There was the clanging of dropped utensils followed by silence. Ella knew from the look on Heather’s face she was in trouble. Her lips were pulled tight and her eyes narrowed. She looked like she was about to say something, but before she could, Danielle and Charlie had broken the silence with uncontrolled gales of laughter. Her eyes shifted from Ella onto the pair of them and then back to Ella.
“That kind of language isn’t allowed in this house.” she said. Ella sunk in her seat. “I’m giving you a warning this once, but if I- Will you two stop laughing!” She snapped at them. “You’re sending the wrong message.”
“I. Can’t. Breathe.” Danielle managed to choke out through fits of laughter. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it.”
“Sorry, honey, it was just so unexpected.” Charlie said, wiping his mouth with his napkin as he tried to pull himself together. Ella could tell he was still trying to fight back a grin as he looked up at Ella. “You shouldn’t say things like that.” He sounded very unconvincing with his bright red face and teary eyes.
“And-and you said you were glad she wasn’t in public school so she wouldn’t pick up bad habits!” Danielle roared making Charlie lose his composure all over again. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Fu-”
“You are not too old to go over my knee young lady!” Heather said through pursed lips. “Please get yourself under control.”
“Sorry,” she said, raising a glass of water to her lips and taking a drink.
“I hope I’m not too old to go over your knee.” said Charlie. Danielle choked on her water, spilling it down the front of her shirt.
“OUT! Both of you!” She shook her head at them as they left, laughing all the way to the living room.
Once it had gone quiet again, Heather turned her eyes back on Ella. “Did you hear that at school?” Ella nodded. “Words, Ella.”
“Yes.” She croaked out.
“Who? Another student or a teacher?”
“Kay-” she trailed off, unable to get the last syllable out. Heather looked displeased.
“She shouldn’t be using that kind of language.”
Ella pulled her phone out of her pocket and began to text Heather the rest.
“No, Ella, use your words.”
“Can’t say. Too big.”
She can’t control it. She has Tur its.
“What do you mean? What’s Tur its?”
Ella wiggled around and mimicked some of Kaylee’s movements with her neck and arms. Heather looked at her as if she had just spoken Latin. She did it again, but no recognition came to Heather.
Danielle came back in, now composed and headed for the table. “Just wanted my water.”
“Do you know what she’s trying to say?” asked Heather.
Danielle watched her wiggle around before shrugging. “Maybe she’s trying to make it rain.” Heather rolled her eyes and showed her the text message. “Tur its… Tur its… Oh! I think she means Tourette’s!”
Ella pointed to Danielle.
“Ten points for Slytherin!”
“I… don’t think I know what that means.” admitted Heather.
“Yeah you do, It was on that show we watched on TV with the kids who were yelling swear words and moving their heads? You remember Leslie from soccer last year? Her little sister has it.”
“Vaguely. Is that the really tall one?”
“Yeah.”
Heather pursed her lips together. “I don’t know if I want you hanging around her, Ella. She sounds like she might be a bad influence.”
“No!” said Ella, sounding firm.
“You better not hear Leslie talk like that. She’d be so mad ”
“Well Leslie’s not here, this isn’t her sister, and I don’t need Ella picking up any more bad habits.”
“We sit to-to-geth-er.” Ella managed to say while crossing her middle and index fingers. “Par- part-ners.”
“I think I like that even less.”
“Mom, seriously?” said Danielle. “Let her have her friend. It’s only been a day.”
Heather scowled. “That’s my point! It’s only been a day and she’s already parroting what she hears her say.”
“It’s not like she said it as a swear word. She didn’t yell it while stubbing her toe. You asked her what she learned and she told you.”
“Danielle,” Heather said with a sigh, “Take Ella and go pick out a movie. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Friend!” Ella repeated. “Friend!”
“Go!” Heather insisted. “I’m just going to clear the table.”