You'll tell me what to do/but you will see that I do as I please
She used to go outside more. Almost every day, if just for a little while, Tiffany ran around like a wild thing, inside or out, the ever-present Mister Wossack dangling from her arm or stuffed lovingly into her back-pack. Sometimes she built a fort in her room, a blanket draped over her desk and piles of pillows underneath, and sat in it for hours with a book and a flashlight. Sometimes she would go outside and flail around in the sunshine, playing tag with herself. Sometimes, if she was very, very good, her big brother would even play with her.
Then, all of a sudden, she wasn't allowed to play anymore. Pushy, bossy June said she had to stay inside and sit in front of the door. 'If you don't the bad girl will come out,' June said. 'You don't want the bad girl to come out, do you?' No, Tiffany hadn't, and she was a good girl, so she did what she was told. She sat in the dark, Mister Wossack clutched tight in her small arms, and helped weird, scary Ruth keep the bad girl inside.
But even the best girls can't be good all the time. Tiffany doesn't like the dark. It's cold, Lars isn't there, and bad things always, always happen in the dark. And anyway, Ruth is creepy and strange, but plenty strong enough to keep the bad girl inside all by herself. Tiffany could go outside for a little while before June woke up in the morning and no one but Ruth would even notice, and Ruth never told.
Mind made up, she waited patiently until the house is quiet. Waited until June was asleep, dreaming of something flowery and sappy and stupid, then waited some more. Waited until flowery dreams faded into soft darkness, and the only thing disturbing the quiet around her was Ruth's quiet muttering, whispered snatches of poetry and song that Tiffany never understands. With uncharacteristic caution, she waited even more, until June's sleep was so deep nothing short of an explosion would wake her. Finally, finally she took her chance, carefully slipping out into the light. It was her turn.
And oh, what a turn it was. For hours she played quietly before the sun had even risen, the darkness, broken only by the soft light from the little flower lamp on the desk, transforming her room into a wonderland of shadowy caves and towering castles made of pillows. Time flies quickly when you're having fun. All of a sudden the sun was peeking through the window. She had every intention of going back inside and sitting in front of the door like a good girl, really. Just as soon as June's alarm went off.
It was an awfully nice day, though, she'd been cooped up inside for such a long time. A little longer wouldn't hurt anything, right? It's not even a school day, after all. Just one more hour. But June's little calendar doesn't have anything scheduled for today, and Mom is making french toast. One hour turned into two, and then her parents went to work, leaving her in the care of her brother. How could she possibly go back inside when her favorite person in all the world had nothing to distract his attention from his little sister?
And how could she possibly go back to the task she had been set when he told her that pushy, bossy June had lied to her. The bad girl wasn't bad at all. June just wanted all the time to herself, instead of sharing with the rest of them like she's supposed to. Oh, Tiffany was so mad. Almost mad enough to wake that lying liarpants up, just to yell at her. Lars had a better idea. She did go back inside, but not to sit in front of the door. No, Tiffany had had quite enough of that.
Ruth was ridiculously easy to distract and lead away, and after that it was all over but the screaming. Without the other two in the way, and with June sound asleep, there was absolutely nothing to keep Georgia back anymore.
Time to have some fun.