Where They Go

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Rip It All Apart

Zoey had stopped hugging Erin, she was now holding her hand.
"I'm sorry." Erin sighed. "You shouldn't have to deal with this."
"You shouldn't have to deal with this, Erin. Your mom shouldn't have... freaked out like that."

"I swore I closed the door, Zoey, and I know she was occupied with making dinner. I thought we were safe."
"I did, too. She should've fucking knocked." Zoey spat frustratedly.

Both of them froze when they heard the front door open quickly.
They could vaguely hear the ending of what Carol was saying to Mark, something along the lines of, "I'm not hearing it!"

Carol stomped down the hall and glared at the two girls.
"What are you still doing here? Get out of my house!" She shouted at Zoey.

Zoey looked at Erin hesitantly for a second.
"Get out!" Carol screamed.

Zoey mouthed the words, "I love you" to Erin, quickly grabbed her backpack, and ran out of the house.

The front door shut, then Carol sat in front of Erin just like her father had a few minutes ago.

But while her father's presence felt comforting, her mother's presence felt eerie.
She felt physically panicked.

"I don't want you around Zoey anymore, she's a terrible influence. She's making you think you love her."

Erin's chest hurt so badly. Her heart was cracked and she felt the air in her lungs disappear.
She was speechless again.

Unfortunately, Carol wasn't done talking. "I'm taking your phone, so you can't talk to her. This is for your own good, sweetheart. Some time without her will do you good. You'll be back to normal in no time." She said, standing up.

She paused in the doorway. "Your dinner is cold now, by the way. You can warm it up in the microwave if you'd like."

Dinner was the last thing on Erin's mind.
All she could do was sit in her nook for a long time and sob.

When the sun set later that day, Erin crawled out of her nook and into her bed.

A wrinkled, balled-up, navy blue piece of fabric caught her eye.
She picked it up, it was Zoey's "Death Cab For Cutie" hoodie.
Zoey left so quickly that she'd forgotten it.

Erin hugged the jacket close, it smelled like Zoey.

She fell asleep that night with damp cheeks and the hoodie in her arms.

She'd been with her romantically for two incredible weeks before her mother ripped it all apart.