeez..." There is more fumbling and he hears Aunt Devi's voice again. "I'm sorry, Mark but Sunil's kind of busy at the moment. Ohhhh. H-he says that he will be able to see you tomorrow. He's going back to school a-nnyhooooo....Oh God, Sunil. C'mere..."

And the phone goes dead.

It takes the boy long minutes to hang up the phone, his mind going over the realisation what Sunil and Devi were doing while on the phone to him...